Catchy tunes and slogans from TV commercials are always getting stuck in my head.
The one where cats sing “Meow, Meow, Meow, Meow…;” the guy sitting on the side of his bed moaning “I can’t believe I ate the whole thing;” the challenge to see who could sing fast enough to keep up with “twoallbeefpattiesspecialsaucelettucecheesepicklesonionsonasesameseedbun;” or the twins on bikes from “Double your pleasure, double your fun.”
The one that stuck with me this last week was one that really made a huge difference for the brand. It actually got started in the 1950s, and can still be seen today. Frankly, I don’t recall much about the commercial except the song at the end: Go Greyhound, and Leave the Driving to Us.
It came to mind because I was thinking about business operations and how small businesses get stuck in a do-it-yourself cycle. We all start businesses with the idea of keeping overhead low, and trying to undertake any aspect of the operations on our own to save money.
But much like the objective behind the Go Greyhound slogan, you actually can reach your destination more effectively if you “leave the driving to us.”
Think about it as though you’re planning a vacation. When you begin to dream about getting away, you think about the sun, luxury accommodations, the golf, the beach, the amazing food and time with your friends and family. You think about the goal.
Because frankly, if you think about what it will take to get there, you get in the way of achieving that goal by putting undue stress on yourself.
The joy of the holidays gets lost in the hassles that come from trying to get there on your own. Navigating the route through road closures or traffic delays, dealing with piles of luggage, whiny kids in the car wanting to know “Are we there yet?,” safety issues like flat tires or mechanical failures – or just the exhaustion that comes from it all.
How much easier is it to accomplish your goal when someone else is addressing these essential issues for you? It’s the same with business.
You are expert at your business. You may not be an expert at some of the foundational tasks that can make the difference between achieving your goal, and achieving your goal more quickly, securely and with greater piece of mind.
Technology, for example, has become the respiratory system of your company. It’s no longer a separate function; it’s intrinsically integrated into the lifeblood of your success. It is complex, and ever changing.
Chose a trusted vendor and you regain control. You set the direction, and leave the details (and headaches) to those who live that function every day. The right vendor can manage it all, from user interface to the data behind it, from phone and Internet to mobile device management. And because they’re at the head of the bus, they can see further into the future than you can when you’re in the weeds.
So when you’re thinking about how to move that business more quickly toward your goal, find a vendor you trust. And then: “Leave the driving to us.”
Shaun Olsen is the CEO and President of CloudWyze. CloudWyze was created to help businesses focus and perform at their optimal level by crafting and executing custom technology plans for businesses of every type and size. To learn more about CloudWyze, visit www.cloudwyze.com. Shaun can be reached at [email protected] or 910-795-1000.
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