Charlie the hamster arrived in our house a few months ago. He was installed in his cage with all of the necessary supports in the form of his bedding, food, sawdust, water supply, feeding bowl, ladder and running wheel. Once installed, he immediately set to work in organising his own little world and was not interested in what was going on outside of his cage – except when he’s taken out for some loving care.
Hufflepuff the cat was most interesting in the arrival of Charlie. From day one, she could be found trying to get into the room where Charlie was kept. When she did get in, she could be found with head bent – and you could tell she was plotting.
Charlie, being a bit thick, decided it was ok to come and visit the cat at the side of the cage. They sniffed each other a few times over a number of days. Each day, Charlie would become more confident, the cat simply walking away when she got bored.
Last week Charlie was found completely still and hardly breathing at the top of his cage. He had started to go cold and was obviously in shock. His nose was scratched and fluff was ruffled. Not surprisingly, there was not sign of the cat! Charlie was lifted gently and put back in his bedding where thankfully he fully recovered with some tlc.
Some of us in business are a-lot like Charlie. We are so focused on what goes on inside our business that we forget to look at the threats or dangers lurking outside.
Finances
- We might be in start-up and have had grant or investment money paid in. We have not had to worry about revenue generation or getting customers. Then the money is gone and ….. oops, there is no revenue coming in!
- We might have had a successful quarter and assumed that this would continue. Then sales dry up for whatever reason and suddenly cashflow becomes a problem. If only we had been as thrifty with the cash we received during the good times.
- The bank decides to reduce our credit limit on our overdraft and we need to pay it back right now. How do we manage?
Competition
- Our competitors launch an offering that takes us by surprise.
- Our competitors launch a new product or service that we had not even considered.
The Market
- A recession hits!
- The market demands change and we are no longer relevant.
These are just some of the things that can happen. The “cat” is everywhere and we have to be on the lookout all of the time to make sure we are protected. Charlie was given TLC to get him right again, our businesses would not be so lucky.
What are you doing to make sure Hufflepuff does not strike you down?
