Innovate or Suffocate

We hear about it over and over in the business world - innovate or suffocate! Competition for clients is fierce out there - your business needs an edge to keep them in front. Let's take a quick look at a recent example of an amazing, on-the-edge company that experienced firsthand the effects of not keeping up.

RIM is currently spiralling into the depths of non-competing status in their corner of the technology realm. Jeff Matthews wrote in July 2010 of a too-oft repeated incident that parallels Blackberry's decline in market share. His blog post illustrates exactly the feeling too many customers have when shopping, comparing, and finally purchasing a smart-phone - that Blackberry is behind the times, and not successfully running to catch up. The picture was no more optimistic almost one year later, as guardian.co.uk released a grim outlook for RIM in the Android operating system onslaught. They predicted that the Android was going to crush its competitors, including RIM. CMSWire offered some speculation in March that even the advent of the Playbook (RIM's long-awaited answer to these dismal predictions) might not be able to catch the speeding trains of Apple and Android innovations. The Playbook was seen as RIM's attempt to regain a foothold in their niche. However, April of this year saw PCWorld condemning the Playbook's glaring shortfalls when it made its appearance, and shelving RIM as a major player in the smart-phone game. RIM to RIP.

It's the same story for businesses everywhere. Customers expect innovation. There is nothing more certain in our world than change, and the business world is no exception. Keep up, step up, or get blown away by companies with more vision, drive, and efficiency than you. If you can't see your company's next step, it's time to get on the ball before you fall off the track altogether. RIM has been hanging on by their fingernails, but without something drastic to renew their competitive edge in the smart-phone niche, the sound of their tree falling in the forest will resonate to the tune of thousands of lost jobs. And another great technological company will fall into obsolescence. Don't let it happen to you - take your business by the horns and guide it to the front of the pack. ActionCOACH can take you where you need to go - start today before the Grim Reaper's shadow is over your business's shoulder.