Turning broccoli into Ice cream
Change.
Adapt.
Evolve.
Or…don’t.
While this has always been the lot of entrepreneurs and small business owners, never has this been more true than it is today. 21st-century American society is all about rapidly evolving tastes and priorities[1] and instant gratification.
Adapting alone is not enough. If businesses are to survive – and thrive…they must anticipate the need to adapt.
The answer lies in responding to change with analytical skill, an adaptive mindset and an agile organization—successfully wedding the scale advantages of the large with the tailored approach of the small, the traditional benefits of the old and the cutting edge of the new.
—“How to Stay a Step Ahead of Changing Consumer Behavior,” Paul F. Nunes and Samuel Yardley (accenture.com)
Businesses that merely respond to change are the herd. They are either on the curve or behind it. And the market compensates the herd with a smaller and smaller market share.[2] It’s no place to be.
Yet, in the latest PwC Global Operations Survey, 63% of operations leaders said that understanding what customers value is a challenge for their companies’ operations. In addition, 61% said it is difficult for their operations to change direction when markets, customer needs or enterprise strategies change. Combining these two data points highlights a major challenge – how to translate customer expectations into a tangible operations strategy.
Companies that have successfully tackled this challenge put customers at the center of their operations strategy. These companies have discovered that when you reorient your company’s operating model around customer needs, your operations teams can define the assets and capabilities (policies, processes, technology, data, and ways of working) to then make the timely decisions and appropriate trade-offs required when change inevitably arrives.
—“Are you prepared to meet ever-changing customer expectations?” PWC.com (February 7, 2017).
I should know. At the beginning of 2017, I was a relatively successful entrepreneur. My company, e-Council, served as concierge legal advisor on business law and immigration law issues. e-Council boasted a stellar track record with domestic and foreign companies. I had it made.
My a-ha moment came not once, but several times during 2017. e-Council’s business strategy suffered punches and kicks that ultimately were impossible to ignore. Business as I know it had dried up. My regular repeat clients were being forced to move in new directions due to industry and regulatory changes. The space in which I had built my business and which had fueled my revenues since 2010 was on the brink of collapse.
Why did this happen to ME?
I was in the herd of attorneys in my niche, frankly, so far behind the curve that all I could do is stand by and watch my company die. I had to walk away from tens of thousands of hours of sweat, hundreds of relationships pertinent to my niche, and the relatively easy pace of a referral-based practice (one of the perks that often comes with good networking and years in-grade).
The herd should not have been surprised. All the signs were there. It was not that we didn’t see this coming. We didn’t want to see this coming.[3]
Not with the end in mind but WITH THE CURVE IN MIND.
I am a single mompreneur[4] on a mission to help clients achieve the American Dream. Now I need to change things up – again – in seeking my own American Dream—one structured for constant change and perpetually leading the curve.
And I found my path. Not by studying economic trends or career advice columns, but instead I found my new endeavor by simply listening to clients and colleagues complain about professional services – the quality, the cost, the lack of responsiveness. Rarely if ever did I hear anyone share their awesome experience with a professional. Through listening and asking the right questions, I noticed patterns…
And then I heard music.
Not a pretty little tune.
Rather, I heard a symphony! That big beautiful crescendo that every entrepreneur wants to hear: Business owners have a need that is not being addressed – at least not well!
What is my dream? Well, it’s going to be the dream of many others too, clients and colleagues alike. It’s called ScaleupCheckup, and it’s sure to revolutionize the legal industry, and other professional services for that matter. ScaleupCheckup is a natural response to the challenges faced by so many entrepreneurs and small business owners: they simply do not – or cannot – fathom the critical importance of professional advice and/or guidance OR they are afraid of the cost – or both. ScaleupCheckup meets these needs and more.
What’s really exciting is that ScaleupCheckup takes professional services to the next level: a reality-based approach, one that recognizes that:
- A) in the real world many client problems do not fit neatly into steel-sided silos labeled legal, tax, accounting, estate planning, insurance, etc. In the real world, problems often have their origins in multiple disciplines;
- B) in the real world, even narrow problems often have a ripple effect across multiple disciplines;
- C) in the real world, a comprehensive solution (highlight that: COMPLETE SOLUTION) to a problem involves multiple disciplines; and
- D) in the real world, multidisciplinary solutions ought to be implemented by diverse professionals who actually COLLABORATE with each other to ensure a holistic approach for the end-user/client.
ScaleupCheckup is an online legal health checkup for growing businesses in scaleup mode. After completing the ScaleupCheckup assessment, our team will work with clients to determine appropriate strategies to properly guide them through often overwhelming yet critical legal and business matters, helping them to overcomes these obstacles—offering comprehensive solutions that bring together diverse professionals and firms while respecting the restrictions and prohibitions against multidisciplinary practice imposed by some professions.[5]
ScaleupCheckup is here and it is a game-changer. The game is about to change – are you ready? Complete your FREE online legal health checkup by visiting *, or contact us at info@scaleupcheckup.com or 1-866-724-0085 for more information.
ScaleupCheckup’s blog, website, newsletter and other forms of communication contain general information about legal and related matters. The information is not legal advice and should not be treated as such. You must not rely on the information on this website as an alternative to legal advice from your attorney or other professional legal services provider. If you have any specific questions about any legal matter you should consult your attorney or other professional legal services provider.
[1] “The Evolving Preferences of Millennials,” Tanya Rutledge, Urban Land Institute (May 18, 2015). See also, Garcia-Torres, Abraham, 2009.” See also, “The Challenge of Rapidly Changing Customer Behavior,” Bruce Kennedy, MoneyWatch.com (November 5, 2015).
[2] “Adaptability: The New Competitive Advantage,” Martin Reeves and Mike Deimler, Harvard Business Review (July-August 2011). See also, “The Principles of Entrepreneurial Adaptation,” Brent Gleason, Forbes (March 20, 2015). Also, “What is the Key to Survival in a Constantly Changing Environment?” DK Matai, Business Insider (March 30, 2011). And, “Own the Future: 50 Ways to Win from The Boston Consulting Group,” Deimler, M. Lesser, R. Rhodes, D. and Sinha, J. (John Wiley & Sons, 2013).
[3] “New Immigration Policies Lead to Decline in Foreign Student Applications at U.S. Universities,” Dana Bucin and Michael Bonsignore, ImmigrationLawInsights.com (Murtha Cullina) July 7, 2017. See also, “Legal Immigration to U.S. Still Declining,” Deborah W. Meyers, MigrationPolicy.org (Migration Policy Institute) October 2004. And, Growth Is Dead: Now What?: Law firms on the brink, Bruce McEwen (Adam Smith, Esq., LLC) 2nd Ed. 2013 [ISBN-13: 978-1481896047]
[4] Mompreneur has a dedicated section on Entrepreneur magazine’s website. There is also a Canadian magazine, Mompreneur.
[5] “Multidisciplinary Practice Redux: Globalization, Core Values, and Reviving the MDP Debate in America,” Paul D. Paton (Fordham Law Review), Vol 8, Issue 5, 2010. See also, “Back to the Future: Is It Time to Consider Alternative Business Structures for Law Firms?” Bethany Dickman (Steptoe & Johnson), BigLawBusiness.com (Bloomberg) (May 18, 2018). And, “Alternative Business Structures, Competition, and Legal Services Delivery: The Case for ABSs v. the Legal Profession’s Monopoly in North America,” Eric Sigurdson (SigurdsonPost.com) (November 27, 2017).