A break in the clouds. A light at the end of the tunnel. A new day coming.
For many small businesses, the buzz about the imminent end of the recession is simply Federal Reserve speak, the presently nebulous banter of governmental brass. Down in the trenches, there’re no clouds breaking, the tunnel’s still pitch dark, and that new day? It’s not here yet.
But it could be, if you’re a small business owner willing to draw a new page on the calendar and tap into innovative solutions to take you from ‘survive’ to ‘thrive.’
Ask the two small business owners I just chatted with earlier this week. For 11 years, this pair have been partners in a bubbling marketing communications firm. Since day one—which took place around a kitchen table, these two entrepreneurs have percolated with possibilities and sometimes nearly boiled over in opportunities.
Eventually the kitchen table became a small conference table in well-appointed digs in a suburban office park. The entrepreneurial pair grew the staff to 14 willing-and-able pros, as clientele had increased in equal measure. Just 2.5 years ago, the well-appointed digs became a doubly-sized suite out of necessity to house the additional talent and all the accoutrements they then required to do their jobs.
Business was humming, and all seemed steady. Then 2008 hit.
The firm’s client base, comprised largely of construction-related product and service businesses, gave at the knees under a groaning housing/real estate market. Suffice to say these business partners–and their staff–eventually had to cry ‘Uncle,’ as well. Since late 2008, it’s been “business unusual” for this once thriving company, as the entire team has fought to gain new opportunities, nurture existing ones and, frankly, just avoid the chopping block.
Recently, one symbolically rainy evening back around that original kitchen table, one of the partners was pouring over reports, analysis and information when an epiphany struck. Those proverbial clouds hanging overhead were the result of too much, well, overhead. This once-percolating company could bubble again if not burdened by the financial weight of physical space.
After all, the company is ‘people’ not ‘office space;’ better to be around a kitchen table getting great work done than calling staff members into a well-appointed office to tell them there’s no job left.
Now these business partners are in the midst of untangling from their space and their stuff and revamping how they define “company.” They are negotiating with property management to terminate their lease, singing softly with every phone call “…please un-lease me, let me go…” (sung, of course, to the melody of “Please Release Me”; one must keep one’s sense of humor through these moments!).
If they can keep their talented people and lose that lovely-but-too-costly space, they still have a company. Even in the midst of two unprecedented years of struggle, there is business and clients still need their services. And ironically most of those clients are spread out over the nation and rarely in town to visit that burdensome suite the firm is housed in now. Technology’s changed everything already; everyone can get their jobs done no matter where they are.
In anticipation of the clouds breaking, the light at the end of the tunnel and the new day coming, the business partners already have Davinci Virtual locked and loaded in their contact information. Once the company is restructured…or, in this case, ‘un’structured…they will need the innovative solutions that Davinci Virtual offers. They may decide to have a virtual receptionist to maintain a pro profile, and they will certainly want the convenience of physical conference room space on occasion.
Ready for a new day, but not seeing any break in the clouds? Contactl Davinci Virtual and learn about real-life solutions–to draw a new page in your calendar. There is light ahead–with less overhead!
