Monitoring came with another major obstacle . ‘ The market had no pool of people with the requisite experience for us to hire so we had to train people from scratch figuring everything out as we went along . It worked out well with an enthusiastic staff who delivered accurate information on time and clients who strongly valued our service .’
As we were coming to a close , I had some quickfire questions from which you can decipher your own lessons .
Question : Where have you drawn your best business lessons from ?
Roger : Lessons are everywhere especially today but perhaps surprisingly my hobby , surfing has provided some of the best . Surfing requires determination in battling your way out through incoming waves . Similarly its persistence that you need to succeed in life and business . In surfing you learn how the water is moving . Water that comes in with the incoming waves has to find a way out again and as a surfer you learn how to spot these riptides and use them to help you paddle out . Then you can exploit the incoming waves energy and enjoy an exciting free ride towards shore . In the business landscape you need to observe the moving parts and use trends and timing in the best way to your benefit . For me life and business is just like surfing where navigation , persistence , patience , timing , calculated risk taking and a bit of luck are all critical ingredients . Go with the flow .
Rogers advice is to find a way of life where you can balance work with family , friends , hobbies and some exercise . ‘ And enjoy it all as I continue to do .’
What should one do when their business is struggling ?
The important thing is to think through it carefully . Is it a question of demand for the product that has wilted ? It may be necessary to go back to the very beginning when the idea was conceived and ask if there was a sustainable demand for their product . Did they get their maths right ? Has it come to the end of its life cycle ? May be the long-term demand for the product was overestimated ?
Secondly , are there external issues such as competition or changes in the business environment ? Can they weather them ? Is the issue internal dynamics ? It could even be you , the Founder . Can you do anything about it ? What needs to change in your plans and action ? Is it too much for you to handle ? Sometimes if one finds the business is not viable , or they cannot deal effectively with the circumstances it is advisable to get out of it , like we did with Promotions company called Sprint and Steadman Trains , or perhaps if you are lucky to get a buyer sell quickly .
What kept you going ?
‘ I was clear in my mind that we were providing crucial benefits for advertisers , ad agencies and the media . The advertising industry became more efficient and professional from the time we started monitoring . It was exciting to see this happening . But in order for our business to be a success it was critical that the advertising agencies were trained and continuously played their role in utilising our data and applying for make goods etc . This required
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