The Water Trough- We can't make you drink, but we will make you think!
The Water Trough- We can't make you drink, but we will make you think!
Harnessing Change for Your Business Advantage
Can your business thrive amidst unpredictability? Join Ed Drozda on 'The Water Trough' as he explores how to leverage government and environmental changes to your benefit. Let's build healthier businesses together!
#Entrepreneurship #BusinessAdvice
Welcome to The Water Trough, where we can't make you drink, but we will make you think. My name is Ed Drost of The Small Business Doctor, and I'm really excited you chose to join me here as we discuss topics that are important for small business folks just like you. If you're looking for ideas, inspiration, and possibility, you've come to the right place. Join us as we take steps to help you create the healthy business that you've always wanted.
Microphone (Yeti Stereo Microphone):Welcome back to the water trough.
Microphone (Yeti Stereo Microphone)-4:This is Ed Drost of the Small Business Doctor.
Microphone (Yeti Stereo Microphone):One of the big things that is on my mind today is what the future is for us in terms of the upcoming changes in. Presidential administration and the state to state, elections that are out there. And this is not a referendum on the individuals per se. It's a conversation that's going to be. Looking at the fact that every four years we have this major change. Every two years, we have this lesser change to some degree anyway, that is the members of Congress. There's much to be said for the fact that these things do impact us. Business is by default, subject to the ramifications of governmental regulation, governmental oversight.
Microphone (Yeti Stereo Microphone)-1:Who are we kidding anyway? When we got into this business thing, we knew very well that there are factors outside of our control. Government regulations and oversight
Microphone (Yeti Stereo Microphone)-2:are merely just some of the factors that are outside of our control and impact how we do our business.
Microphone (Yeti Stereo Microphone)-1:The thing that's important about the government regulation and oversight, in my opinion, is that they're so subject to change, and because they're political in nature, the ramifications are predicated upon, or often more upon, the acquisition of power and the ability to maintain it. We are sitting in our own little spaces, our own little businesses, our single person offices or companies with 10, 15, 100, 000 or more people, and we're trying to discern what's right for and what's best for us. And we're being subjected to these external forces, which are ever changing and have, quite frankly, their own agenda. The key here is that We forget or we lose sight, I believe, that the changes that are being made in the government are not sufficient to blunt or to override that which we're capable of accomplishing. Yes, if unnecessary regulations increase our cost of doing business considerably, That is going to have an impact, but it's not like we didn't know about those things. It's not like we couldn't anticipate them. We expect maybe things will change for the better with changes of administration,
Microphone (Yeti Stereo Microphone)-3:With changes in Congress..
Microphone (Yeti Stereo Microphone)-6:But the truth is, we don't know what's going to happen.
Microphone (Yeti Stereo Microphone)-5:What we do know is that if our business is going to go on, then as with life, it has to go on, we have to embrace and accept the fact that there's going to be a multiplicity of environmental factors, factors, completely outside of our control over which we're going to have to assert our own measure of authority and competence. No, I'm not suggesting that we can ignore the fact that an increase in regulation will increase our cost of doing business. No, I can't ignore the fact that policies can prevent us from achieving some of the goals we had in mind. No, I'm not suggesting we can stick our heads in the sand like ostriches
Microphone (Yeti Stereo Microphone)-7:And pretend it's not happening. It just doesn't go away. Which, by the way, is not true. Ostriches, that is. They do not stick their head in the sand. They, in fact, lay down on the ground and kind of pretend they're dead. Somewhat like the opossum does. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is
Microphone (Yeti Stereo Microphone)-5:that we can accept that which we can control. And we can acknowledge the fact that there are many things that we cannot. I think the same thing goes for our day to day personal life.
Microphone (Yeti Stereo Microphone)-8:I've been hearing repeatedly vote based upon the response to this question. Are you better off today than you were four years ago?
Microphone (Yeti Stereo Microphone)-5:To me, that's a very. Thinly veiled stab. Okay, I'll just leave it at that. But here's the point I will say this much my life in my bubble in my little world has not changed dramatically Over
Microphone (Yeti Stereo Microphone)-9:the last eight years.
Microphone (Yeti Stereo Microphone)-5:There's been a lot of talk about change. There's been a lot of attitude about change. There's been a lot of things that personally have distracted me. from what really matters. Things that have taken my mind off what I should be doing, what I can be doing, and have left me in a state of being less capable than I should be.
Microphone (Yeti Stereo Microphone)-10:And yet, despite that, over these last eight years, and all this distraction that has occurred in this period of time, all the distractions been experienced, all of the taking my mind off what matters, still, I can't say that my life has been significantly impacted. Now that's just one person, and one business.
Microphone (Yeti Stereo Microphone)-11:My point is this, we can stand by, listen to everybody else, what everyone else says, all the things that we're being told, assign blame to the media, assign blame to the government, assign blame to this and that. If we're not taking full responsibility for the things that we have control over, if we're not taking those steps that are within our control, then we are simply wasting our time and opportunity. on trying to discuss or manage or make sense out of these external factors because those factors will remain. It's not the fact that they're there. The fact that matters is what are we Going to do with them that I believe is the key So I'm gonna step off my soapbox now because I do believe I actually am on my soapbox And this is not a place that I tend to go, but I'm gonna leave you with this thought I'm gonna ask you if you have in fact taken control of the things that you can control I'm gonna ask you to consider whether or not these Environmental, and I mean environmental as things outside of your own control. If these factors have taken control of you, are they interfering with your ability to do what you are able to do? And to do those things best. If you don't see these things, if you don't acknowledge it and or recognize these things, you can't possibly take action to improve upon the conditions that you're enduring. So my challenge to you is this,, ask those questions, answer those questions. And if you find yourself in a position where you are letting these environmental factors Impede your ability to do what is right and what is best for you and your business. Take steps to put things in the place where they belong. This is Ed Draws with a Small Business Doctor and here at The Water Trough I want to wish you a healthy business. And I do believe that healthy business is very possible.