Scarcity as Strategy

I have attended a number of networking groups for small business owners over the past year. Many of the organizers of these groups create scarcity by not allowing duplication...that is, you can't ever be the second web developer, plumber, real estate agent, in these groups. I like this idea because it forces you to truly define what you do that is different.

For example, I went to a meeting a week ago and there were three coaches attending...each one was unique.

The other thing that many of these groups have done is to ban the ever-present financial advisor. There are so many of these people preying on these networking groups, that they have been banned. Not only are there too many of these folks, they don't participate in the mutual referrals that are the cornerstone of these groups.

This is what Seth Godin is writing about in a recent blog post from FOUR years ago.

The Scarcity Shortage

I believe these ideas are more appropriate today than they were four years ago.

...Continuing with the Sports Theme

I play tennis. I love tennis, and even though I am fast closing in on 40, I work hard each week to get better. There is always something to work on. I like playing with other people who are working hard to get better. I like playing with them even when they beat me!

I do not like playing with people who really aren't trying to improve. In tennis, often these are people who are called "pushers." They push the ball back over the net, without really making a shot, and without really taking a true swing. Tennis instructors will tell you, "you can play like that, but you will never get any better." Pushers have no follow through...which leads me to this post from Seth Godin.

Follow through is another sports training idea that is completely applicable to business.

Talk to yourself

Jerry Smith is a personal coach, and I read his blog when he does it!

Here is his latest post:Excuses, excuses

It made me think of another crossover between sports training and "training" for running your business.

There is an idea in training that if you know you are going to have to miss a day of training, then you should drop your hardest day that week. The idea is that you should not skip a recovery day, as those are the days that your body must have in order to grow stronger.

This, of course, runs counter to what most people would do.

To take this idea into the business realm, give yourself time to recover. Often you CAN push through a little fatigue and go to that networking group. However, if you are honestly out of energy, instead of dropping your recovery time, drop your "hard day." Then the next time that "hard day" comes around, realize it ahead of time, schedule it better, and execute.

By the way, Jerry, do you still want me to cover for you this Wednesday at that networking group?