It was a beautiful sunny business day. Everything seemed to be going well and then it happened. The unexpected event I wasn’t anticipating. The computer which has always served me well started doing strange things. All of a sudden it went from a stress free day to a worrisome problem. After spending hours on the phone with the manufacturer it was determined that the best course of action would be to get a new computer. This in itself was enough of a problem. When I started to talk about specifications for the new computer I realized how much everything has changed in just a few short years especially when it comes to technology. There’s more to think about with more options to choose from and how to best spend your dollars in this economy as well as select a computer system that is state-of-the-art now yet will carry you well into the future over the next few years. The desktop system I purchased a few years ago was top of the line in design and hardware but now is considered just an average, well performing computer. How times change. More memory, more hard drive space, better graphics, faster processors and an array of add-ons to make your life easier and also allowing you to be able to do more. In another few years this new computer system will seem old, outdated. Yet today it has “wow” factor.
When you are in business things can be moving along at a positive, steady pace and then all of a sudden everything changes course with the unexpected. For example, you get a call from a client with an unexpected problem or you find out that your competitor is going after your business by undercutting the price or a prospect that was ready to sign on with new business suddenly decides to put everything on hold or you suddenly need to go out of town to make a presentation and you‘re not sure you can pull it all together in time on such short notice. There could be a thousand other things in your business day that have the potential to knock you off balance. All because you didn’t see it coming. Or you have no control over a situation.
To be in business means to expect the unexpected. This is just a normal day in business. Step back. Look at the problem from all angles. Find solutions. And move on. Because tomorrow there will be many successes and even a few challenges along the way to solve. Always know you can solve the unexpected problem just by taking the time to think it through to its logical conclusion.