Synergy

Synergy

This is the concept of 1 + 1 = 3.  

Many years ago I read “Living Synergistically” by Thomas D Willhite, if you haven’t read it I recommend it.  It’s the concept of together we can create more than either one of us can do on our own.  

As with many things what we create can be for good, win, win, win, or not, me and mine.  The synergistic result then is one of positive impact or not.

I am being a little philosophical here, so bear with me.  

When it comes to business, our motivations for what we are creating lie at the heart of the results we create. 

In other words, if you are in business to make a positive impact you will only do business in a way that ensures that result.  And vice versa, if you are in business only to serve yourself you will do business in that way. The same holds true in our buying (or investing as I like to call it) decisions.

I have been watching a trend in our local building industry that has become quite disturbing.  It appears that what is happening is the result of operating from a point of self-serving and not win win.  

It starts with the investor then the general contractor and finally the trades.  The markups that are happening at every level are inflating the value of construction.  This works as long as there are people willing to pay the prices. Once the end user realizes the prices will be the first to be hit hard when the economy corrects they begin to say no. 

As soon as the end user says no the house of cards begins to fall and what is happening locally is the investor and general contractor are laying the financial burden on the trades, the end of the line for cash flow.  The trades are told, that is the way the construction game is played. This is business as usual. Then the liens and lawsuits begin and it only works for the first in line before the money runs out, people skip town or the lawyers get bigger.  Not a win win from where I sit.  

This has caused me to look for other places where business is being done well. 

Ways where each player comes to the table for the purpose of a greater win for everyone involved.  Where pricing is based on value and not let’s see what we can get. The synergy that comes from doing business this way is sustainable for the business as well as the community.  

It has also caused me to review how I am doing business and with who, How I am choosing to spend my money and where.  Each of us makes a greater impact than we realize.  

Take a minute to read this great little book.  You can actually get it as a PDF now http://www.livingsynergistically.com/download/LivingSynergisticallyEBook.pdf

Here is to doing business in a win win win way!

In Abundance,

Sue