Well it is official Kodak is filing
Chapter 11
I was going to do today’s post on the importance of networking and getting out and sharing who you are; on, online forums email list etc. But that will be for tomorrow.
I think it is much more important and a bigger lesson is: HOW to do business, and what we are seeing today is a prefect example of no matter how strong you are in the market, your company size or importance ALWAYS keep your eye on the ball!
Kodak, was not only an industry pioneer making picture taking common place, but made the simple act of capturing life available to the masses. That is something we think little about now as we snap trivial things like what we are eating for lunch with our digital cameras and phones. But at one time capturing the every day seeing not staunch posed ridged figures in old fading and cracking images, but the blurry movement of children a family caught in living life on a picnic with children of the delivery cart of their normal day. Common events that still share the world of yesterday- we all owe that to Kodak.
But what we need to also learn from them is Giants can be tumbled the setting leaders can fail and we must ALWAYS be willing to acquire the business knowledge and tools that will keep us growing keep us ahead of the pack and not get stuck in the mire.
So it is important that you keep reading keep learning keep fresh, stay humble never too big or too smart to think you have it made. Constantly build loyalty in your business and tend those relationships like a precious garden. It is a lot of effort to grow a rich healthy mature oasis of clients who will stick with you. It is easier to get complacent and neglectful, but weeds need no care to show up and flourish.
Kodak lost touch with the customer, and foreign companies undercut them not with loyalty not with relationship building, not with quality, but cost. If you are not loyal to a company a competitor’s lower price is a large carrot. The ironic thing in watching another Icon fold, especially this one for me, was sad and I got misty eyed, because of that man, and that company- changed our world.
But Kodak failed to recapture the “Kodak Moment” that even my generation still clung to. But with the succeeding generations, they just had no clue what that statement, meant. You need to never forget that lesson. Do not stop building loyalty and connecting with your customers or they will become someone else’s even if that some other company is not as good as yours, because the customer will not be aware of that fact, you will “no pun intended” not even be in the picture.
And you do not be left out as well and find that your customers like Kodak’s jumped ship because they failed to keep up and lose more business yourself- SIGN UP for our free Newsletter and Report.
WE make the future- it is up to each of us what ours will be
To Your Success
Take Care
Sandy Metcalf
