Rock LaManna08.22.14
Football season is upon us, and with it we’ll hear a lot of talk about getting tough. Toughness is often associated with winning, but the “tough” label businesses need isn’t necessarily about being physically strong.
It’s about picking tough jobs.
Take a look at the label printing business for pharmaceutical and medical devices and you’ll know what I mean by tough. These are extremely difficult industries, filled with extraordinary compliance and quality requirements. It takes a long time to become a player in it, and an incredible amount of hard work.
It’s tough. Which is why it’s also extremely lucrative.
The easy jobs, and the so-called easy money, aren’t tough. Which is why it’s never long-lasting, and not a platform on which to build your business.
Focus on the tough jobs. Here’s why:
1. They’ll help you become more innovative. When you’re confronted by a unique challenge, one in which you see no clear-cut solution or already established path to success, you have to get creative.
You have to problem-solve, and push yourself to think in different ways. It’s not easy, but it’s also the only way to get innovative. You’re going to encounter setbacks and mistakes, sure. But you’ll also be the first to create something that’s truly innovative.
2. They’ll help you become more profitable. Look, if no one else has a way to handle those tough jobs and you do, then you’ve instantly created a market where one didn’t exist before. With a newly-developed market, you can set your price. That’s what profit is all about.
3. They’ll make your people tough, too. Visit a pharmaceutical label printer, and you’ll see an operation that’s focused on quality, innovation and success. They’re not afraid of anything, and they’ll walk through walls to find the answer.
That’s what tough jobs do to a company culture. They build confidence, teamwork and morale. It’s not easy to be the best, but it sure feels great once you’re there.
4. They help you build a reputation. Take on the tough job, do it well, and your customers will never forget it. In fact, they’ll probably spread the word that there’s nothing you can’t do, and that’s true.
Get a tough reputation, and the customers will follow.
Now obviously those tough jobs can’t be impossible. You need to find something that’s within your skillset; it doesn’t do anything for you if you simply aren’t capable of completing the work.
However, don’t think twice about pushing yourself. That’s the tough part - and the secret to success.
Rock LaManna helps printing owners and CEOs use their company financials to prioritize and choose the proper strategic path. He is President and CEO of the LaManna Alliance, and provides guidance on how to grow a printing business, merge with a synergistic partner, make a strategic acquisition, or create a succession plan. Rock can be reached by email at Rock@RockLaManna.com.
It’s about picking tough jobs.
Take a look at the label printing business for pharmaceutical and medical devices and you’ll know what I mean by tough. These are extremely difficult industries, filled with extraordinary compliance and quality requirements. It takes a long time to become a player in it, and an incredible amount of hard work.
It’s tough. Which is why it’s also extremely lucrative.
The easy jobs, and the so-called easy money, aren’t tough. Which is why it’s never long-lasting, and not a platform on which to build your business.
Focus on the tough jobs. Here’s why:
1. They’ll help you become more innovative. When you’re confronted by a unique challenge, one in which you see no clear-cut solution or already established path to success, you have to get creative.
You have to problem-solve, and push yourself to think in different ways. It’s not easy, but it’s also the only way to get innovative. You’re going to encounter setbacks and mistakes, sure. But you’ll also be the first to create something that’s truly innovative.
2. They’ll help you become more profitable. Look, if no one else has a way to handle those tough jobs and you do, then you’ve instantly created a market where one didn’t exist before. With a newly-developed market, you can set your price. That’s what profit is all about.
3. They’ll make your people tough, too. Visit a pharmaceutical label printer, and you’ll see an operation that’s focused on quality, innovation and success. They’re not afraid of anything, and they’ll walk through walls to find the answer.
That’s what tough jobs do to a company culture. They build confidence, teamwork and morale. It’s not easy to be the best, but it sure feels great once you’re there.
4. They help you build a reputation. Take on the tough job, do it well, and your customers will never forget it. In fact, they’ll probably spread the word that there’s nothing you can’t do, and that’s true.
Get a tough reputation, and the customers will follow.
Now obviously those tough jobs can’t be impossible. You need to find something that’s within your skillset; it doesn’t do anything for you if you simply aren’t capable of completing the work.
However, don’t think twice about pushing yourself. That’s the tough part - and the secret to success.
Rock LaManna helps printing owners and CEOs use their company financials to prioritize and choose the proper strategic path. He is President and CEO of the LaManna Alliance, and provides guidance on how to grow a printing business, merge with a synergistic partner, make a strategic acquisition, or create a succession plan. Rock can be reached by email at Rock@RockLaManna.com.