Ours Is An Interwoven Industry
By
Though there are some who fail to grasp this concept, each of the companies producing products in support of this hobby are interwoven together to some extent. I as a paint manufacturer I depend on model kit companies to produce kits; otherwise there would be no models to apply my finishes on to. If no one made airbrushes, there would be no tools to apply my products with. I am interdependent on other manufactures for my survival.
I understand the impact of how the economic situation affects business…I live with it everyday! There is a situation brewing that could severely impact this industry, especially those within the US that produces products for this hobby.
We’ve all become aware of the how the big three auto manufacturers are crying and pleading for financial help. We’ve been told by experts that if they crash and burn, so will America. The ripple effect down to suppliers and other supporting entities will cost countless jobs. This will impact businesses whose existence relies on those workers and their dollars to keep them prosperous. The ripple has been compared to a Tsunami.
Something similar could happen in this industry, though not as dramatic in scale. Yet it will no doubt impact the hobby industry as deeply, possibly causing long term and or irreparable damage. As with the auto industry…the disappearance of one or all three will eventually be replaced by others to fill the niche. In our industry this too is true, but our industry has become so interdependent on each other to some level. Should one company tumble and die, others dependent upon their existence, their products or manufacturing capacity might also become an innocent fatality. Pull a leg out from under a table and its stability decreases.
Suddenly the domino effect accelerates and everyone in the industry is left reeling. Sure, there are those companies poised to respond to fill the niche, but it takes time. Time many companies do not have the resources to weather such a prolonged contingency. If consumers don’t see a viable option quick enough, they’ll shift their attention away rarely looking back. Then the industry as a whole looses.
Believe it or not there are companies within this industry that are growing and showing success! Why, because they understand that the proper business decisions leads towards success. There are a lot of detractors influencing this industry…some external, others internal…inside a company’s walls. Those who can identify the detractors outside usually can adapt and overcome them. Why because they have a solid and functional core and make good decisions. Those who can’t recognize and identify those detractors within their own walls are going to have a very difficult battle…one that probably can’t be won unless…
They put their egos and attitudes aside, recognize that they are the causes for their own failures. As a business owner I’ve walked that ground…it wasn’t easy but it was necessary in order to survive. President Harry Truman said “The buck stops here!” A successful leader surrounds him or herself with people who know how to get things done to meet the goals. A leader then empowers them to accomplish their missions allowing the team to move forward to reaching those goals. Success achieved!
Is it time you align yourself with people like that? Are your goals getting further away instead of closer? Then it is time to seek out others who have the possible solutions. It is time for you to build an alliance with others who can strengthen your weaknesses. This is and will be a hard process, but if you are focused on success, it is something that must be done. If you continue to conduct yourself as you are…then you’ll soon learn a cold reality…defeat. Those of us reliant on you and your success will also see a similar possibility in our future.
If you can’t stand the heat in the kitchen….then get out. If one can’t manage the resources to sustain a company and keep it’s employees employed…then its time to admit ones short comings, swallow ones ego and start to correct ones course. We (both the industry and the consumers) need you to survive.
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