4 Business Tips from THE WALKING DEAD

*Disclaimer

There are no real spoilers here.  If you are catching up on Walking Dead through Netflix, you can still read the article.  Or at least pretend to read it and tell me how great it was later.  

Also, I do not endorse zombie hunting, snacking on people, or openly carrying a crossbow.

 In case you have a life, The Walking Dead (TWD) is a TV show about a group of people that live through a zombie apocalypse and must now endure other survivors along the way. 

And now that Season 5 is officially over, we will have to wait until next year to find out more about the “Wolves” and tide ourselves over with the spinoff, Fear the Walking Dead.  Or heaven forbid, we could read a book, pay attention to our family, or even do community service.

Even though watching The Walking Dead has in no way improved my life, I have discovered some entrepreneurial nuggets along the way.

     1.       Be willing to change and adapt

TWD - Rick and his group are constantly on the move looking for new places to stay and new ways to defend themselves.  If they decided to stay on Hershel’s farm, because “that’s the way we‘ve always done it”, the show would have ended in Season 2.

Business – Businesses can’t get stuck in “the way we’ve always done it” mentality.  Customer demands, competition, technology, and the workforce are always evolving and we need to be ready to do the same.

     2.       Always check out the competition

TWD - The Prison Survivors, Woodbury Survivors, Terminus Survivors, Hospital Survivors, and the Alexandria Survivors all provided stiff competition to the regular survivors on The Walking Dead.  While it wasn't always necessary to eliminate the other survivors, Rick and his crew always had to deal with them.

Business - It may not be a necessity to eliminate your competition, however, you must know what sets you apart from them.  If you don’t know the difference between you and your competition, you your customers won’t either. 

     3.       Make sure you have plenty of resources, before making a move

TWD - Ammo, gas, and food are necessary resources in a post-apocalyptic world. 

Business - Cash, people, and time are necessary resources in an entrepreneurial world.  Make sure you have access to each before you open a new location, buy that new piece of equipment, and/or offer that new product or service.

     4.       Surround yourself with the best people

TWD - If it weren’t for Daryl, Michonne, and Carol the survivors may not be around any longer.  And maybe Glenn.  But not Eugene.  Eugene is worthless.

Business - The key to delegating and outsourcing is to work with good people.  Businesses need to interview and get good referrals and when hiring employees, independent contractors, and professional advisors.  The survivors even knew what three questions to ask in an interview.  If you just wing it you could end up with a bunch of Eugenes.

Discussion questions:

1. Who is your favorite Walking Dead character?
2. Why?
3. What is a good business tip you have used?

April Seminars

Starting a Small Business workshop of Volunteer State Community College's Tennessee Small Business Development Center, 4-6 p.m. Tuesday, April 14, 1480 Nashville Pike, Gallatin, TN in Building 300. Registration is required. Reserve online. www.tsbdc.org. Free.

Where's the Money; Women-Owned Small Business Contracting Workshop of Volunteer State Community College's Tennessee Small Business Development Center, 10:30 - 12:00 p.m., Tuesday, April 27, 1480 Nashville Pike, Gallatin, TN in Building 300. Registration is required. Reserve online. www.tsbdc.org. Free


Financing the SBA Way workshop of Volunteer State Community College's Tennessee Small Business Development Center, 1:30 -  2:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 27, 1480 Nashville Pike, Gallatin, TN in Building 300. Registration is required. Reserve online. www.tsbdc.org. Free

Lunch-n-Learn: Best Legal Advice for Your Small Business workshop of Volunteer State Community College's Tennessee Small Business Development Center, 11a.m.-1 p.m. Wednesday, April 29, 1480 Nashville Pike, Gallatin, TN in Building 300. Registration is required. Reserve online. www.tsbdc.org. $15, a box lunch will be provided. 

5 Snow Days vs 5 Years in Business

During the third week of February, we were snowed in for most of the week with three little ones. There were highs, lows, and other than checking a few emails, little work done.

Those 5 days reminded me of what it looks like for the first 5 years for many entrepreneurs starting out. 

Check out this comparison:

 5 Days at Home                                                    5 Years in Business

Day 1 – Sledding, hot cocoa, and snowmen	Year 1 – Freedom, excitement, and learning on the fly
Day 2 – Sledding with the neighbors, some hot cocoa, and snow angels	Year 2 – Hire employees, less excitement, and more learning on the fly
Day 3 – Tired of sledding, runny noses, and no hot cocoa	Year 3 – Fire employees, no excitement, and doing everything on the fly
Day 4 – Too cold to go out, lots of whining, and lots of Netflix	Year 4 – Too tired to sell, lots of whining, and lots of Netflix
Day 5 – Are you freaking kidding me…	Year 5 – Are you freaking kidding me…

In fact, the SBA estimates that 50% of businesses fail in the first 5 years.  Of course, if you are an optimist, that means that 50% of businesses succeed in the first 5 years!  Let’s look at the reasons and what to do about them.

1. Lack of Experience – You are going to be naturally stronger in some areas of your business than others, however, don’t take the weak areas for granted.  Take the time to read books, take classes for running a business, and keep up with trends in your industry.
2. Lack of Delegation –If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.  If you want to own your business longer than a year, learn to delegate and deal with imperfection.
3. Lack of Capital (money) – Cash is still king, so before you make a purchase/expansion review your capital needs first.  Fill out a cash flow (not P/L statement) and identify shortfalls.
4. Lack of Planning – No, you don’t need a 50 page business plan.  You do need goals and a plan to reach those goals.  Decide where you want to be this time next year and create a game plan.
5. Lack of Marketing – Create a marketing calendar and stick to it! You should be marketing on a regular basis, even when you are busy.

     And if you ever get snowed in make sure to have plenty of groceries, a sled, and Netflix handy.

(A one minute recap of our week at home)

March Seminars

Starting a Small Business workshop of Volunteer State Community College's Tennessee Small Business Development Center, 4-6 p.m. Tuesday, March 10, 1480 Nashville Pike, Gallatin, TN in Building 300. Registration is required. Reserve online. www.tsbdc.org. Free.

Lunch-n-Learn: Best Mobile Apps for Your Small Business workshop of Volunteer State Community College's Tennessee Small Business Development Center, 11:30-1 p.m. Wednesday, March 11, 1480 Nashville Pike, Gallatin, TN in Building 300. Registration is required. Reserve online. www.tsbdc.org. $15, a box lunch will be provided.

Financing with Pathway Lending and Mid-Area Cumberland Development Corporation workshop of Volunteer State Community College's Tennessee Small Business Development Center, 3:00-  4:30 p.m.,Wednesday, March 24, 1480 Nashville Pike, Gallatin, TN in Building 300. Registration is required. Reserve online. www.tsbdc.org. Free


Lunch-n-Learn: How to Publish a Book workshop of Volunteer State Community College's Tennessee Small Business Development Center, 11:30-1 p.m. Wednesday, March 25, 1480 Nashville Pike, Gallatin, TN in Building 300. Registration is required. Reserve online. www.tsbdc.org. $15, a box lunch will be provided.