Only The Strong!!!

Business is getting tougher day to day. To start a business is hard you say? I agree. But it’s much tougher to make it survive. You heard how people started business today only to close down months later. Not even a year, my friends! Now what are we talking about actually? Is it the attitudes, the competitiveness or it’s just the end of the world for many kinds of business out there?

I may not be the best person to speak of this. Just look at business loans. They have piling of applications of the high-spirited businessman wannabes – they have plans – they have visions – they have the spirit to make it happen. When the loans are approved and they get the money, only a few could actually make it like the plan they presented. The rest of them tried something but screwed halfway. And the rest of them just vanished. Now you know you can start a business with some effort, but you need more than effort to make it survive. Then here’s the question. Is it enough just to survive?

I had some mind sharing with the people who are in this field. They feel it how tough to even see another day doing the thing that they have been doing. People said location is everything. But sorry. Even those who opened a shop at Centre Point could close in months. Or do you means 1Borneo? Or Suria KK? Or Wisma Merdeka? You name it. High profiled shopping malls don’t promise anything. With the rental that is too high, the location alone is not enough to make them earn more. With the existence of cheaper alternatives, people who are more into needs and less on the brands and styles can rely more on budget stores like RM2 shops to get their household equipments. Trust me even the used clothes are in better demand than the clothes that you see in high end retail shops. Hell, the people who are selling kuih at the tamu are earning more than some of the business owners who rent shop lots.

This could be the reality of business scenario nowadays. It’s tough everywhere. Even the place like 1Borneo is only a place where people come and watch, but not buy. Even the eating outlets are hard to survive unless they have long ventured in this business and have strong capital to cover temporary losses due to unpredictable customer flow. People who rely entirely on business as the source of their income are having a hard time to think for their future. Would there be tomorrow for their business or should they change profession?

If they think using the straight way, or force on their original plan to work – they just can’t force things to happen their way. They must amend their strategy so that they can keep in the track of going forward. With the current business scenario and the trend of buying in consumers, it’s hard to be the one to change them unless you change the way that you are still capable to get your market share. Otherwise, you will be lost cos nobody is waiting for you. Nobody has the time to wait for you. The competitive one will adapt to new kinds of business or products to ensure that they are still in the market. They won’t wait for the stars to fall from the sky cos that’s not gonna happen.

Suddenly you wonder why some people can survive even when you thought these people might not make it in the long run when you first learn about them. Deep inside you, you believe that you are still better than them although you look like you can’t hardly survive. You know what, stop being cocky and think too high of yourself. In the critical times when you survive or die, you know that these survivors don’t just accidentally survive. They have “a weapon” and a strength that you don’t. Now maybe it’s time to learn from them. And low yourself a bit. Maybe you are just too full of yourself. Accept it that you are no longer the superior or maybe who cares who is the superior. You don’t have to do it the sophisticated way. You need to survive. You ask me is to survive enough? In case you answer No, tell you what, before you can aim higher than that, this survival is crucial. Survive it :)