I’ve been watching this little guy for the past three years. He lives in our woodpile and ventures out to sun himself on a warm day, to eat, but most often to fill his pouch with seeds and acorns before scurrying off to add them to his winter stockpile. This little rock squirrel is a hard worker.
I call him “he” but he could be “she” just as well. He’s not much to look at when you compare him with the sleek beauty of the tree squirrels, with their long busy tails, but his work ethic would put most of us to shame. Last year, as the acorns fell from the big oaks in my back yard, he became a vacuum cleaner, sucking them into his cheeks until they looked like they could burst.
But this year was different. There were very few acorns on the oak trees for him to hoard. He had to change his plans if he were going to survive. So he turned to collecting seeds from the drying weeds and what few pine nuts he could salvage. Feeling sorry for him, I added dried corn, birdseed, and even vegetable peelings to the mix. It is going to be a tough winter for this hard worker but I suspect that changing his plans will increase his chances for survival.
Why am I telling you this story?
Just as unexpected changes have forced my friend, the ground squirrel to change his methods, events and even the changing markets and world can force us to change the way we do business. If you’ve been in business very long, you’ve seen changes in the economy and even in your own community.
Competition comes, goes, and returns, oftentimes in a different costume, but it is always there. The world has changed. The way people feel about giving gifts shifts through the year. And there is always the ever changing internet. It probably more than anything has affected the way many of us do business.
Whether you’re leaving behind a busy holiday season or are on the threshold of a new business, the New Year is the perfect time to Revisit — Review — Refocus — Renew while “letting your dreams soar.”
Of course, you can Revisit — Review — Refocus — Renew on your own but our January/February issue of Gift Retailers Connection online magazine has lots of ideas that can make it easier. If you’re involved in the gift industry in any way, this is a magazine that you shouldn’t be without. Subscribing is easy. And, oh yes, we include a bonus ebook of 2012 Holidays and Events with all subscriptions until February 15th. To subscribe, go to Gift Retailers Connection.