Editor's Note: The letter below was in response to a discussion on the PSDA Principals ListServ last week.

Dear Colleagues,

I'd like to commend the experienced members who have offered such positive and instructive advice regarding surviving and prospering in a "down" market. It takes both good business practices and a good attitude to be successful. If we're convinced "times are bad," guess what, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Looking back on my career, one of the most important thing I've learned is that "bad times" can be some of your greatest opportunities. This is because you're challenged to get out your comfort zone and become more resourceful and innovative, and, God forbid, work harder.

One "bad time," our distributorship lost an account that was 50% of our company's annual sales to Moore Business Forms because they introduced our client to the first "automated forms management program." I didn't see how we could stay in business. I worried that we would lose all our large accounts to Moore, so I hired a programmer to replicate what they had done. Then it occurred to me that perhaps other distributors could use that software as well. That idea evolved into e-Quantum and has succeeded pretty well over the years, but it wouldn't have ever occurred to me if we hadn't encountered a seemingly disastrous situation.

Another "bad time," a medical service bureau with over 150 doctors and clinics to whom we provided all the printing was sold to a national company. That appeared to be a total loss. But, six months later the former manager and I started our own medical billing service bureau, went out and got all the clients back and more, and 28 years later we're still operating.

Then there was the "bad time" our largest client, the state's largest bank, informed us our forms management program wouldn't be needed much longer because they were going to program their own purchasing management system. Alarmed at the prospect of losing the account, we made them a proposal to program their purchasing system and even provide their computer system, all at no charge, in return for a 3 year forms management contract. They accepted. The purchasing system eventually morphed into an entirely new financial software company for us, and the 3 year contract stretched into 10 years. And when we eventually lost it, that was a bad/good thing as well, because two years later they were sold to an out of state bank holding company and by that time we had more than replaced their business.

So, frankly, now I don't see the world in terms of good or bad times - just times of varying opportunity and challenge. We have to remember that every one of our relatives who emigrated here was willing to risk everything and face daunting challenges, just for the opportunity to live and work in America. Why should we expect anything different?

The best news is that most all of us operate in the micro, not macro, economic arena. We pretty much control our own destiny. We shouldn't worry about global economic events and GDP's because we're the luckiest business people on earth - we sell products that EVERY business needs to operate. You can't point to a single business that doesn't use multiple products and/or services that we sell. All we need is a positive attitude, a good work ethic and the resourcefulness for which our independent industry is famous. Good time or bad, it's the only time we've got, so let's get out and make the most of it. And be grateful for challenges, because that's where we find opportunity. Happy hunting!

Sincerely,



Ross Barker