Recession Aftermath, Earthquake-Style

While living in Seattle, I survived a couple of earthquakes. All of us lived through them, actually, as there were no deaths. But, the earthquakes rattled all of us physically and psychically. To this day, I experience the same feelings when I just think about what happened. That’s what is happening in our economy now. We’re going through an earthquake.

Rest assured, some buildings are going to fall and some will need major repairs when it is over. We must all hang on, duck and cover, and wait until the initial shock has passed. But, we can’t stop there. We must, as soon as possible, get out from under our desks and make action–first, see if we are injured and if our property in shambles, what about my neighbor and her property? We’ll exchange our stories of shock and horror with those around us, we’ll continue to ask for days, weeks, even years, “where were you when it hit?” Again and again, we’ll tell our stories and in time, they will seem distant. In the meantime, we’ll have learned how to talk to our neighbors with more concern and sincerity because of our shared experience.

We will also prepare ourselves for the next earthquake–we don’t want to be foolishly caught unawares again. And what happened was too unsettling, too violent to ignore. There is too much at stake to have this happen again while taking our safety for granted. So, we rebuild, we create contingency plans, we stock up emergency supplies for the “Big One”, and our heart races a little every time we lose our balance.

Rebuilding a business is not like building a business. You already have your foundation–as shaky as it may feel, you may have forgotten that you have the location and the connections and resources and the customers. You really don’t have to invent much at all. But, you must regroup. You have to talk to your “neighbors” in a different way and in this there is a new, raw honesty about what you are doing.

There can be no pretenses right now. Be honest with your banker, with your property owner, your customers, your employees. They are going through the same kind of rebuilding and recovery that you are from the shock of this “earthquake”. Don’t be shy about telling your customers that you need them. But, also, you want these people to know that you are there and can give to them, too. We ARE all in this together. The Richter scale read the same under your feet as it did the business 20 blocks away but his building was not as sound as yours and his whole facade came tumbling down. What do you do?

You need that business to supply you with your widgets. How do you help take care of that company as you nurse your own back to health? You get and stay healthy, you build your strength, you keep moving forward and be optimistic that not all is lost and you only need to work on certain things in your business to keep it strong–not everything. And, you must ask yourself, how do your customers play a part in the success of not only your own business but of the one 20 blocks, 20 miles, 20 hours away? We are ALL in this together.

We need to start with what is still standing. Take an inventory. What do you have? Customers seem to be falling away as they huddle in their homes to take care of themselves and their loved ones. You want to huddle away, too. Is that wrong? Right now, for you and your business, yes, it IS “wrong”. It is also a very natural thing to want to do. You want to lick your wounds–everyone else is! It’s important to fight this tendency.

Rather, take it upon yourself to go find out what your customer needs as they huddle inside their home. How does it fit with what you are doing as you try to meet their needs–the ultimate goal of your business, right? Do they need to feel as sense of “normalcy”? Perhaps you can supply this. Do they need someone else to be “strong” right now? Do they need to see your entrepreneurial spirit pull your business through as inspiration for them? Think about the customers that are venturing out and coming through your doors. Their need for what you have might be greater than you or they realize. How do you know unless you ask? So, just ask. Ask the guy walking down the street, the mother getting her baby out into its stroller, the young kids that, once they got past the shock of the earthquake, are out and about laughing, living their lives as if nothing happened. Make no assumptions. Ask everyone what you can do for them. And then, do it.

Do it well. This is your focus–to refocus your business. Create more focus. Focus on the right things. What is it that you need in order to rebuild?

If your business is one that was hit hard during the earthquake, don’t hesitate to ask for help. There are plans in place for your situation–if you didn’t create one yourself the last time an earthquake threatened your neighborhood. You need to get out there, too–just like the business owner that is asking what you need, you need to be asking for what you need. Keep asking. Don’t stop until you get answers.

Again, it is not time to huddle in your damaged “home” without making some kind of meaningful action. Stop trying to place blame–things as big as this will supply no answers for you. Don’t ask, “why me”, but just start your rebuilding. Find the support you need. Keep asking until you get it–it may come from sources you never knew existed. And, always, trust yourself to do the right things.