Business Models 101
There is always a chain of events leading up to a breakthrough. And I would suggest that a number of people are key elements in the really profound ones. One such unsung hero in the affairs of WWW.THROUGHPUT.US (TPU) is Thayer Bennett.
We met in late 1997 as I recall, and Thayer helped with PR duties for the launch of eDivision. She became the editor for TOCreview magazine. Co-author of Purple Curve Effect. Thayer was part of the advertising team (way back when) that decided to offer Leggs panty hose in grocery stores. A breakthrough of huge proportions at the time (and for years following the introduction).
Well, in 2007 Thayer made another brilliant observation:
"Rather than contact several thousand suspectsThis short and sweet remark hit a nerve. For years, I have been talking about the fact that it is relationships that matter most in business. At least for me. I have clients going back over twenty years, many with whom I still chat with every few months or so... and not for any reason other than staying in touch. Not to seek additional revenue.
in search of a few qualified prospects, I would
suggest that we target ten or twenty exceptional
companies in search of three or four, maybe five
perfect candidates."
Simply because that is one definition of friendship.
So, I said all that to say, just as Constraints Management is all about finding the one significant obstacle and applying focus (think Purple Curve Effect) to leverage your bottleneck (instead of being a victim to it!), TPU is all about working with a few organizations each year that want our help. Or maybe even just one.
Yet it is not all about us. Or me. After fifteen years in the Constraints oriented world of true systems based solutions, TPU has amassed a nice group of supporting talent. Mentors like Bill Dettmer, Tony Rizzo and Dr Lisa are seconds away via phone or fax or email. The "best of the best" of implementors are available to help almost at the drop of a hat.
Zig Ziglar (another mentor of the first order) says, "I am so positive minded, that if I were to go after Moby Dick, I would grab the tartar sauce before setting sail!" That is my approach as well. A positive mental attitude alone is not enough. But it sure helps.
Therefore, if your company (privately held, small business of less than $100 million in annual revenue, located in one of the 48 continental USA near a Starbucks) is in trouble, or simply under performing, give me a call. Thayer and I will continue to seek you out, focusing on organizations that are way behind the curve in due date performance, but the fastest way to the front of the line is to call us. As I oft remark, "before your competition does."
-ski
Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey, Jonah
ski@throughput.us
(330) 432-3533
