5 Small Business Tips from a Chipmunk

Have you ever pondered the life of a chipmunk? We have an active clan in our backyard and they’re fun to watch, along with the bunnies, birds and other occasional wild critters.

The chipmunk works hard and plays hard from spring through fall. It stuffs its cheeks full at one of our bird feeders, then scampers off, repeating the process again and again – filling a chamber in its underground home to feed its young ones and storing up food for the winter. Then it disappears for the winter and rests from summer’s frenetic activity.

It’s a strange balance, but balance nonetheless.

What does this have to do with small business marketing tips?

1. The chipmunk doesn’t stop filling its cheeks because it’s hot or it’s raining. If there’s food to be harvested, it works.
   Face it, marketing is seldom, if ever, convenient. We need to approach our marketing activities with the same qualities of diligence and perseverance as that chipmunk. Do you know how much you can accomplish if you commit to 30-minutes of focused business building each and every day?
2. If food’s not readily available, the chipmunk seeks new sources.
   When business slows down, or preferably before then, evaluate where you’re promoting your business. If you’re primarily promoting off-line, where can you supplement your efforts online? If you’re not reaching your market online (or even if you are), put some time and effort into also developing an off-line strategy. Don’t replace one promotional avenue with another. Diversify and broaden your reach.
3. When it’s playtime, the chipmunk holds nothing back.
   Has business taken over your life or have you reserved time to play? We’re happier and more productive when we get away from the office regularly … and it usually makes us easier to get along with!
4. The chipmunk watches for predators and chases away competitors.
   Do you know what your competitors are up to? At the very least, set up Google Alerts for your top competitors – and if you haven’t done so already, set one up for your business name and your personal name too. This is part competitive intelligence gathering and part reputation management. You need both.
5. And in the dead of winter, the chipmunk sleeps – conserving its energy and food supply to survive until the next season.
   When business slows down, not only should you be evaluating new sources, but just as important – conserve your resources. It’s easy to whip out a credit card for an expense that normally comes out of the checking account, but it may be far wiser to forgo the expense until you actually have the money in your checking account.

We’ve made the commitment to build our business debt-free. This was a decision not made lightly and it probably isn’t the best decision for everyone – but it took our decision making process for expenditures out of the gray zone. We either have the money saved for major purchases or we don’t – in which case, we wait until we do.

What business principles have you learned or had reinforced from quietly watching or pondering something in nature?