THE PROBLEM OF THE "TECHNICIAN" BUSINESS!

Reputations are built on a business that does excellent work! The carpenter whose fine crafstmanship wonders customers, the accountant that finds every last deduction worth finding or the lawyer whose counsel is like the wisdom of Solomon. Perhaps, it seems that's all you need to build a successful business.

Actually, there is more..fundamentally a business involves risk so you have to have an entrepreneurial bent in your bones. Also, systems need to be in place and the business needs to be organized, as well, just to name a few!  Three hats, famous author Michael Gerber says, are needed in his classic book, "The E-Myth." 

Not everyone possesses all three hats in equal amounts, but it's important to keep in mind that all three are needed!

Some of the problems of building a business on technical skill alone, include:

• Lost sales can result from not taking advantage of new opportunities for growth or perhaps in not being organized enough to meet the time pressures of customers 
• Poor decisions can result from such a business, if accounting records are neglected. You may be popular but not profitable. If your eyes see a regularly-prepared income statement or statement of cash flows, operational problems would be seen before they become disasters. A budget would reveal the need for a coming cash flow crunch!
• Without a strategic look ahead at environmental threats like zoning issues or lost suppliers, business could come to a halt. One concrete contractor had to dump concrete rubble from clients and the city dump wasn't a cost-effective option. A major sand/ gravel operator and highway contractor suddenly closed its grounds to dumping, turning the disposal of this rubble into a sudden crisis. Without thinking ahead or doing some problem solving, this problem could kill or seriously hamper such a business!
• High employee turnover! The technician business is typically dominated by a demanding technician, or so it would seem. Such a person is sometimes unwilling to see the need to be a manager. Managers delegate! Technicians produce! The problem becomes obvious! Good people don't like to be continually second-guessed on how they ring out a rag, spread chlorine over a swimming pool, use a Skil-Saw, how or whether they consult the Internal Revenue Code, or what they pay for a used car. 
• If a technician does have to become a manager or CEO of a growing company, quality can suffer because training is not always a priority for the newly hired techs! They are often told to jump in and do the work because the owner doesn't like, or have the patience, to train!
• Producers can be passive procrastinators about other aspects of the business, since human nature often avoids what we aren't good at!

SIX TRENDS OF NOTE IN 2014

Central to the mission at O'Hara Business Strategies, are "strategies."  Analyzing and identifying trends facing leaders, businesses and other organizations is indeed part of a strategic approach. Trends are typically organized as:

• Political,
• Economic,
• Social & Demographic, 
• Spiritual, and 
• Technological.

One of my 2014 favorited Twitter tweets, addressed a major technological and economic trend, cloud-based computing (and mobile computing), "In 2014, cloud-based computing grew as a key technology trend. For example, Salesforce.com. a pioneer in cloud computing, used the "No Software" symbol boldly!"  Cloud-based computing offered the benefit of avoiding the computer crashes possible with a home desktop computer, as well as allowing access to songs, files and sales presentations, on the go.

Five more key 2014 trends included:
1) The GOP won big in November's mid-term elections, taking control of the U.S. Senate. However, President Obama was unfazed, seeming to double down with executive actions on immigration and toward normalizing relations with Cuba. Similarly, "gay" marriage bans, largely enacted by popular vote, across the USA have fallen like dominoes. Objectively, a curious inconsistency appeared in American politics in 2014. The rule of law, the will of the American people and a Judeo-Christian worldview appeared to be taking a back seat to an increasingly powerful executive branch in Washington, D.C. and un-elected judges, with an aggressively secular worldview.  
2) Radical, violent Islam advanced around the world with Isis in Syria/Iraq, the Taliban's resurgence in Afghanistan, and renewed terrorist attacks, beheadings and kidnappings in Great Britain, the USA, Israel and Nigeria.
3) Widespread protests vs. perceived police abuse occurred despite objective, grand jury evidence to the contrary. These events illustrated an increasing hostility to the rule of law or the police, in general. Although, police abuse can occur! These protests along with "gay marriage" ban reversals and the rise of NDOs (Non-Discrimination Ordinances) across the country are evidence of changing values in the USA. Some may even consider such events to show the rise of privileged groups in America! 
4) On a global basis, the IMF apparently calculated that China would have the world's largest economy by year's end, ousting the USA from the #1 position it has held since Ulysses S. Grant was President in the 1870s. Also, Russia, despite being bruised by declining oil prices by year's end, sought to increase its military influence earlier in 2014. Also, the USA seemed to be appeasing enemies like Iran (in nuclear talks) and North Korea (by not providing strong gov't support to Sony after being cyber-attacked due to the satirical movie, "The Interview") while increasing hostility toward long-time ally, Israel for settlement activity. These events added to the sense that America's influence was waning globally!
5) Oil prices dropped to less than $60/barrel late in 2014, stressing nations like Russia and Venezuela and American oil producers in Texas and North Dakota. However, the price breaks were welcome news to American consumers. as well as energy importers like China and India. What will be the impact in 2015? Could be interesting!