Post Twelve

Thanks to all of the readers and members of our LinkedIn group.  I hope that the blog and the group help everyone stay focused and sharp through the balance of this year and into 2010 where we hopefully see some improvement in our respective markets.

In prosperous times, we are sometimes able to respond to the flow of work/orders that are available without having to really dig and fight for every nickel.  Today's climate is a bar room brawl and requires a lot of patience and discipline.  Margins are seemingly neglected at times. Manufacturers are quick to discount on bulk orders.  Suppliers are forced to sell  at low margins to turn inventory and designers need to pay their people.

How will your company or client base look when prosperity returns?  We will see better days in the near term, hopefully in the next year.  Have you thought about your position with key accounts and prospects at the end of this recession.  Will your key clients survive?  Are you leveraged heavily with one or two clients?  Could an acquisition or bankruptcy of one of your key accounts take you out or force you to miss plan?

Take a look at your accounts and see how diversified they are.  Use some of your good clients for referrals and consider smaller opportunities than in the past.  There are fewer opportunities to pursue, make all of the count!