Change is the ONLY Constant. 

As I sat down to write this article for our newsletter, I noticed the somewhat stale looking pond by our office.  During the warm seasons, there is a fountain that helps to circulate the water, but during Winter that gets disconnected and put away.  I assume that’s to protect it from damage.  But the result is a pretty nasty looking “body” of water this time of year.  Probably somewhat due to the runoff from the nearby parking lots, but mostly due to the lack of circulation or dare I say, change. 

So how does this apply to your business and mine?  Really the only thing that we can count on in business, and one could argue also in life, is change.  Whether that is the threat of the current administration imposing tariffs which may increase the cost of products we need for our business or the loss of a key customer or employee, there are always changes taking place inside and outside of our businesses that can force us to have to adjust our plans. 

Now what?  What should be doing in the face of these changes since we know they’ll always be happening?  Since entrepreneurs are by nature likely to be optimists, I offer the following metaphor… 

What’s more full of life, and probably better to look at?  The fast-moving mountain stream, with its crystal-clear water teaming with trout, full of motion and energy where the water is constantly changing.  Or, the office park pond where the only thing that sees the light of day is the turtle that climbs out of the murky water to sun on a fallen log? 

I choose the stream.  And realize that change really is the only thing we can count on and choose to embrace it, realizing the loss of that employee or customer is actually the opportunity to replace them with a better one.  How will you choose to react to change?  Embrace it?  Swim with it?  Or retreat to your shell like the turtle on the log?