Now the first quarter of 2011 is over.... do you Stick or Twist....

This year so far has been a funny year, no matter what line of work or industry you’re in - you’ll hear varying things about “how things are great”, “how it’s gone a little quiet”, even “how there’s a lot of quotes” being done.

But there doesn’t seem to be anything really out there, there’s only a small amount of businesses that are willing to spend their money in any great volume, willing to invest.....willing to take a gamble to try and move forward.

In this first quarter of 2011, truth is, in reality, many businesses are fast reaching the point of ‘Sticking’ and hoping that they can hold out, or ‘Twisting’ and giving up, or diversifying their businesses into other perhaps more required areas.

Those that decide to ‘Stick’ are sewing up their pockets to make sure even the loose change does not fall out. Not saying for one minute that they're tight, far from it their astute, their business-minded, their fully business-aware – all their doing is battening down the hatches stocking up on their survival stores and just waiting.

The reason a lot of question are being done by businesses is that the businesses who are deciding to ‘Stick’ are obtaining multiple quotes on everything, then they are simply sticking them all in the top draw and waiting.....!

If you take printing, for example, used to be a time when you’d talk to a client in quantities of thousands, now its hundreds – they tell you that it’s because they're changing their systems, or they just need some to get by.

Some people who decide to stick with it for the present time do not do themselves any favours because they cut back more than they should.....simple things like business cards should be bought in high volumes. As the idea is you want to get your name out there, you want to hand something of reference out.

By cutting back and only getting 50 business cards, means that you’d be looking for a relativity high return percentage ratio to cards card given out – which is just not feasible.

The reality for many is they do not want to spend the money; some are even uncertain whether they should be ‘Twisting’ instead of ‘Sticking’, hence the reduce business card requirements.

Then there are those who think "do you know what ....! I'm going to twist", they do so...... but not fully.

They get confused because the grass isn’t always greener, by them ‘Twisting’ means that they are starting again from scratch. There’s the cost, there are the misunderstandings with the clients...there’s a whole multitude of things which just don’t make it easy.

Even we here at Connect WM have had to address our own business model, as elements and events beyond our control impacted on the development of the business, we’ve looked at what areas are still required, what areas can provide a revenue in order for us to sew up our pockets to make sure the loose change does not fall out.

We’re ‘Sticking’............. what are you doing......?