More, more, more…

This morning with one of my young and really cool clients, I told him to take a good look around him.  Notice all the companies that line Main Street and surround our outer belt.  Tons of ’em won’t be here in 2020.  They just won’t.  He looked at me like I was nuts and quickly blurted out, “so, you’re turning into one of those doom and gloomers!”  Not true, I responded.  I’m only reading the vital signs of the American landscape and thinking about their natural outcomes.

Let’s take America’s franchise model to pick on an easy one.  Where are all the yogurt stores?  Why is Starbucks closing stores?  Why did Chi Chi’s die?  What caused our little Slotzsky’s deli down the street to close it’s doors?  Why?  What happened here.  We all still buy frozen yogurt, ice cream, expensive coffee, mexican food, and subs are not going under anytime soon.  Funny, huh.

Once we start to see an easy road to the green, we assume that all that’s left to do is simply “repeat the model.”  We think that building another one will produce more of what we sowed from the prior one.  We assume too much and pay attention too little.  We confuse becoming better with growing the model bigger.  We chase more, more, more like a moron, I guess.

Why is 5 Guys, the company just voted “best burger,” going to be around in 2020?  I wouldn’t bet on them.  They seem to be following the model mentioned above.  Little, early warning signs are all around ’em.  Are the owners tuned in or are they simply turning the green?  I don’t know, but I can guess…

Why will you be getting a “slider” in 2020?  Because White Castle may not be as sexy as Starbucks, as cool as 5 Guys, as sweet as TCBY, or as well known as McDonalds, but they are making a real breakfast sandwich that is worth more than it costs.  It just is.  There it is.  There’s the model.  Give your customers more than they pay for, and keep migrating your model before the market demands it.   And grow slowly, organically, and always less than your model, your investors, and your customers tell you.  Are you kidding me?

NOPE.

What are the chances that you’ll be getting an “In and Out Burger” in Columbus next year?  Slim to none and slims out of town.  AND, what’s the chance that they’ll still be the burger of choice out west?

I won’t be betting against that…

What is your value to your market?

Why is the value your customers recieve more than the price your customers have to pay?

What are you doing to migrate your value proposition before you must?

What makes you think that all that’s left for you and your team is to repeat the model that got you where you are?

What is your 2020 vision?

Does your team believe?

Tell me more, my friend.

Tell me more…