Will your business come out of this crisis stronger and better?

History tells us that it is possible. There were plenty of businesses that came out of the GFC and even the Great Depression in better shape than when they went in. These were ‘antifragile’ companies. Here’s how they did it, and what you can do to thrive – not just survive – during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The news media is abuzz – we're in another recession. Smart business people pivot during these low points and implement strategies for long-term business success – no matter what the economy does. Have you?

The good news is, it may not be too late to prepare for the worst – provided you act now. 

Our  10-Step Business Sur-thrive-al Programme  has been developed from lessons we learned from successfully navigating three previous recessions. We urge you to read this article, download our free ebook The U ltimate Guide to Business Sur-thrival-al, and contact us for a free Initial Business Sur-thrive-al Consultation. 

Before it's too late.       

In hindsight, snapping out of that paralysis and taking action to plan and prepare for change was the best thing I ever did. Companies that did that during the GFC have been shown in analyses by the Boston Consulting Group to have got through the GFC in better shape and bounced back more strongly afterward than companies that simply slashed expenses and hoped for the best.

Hope, of course, is not a strategy. According to the Greek philosopher Heraclitus, “Change is the only constant in life” so we need to be constantly prepared for it and willing and able to adapt to it. But how can you prepare for change when you don’t know what is going to change or how? How can we effectively predict the future?

We can’t, says economist Nassim Nicholas Taleb. But some things have developed a robustness in the face of change, an ability to not only respond quickly and positively but actually gain from that change. Taleb says these things are ‘antifragile’.

The good news is that businesses can be antifragile too. 

Walt Disney famously said, “I’ve heard there’s going to be a recession. I’ve decided not to participate.” That’s the attitude that has made the Walt Disney Company, having weathered many storms in the nearly 100 years since Disney started the business, the best-known purveyor of family entertainment in the world.

The Waltham Watch Company and the Bulova Watch Company were founded in 1850 and 1875 respectively and became the two leading US watch manufacturers, but only Bulova is still in existence today. The reason? Waltham followed a path of tight financial management, pulling back on marketing and innovation when times were tough, while Bulova did the opposite, consistently innovating, acquiring competitors and even airing the world’s first – very first – television commercial in 1941.

Waltham went bankrupt in 1957.

Everyone expected Toyota to be toppled from its hard-earned No. 1 spot in the global car industry when the company was hit by Japan’s Tōhoku earthquake in 2011. We all watched with horror as the tsunami caused by the earthquake swept through the low-lying coastal region, killing 10,000 people and causing a nuclear meltdown at Fukushima.

The main problem for Toyota was not with Toyota’s own production plants, which were all back up and running within months, but with its suppliers, many of which were located in Tōhoku. Toyota has always recognised the importance of its supply chain and maintaining a strong relationship – actually more like a partnership – with its suppliers. Even during the GFC, the company had resisted the temptation to bully its suppliers into lowering their prices. So Toyota’s executives worked with the suppliers to rebuild their production capacity and were delighted when it took less time than they had expected to do so.

Toyota regained their No. 1 position and held it until Volkswagen pipped them at the post six years later.

This red Toyota Hilux has survived the many different punishments it has been subjected to on the TV show Top Gear. The Toyota company has proved to be not only as resilient as its products, but has gone from strength to strength despite many challenges. 

Methodology

Format

Face to face meetings if you are based in Auckland, otherwise via Zoom. You will need to have access to your business’s key performance indicators (KPIs), including recent sales and profitability data. Notes will be taken and an action plan agreed from each meeting. Meetings will be held weekly or twice weekly for up to 1 hour per session, depending on your business requirements, for up to 4 weeks, including correspondence between sessions. 

Price

The services will be provided at a rate of $NZ200 + GST per hour, dependent on your business needs to a maximum of 10 hours.

If your business is registered in New Zealand, this cost is eligible for full funding by the New Zealand Government under its Regional Business Partner Network scheme.

Don’t delay! Enrol now

I'm Throwing You a Lifeline in These Troubled Times

My DON’T JUST SURVIVE, THRIVE Programme is eligible for COVID-19 full funding in New Zealand

I'm Robin La Pere, no ordinary business consultant.

Business continuity is on every owner’s and manager’s mind right now. And rightly so, but there are some companies which have actually grown stronger during past crises – and some which are growing stronger even now. 

Having been through four previous recessions, I have studied the businesses which not only survive in adversity, but thrive. As a business and franchise consultant, I offer you the benefit of my experience, insights and innovations to help your business do the same. 

AND IF YOU OWN OR MANAGE A NEW ZEALAND-REGISTERED BUSINESS, MY HELP IS ELIGIBLE FOR FULL FUNDING FROM THE GOVERNMENT!

What my clients say about me

"Robin had a significant and positive impact on Signature Homes as a whole, as evidenced by the fact that our business became one of the fastest growing businesses in New Zealand, winning a Deloittes Fast 50 Business Award, seeing total sales soar by more than 500% over a five-year period, and assisting to establish Signature Homes as a leader in the New Zealand housing industry.

"Such was Robin’s commitment to and impact on the business that he became more than just a consultant to, but as much a trusted ‘partner’ in, the business’s development."

Gavin Hunt, Owner, Signature Homes

[My note: I later helped Signature Homes win four awards in the 2016/17 New Zealand Franchise Awards, including the Supreme Franchise Award.

Signature Homes has grown to become New Zealand's 2nd-largest Group Housing Company.]

10-Step Business Sur-Thrive-al Programme

My 10-Step Business Sur-thrive-al Programme has been developed from lessons I learned from successfully navigating three previous recessions. I urge you to read this article, download our free ebook The Ultimate Guide to Business Sur-thrival-al, and contact me for a free Initial Business Sur-thrive-al Consultation. 

"Such was Robin’s commitment to and impact on the business that he became more than just a consultant to, but as much a trusted ‘partner’ in, the business’s development."

Gavin Hunt, Owner, Signature Homes