Entrepreneur
The Biggest Fear: Complacency
Author: Ronnie Nijmeh, ACQYR.com
If you stand still in a desert, sooner or later you'll be buried in sand. Are you the trendsetter or the camel racer? If you wait too long to improve, innovate, or invent, you'll soon find yourself at the back of the pack asking yourself, "what went wrong?"
There's Always Room for Improvement
–Will Rogers
We can stay sharp by constantly seeking knowledge and seeking improvement. What is sufficient now may not be in a year's time, hence the importance of continual improvement. To put this into perspective, would you be happy using the 1st generation cell phone today? How about still using ice as your only source of cooling for your food? I doubt it! The people that first developed the refrigerator or the cell phone looked to create, innovate and deviate from the norm. If they were content with the current set of technology they would have never been credited with the invention and definitely would have not reaped the massive profits.
There will always be ways of improving yourself and your business. It's up to you to find those methods of improvement. If you can't find them, you're not looking hard enough! Just always think: "What can I do better; how can I improve; and how can I get my work done faster but exceed the quality standards?"
Seek Innovation
Apple Computer is a world leader when it comes to innovation and putting creative ideas into action. The highly integrated Mac OS X operating system, the sleek design and quality performance of the Apple iPod and even the unique, trendsetting television commercials set Apple apart from the rest of their competitors. They have many copy cats out there but remained unruffled. Instead, they are continually seeking innovation with many engineering and technology awards attached to their name. With the most popular MP3 music player on the market (the Apple iPod) and distinct, creatively engineered hardware, they've clearly distinguished themselves from the competition.
Don't Look Now, They're Gaining On Us!...So What?
Rather than keeping a close eye on their competition, Apple Computer spent the time creating products that were truly unique. What can we learn from Apple? Although their market share may not be as large as their competitors, they're able to grow simply by staying on top of the innovation war. An example is the Apple iPod music player. The iPod has gone through 3 generations of innovation since its' initial release while the competition still seeks to match the ease of use, engineering and aesthetic beauty of the Apple marvel.
Never become complacent. Always be willing to grow, succeed and improve. Life, and business, is about constant change and constantly seeking the bigger, better, faster, and stronger. And just remember:
–Ed Macauley
Don't let that happen to you!
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Published: October 14, 2003
