Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Gino Wickman on EOtv
See EOS creator and Traction author Gino Wickman on EOtv providing a brief introduction to these timeless concepts and simple, practical tools that help entrepreneurs get what they want from their businesses.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
The Essence of Banking
As seen in today's New York Times:
"Banking should not be exciting. If banking is exciting there is something wrong with it."CLAY EWING, president of German American Bancorp., a community bank in Jasper, Ind.
This will be - and perhaps should be - the prevailing mentality of small business bankers for many years to come. You can not count on your banker to take the same kinds of risks with his or her capital that you take with your own. For one thing, the upside just isn't there. And, as the events of the last 12 months have clearly demonstrated, they're just not very good at making big, risky bets.
Truthfully, aggressive bankers have always been capable of doing more harm than good. The most dangerous thing a lender can do is extend credit outside the bank's risk tolerance. You may view it as a vote of confidence, but some day that aggressive decision is going to cause you some problems. You'll be sailing along "on plan," relying on the bank's capital to grow the business. You'll have made all your payments on time and met all the loan covenants.
One day an auditor or regulator may pull that file, however. They're going to see that - although you're performing as promised - that loan is technically outside the bank's standard lending policy. It's a "troubled asset." That's when your life (and that of your aggressive banker) suddenly gets exciting...in a very bad way.
Whether that seems right to you or not, it's probably best right now to expect your banker to LOVE boring, predictable credits and to avoid taking undue risks. Rely on your banker to fund the stable, predictable portion of your operation and seek alternative sources of capital for your more aggressive plays.
"Banking should not be exciting. If banking is exciting there is something wrong with it."CLAY EWING, president of German American Bancorp., a community bank in Jasper, Ind.
This will be - and perhaps should be - the prevailing mentality of small business bankers for many years to come. You can not count on your banker to take the same kinds of risks with his or her capital that you take with your own. For one thing, the upside just isn't there. And, as the events of the last 12 months have clearly demonstrated, they're just not very good at making big, risky bets.
Truthfully, aggressive bankers have always been capable of doing more harm than good. The most dangerous thing a lender can do is extend credit outside the bank's risk tolerance. You may view it as a vote of confidence, but some day that aggressive decision is going to cause you some problems. You'll be sailing along "on plan," relying on the bank's capital to grow the business. You'll have made all your payments on time and met all the loan covenants.
One day an auditor or regulator may pull that file, however. They're going to see that - although you're performing as promised - that loan is technically outside the bank's standard lending policy. It's a "troubled asset." That's when your life (and that of your aggressive banker) suddenly gets exciting...in a very bad way.
Whether that seems right to you or not, it's probably best right now to expect your banker to LOVE boring, predictable credits and to avoid taking undue risks. Rely on your banker to fund the stable, predictable portion of your operation and seek alternative sources of capital for your more aggressive plays.
Friday, May 8, 2009
You Don't Have to Outrun the Bear
In recent discussions with dozens of entrepreneurs from throughout the country, I've heard a common and encouraging message. Commerce is starting to happen again.
I'm no Pollyanna, and neither are these seasoned business leaders. For most of these folks, '09 revenues still may decline by 25% or more, profits have taken a beating, and they've had to make some devastatingly difficult decisions to let people go, close down business units and do without critical resources. But they've all begun to see signs of stabilization. Inquiries from prospective customers began increasing in early March, and orders began flowing again in mid- to late-April. They've begun to get a handle on how their business will look in this new world.
That, my friends, presents the most determined, decisive entrepreneurs with massive opportunity. If you're one of them, it's time to quit focusing on survival and look hard for ways to acquire market share from competitors who weren't prepared for a massive downturn and reacted slowly when the economy started to unravel. These companies may be ripe for acquisition, or they may be ill-prepared to serve their customers in a post-recession economy.
It reminds me of the story of two hunters that happen upon a grizzly bear. As the bear starts to charge, they drop their small-calibre weapons and start running. After 50 yards or so, one hunter turns to the other and says, "Why are we running? We can't outrun a bear!"
"I'm not trying to outrun the bear," says the other hunter. "I'm trying to outrun YOU."
If you're still trying to figure out what's happening with the economy, quit trying to outrun the bear. Focus 100% of your energy on what you CAN control - outsmarting your competitors, staying razor-sharp internally, delivering tremendous value to your customers and acquiring market share. You'll be the last hunter standing.
I'm no Pollyanna, and neither are these seasoned business leaders. For most of these folks, '09 revenues still may decline by 25% or more, profits have taken a beating, and they've had to make some devastatingly difficult decisions to let people go, close down business units and do without critical resources. But they've all begun to see signs of stabilization. Inquiries from prospective customers began increasing in early March, and orders began flowing again in mid- to late-April. They've begun to get a handle on how their business will look in this new world.
That, my friends, presents the most determined, decisive entrepreneurs with massive opportunity. If you're one of them, it's time to quit focusing on survival and look hard for ways to acquire market share from competitors who weren't prepared for a massive downturn and reacted slowly when the economy started to unravel. These companies may be ripe for acquisition, or they may be ill-prepared to serve their customers in a post-recession economy.
It reminds me of the story of two hunters that happen upon a grizzly bear. As the bear starts to charge, they drop their small-calibre weapons and start running. After 50 yards or so, one hunter turns to the other and says, "Why are we running? We can't outrun a bear!"
"I'm not trying to outrun the bear," says the other hunter. "I'm trying to outrun YOU."
If you're still trying to figure out what's happening with the economy, quit trying to outrun the bear. Focus 100% of your energy on what you CAN control - outsmarting your competitors, staying razor-sharp internally, delivering tremendous value to your customers and acquiring market share. You'll be the last hunter standing.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Jim Collins on Right People (from EOtv)
Great stuff from Jim Collins on EOtv this week. Jim's clip is at the end of the May 4-8 edition. Enjoy!
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