Esteemed Magazines February-March 2008 | Page 6

Investing Wisely Do you know the lifespan of your business? In investing wisely, we believe it is time we tackled the important subject of the expiry date for your business. Everything has an expiry date, even your business. You may argue that some businesses are hitting a record of 100 years. I agree, but if you look at the history of such firms and companies, the leadership always invented ways of making sure that they renew their lifespan. W hat’s your curve? Change Consider this, you have started your own hotel business from scratch (point (a) in the graph below). Progressively, you grow with your customers being happy and satisfied with your service and at some point you are the fame of the town. Everyone wants to eat at your restaurant. Then one day as you bask on top of the world (point b), someone who has been watching you, comes into the picture! Competition! A good thing because it can make you give your customers something different thus retaining them and even growing to develop another outlet. A bad thing because, you believe they will