Happy Mom's Day

This is a day to remember.  I know some you will be celebrating with your Moms; and some like me will be honoring theirs from a distance.  For those whose Mothers have passed-on, I hope you’ll enjoy fond memories of them today.

Remembering is not always my strongpoint, so since I hadn’t picked-out a card and mailed it by Friday, I did what every connected modern person does.  I went to the interweb to see if it could solve my problem.  The first items that Google offered me were flowers and books.  Each of these items could be ordered and shipped only a few days after Mother’s Day at this point.

This brought to mind a business I read about.  It was a kitchen cabinet place that was looking for ways to dominate their market.  Almost everything must be in place before kitchen cabinets go in.  With delays in flooring, painting and millwork the kitchen cabinet installers often get delayed and delayed until they get blamed for a late possession.  This particular company approached building contractors with the offer, “would you give me all of your business if we can be ready on only one day’s notice to supply and install any one of four popular kitchen cabinet styles?”  Guess what?  They did just that and absolutely demolished their competition.

Going back to Mother’s Day, if any one of those websites boasted, “Same day delivery; even on Mother’s Day.”  I might have bought my Mom flowers or a book.  They would have stood out because they were able to offer something outstanding.  As it was, I went to World Vision, and donated fruit trees to a developing village in my Mom’s name with a very nice e-card.  I don’t begrudge anyone for not wanting to be running around on a Sunday saving a bunch of procrastinator’s proverbial bacon, and I hope you don’t think that I am telling you to do so.

Business today is new and different from 10, 20, 30 and 40 or more years ago.  One of your competitors might just come-up with some of these aggressive promises to steal away your business.  What if an online jewellery retailer came-up with a next-day concierge service that brought your top-three favorite designs to your door to try-on?  Who knows what a hungry competitor (electronic or bricks-and-mortar) might do?  It’s not that long ago that Sunday shopping forced the hand of a lot of retailers who would rather have enjoyed a day of rest. 

You’ve got to consider that you might have to go farther and do more in order to defend or build your business.  I’m grateful that my Mom went farther and did more in order that I might participate in sports, see some of the world and get an education.  Thanks Mom.