The economy is getting the blame for alot of things lately.  And, it IS to blame for some things.  But for others, it isn’t.  I’ve decided that actual, real blame is due around 50% of the time.  Don’t ask me how I arrived at that figure…I couldn’t tell you…it’s honestly just a guess.

I saw a sign at my dry-cleaners this past month that read “Due to the economy, we’re cutting back our hours.”  Okay, if I hadn’t been a loyal customer of this place for 4 years, I might feel sorry for them.  But I have been a loyal customer- I go every Monday morning to drop off my pants and shirts and sweaters.  And every Monday morning, I ask myself why I am a loyal customer.  The service is terrible.  The workers are rude and dismissive.  And I’m not totally convinced that they comprehend the difference between laundry and dry-cleaning. If it weren’t so convenient to my daily route, I would find another cleaner.  But alas, it is…and I probably won’t.

My point is this:  instead of blaming their declining profits on the economy, why not just be honest and hang a sign that reads “Due to the fact that our rude, incompetent employees have run off half our customers, we’re cutting back our hours.”

Again, I’ve no doubt that there are many business affected by the recession.  But I also know this:  for every business in that group, there is another business who has chosen to focus on service, increase the relevance of their product, enhance the positive experience for their consumers, and provide greater value for the price.  These businesses are thriving.  Why?

IMHO, they are thriving because they have chosen to re-align themselves to what really counts.  They’ve gotten reacquainted to their core values…they’ve revived their employees’ vigor and passion for the work they do…they’ve tweaked products and services to make them relevant in a recession…they’ve adjusted their message to highlight value and service- those good ole’ American ideals that resonate during economic difficulty.  In short, they’ve chosen to bone up and do the right thing.

For those that are not thriving, sometimes the economy is to blame and sometimes (and I’m guessing 50% of the times) it just makes a pretty convenient scapegoat.