Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader Groundhog?

-- August 30, 2011

In preparing for Hurricane Irene, Karen and I unplugged the electronics, filled the bathtub with water, made sure our battery lanterns were operational, and all the other recommended checklist items.

In addition, we moved our pots of flowers and herbs from the railing on our deck to the floor of the deck underneath the roof overhang, so they wouldn’t be blown away.

Little did we realize that we in preparing for an upcoming contingency we had compromised a competitive strategy.

Say what?

I’m not talking about strategy as regards our competitors in the business world. I’m talking about a local competitor for our food supply: a big fat groundhog.

The “top of the railing strategy” had kept the remaining flowers and herbs out of reach of the omnivorous critter that had devoured our tomato plants. But in preparing for Hurricane Irene, we momentarily forgot about the fat pest who’d been eating our lunch. Until we walked outside after Irene had passed, only to find bare green stalks where the parsley had stood.

We quickly moved the pots back to the railings.

What does this have to do with your (and our) small businesses? It’s a reminder that taking your eye off your competitors or off the marketplace – even when it’s for an important task like preparing for a hurricane -- can result in someone else “eating your lunch.” Regardless of inside or back-office work you need to get done, make sure to scan the marketplace -- that external environment in which your business operates – to see what’s just around the corner and in your rear-view mirror.

Because the things you see in that mirror may be larger than they appear.

Steve Caccavo, founder of Constructive Business Solutions, draws on his years of entrepreneurial experience to provide "been there, done that" business advice to owners of small and midsize companies.  Copyright 2011 by Constructive Business Solutions, a division of Positive Employment Practices, Inc.