Bickert Management Inc. - Blog , BMI

How to Scale Your North American Sales Operation From 5 to 50 People Without Rebuilding Everything

Fri, 21 Aug 2026 00:10:16 -0600

The 12-Month Zoho CRM Growth Roadmap for North American MSMEs

Strategic Growth~25 minutes | Bickert Management Inc.

Most rapidly expanding North American MSMEs systematically execute one of two catastrophic software errors: they deploy a CRM architecture that is overly simplistic, guaranteeing they outgrow it violently within 18 months, or they procure a system that is infinitely complex, ensuring their personnel aggressively refuse to adopt it.

This operational scenario replicates continuously across the continent: a 6-person sales unit procures a CRM to establish basic organization. It functions adequately for a year and a half. Subsequently, leadership hires three new representatives, initiates a secondary geographic territory, launches a new product vertical, and the architecture originally engineered for six personnel fractures utterly under the mass of a 15-person operation that now sells disparately, manages distinct relationship profiles, and demands executive reporting the legacy system was fundamentally incapable of rendering.

The forced options at this juncture are mathematically punishing: demolish and rebuild the existing environment (inducing massive operational disruption, data corruption risk, and forced re-training), migrate entirely to a new platform (exponentially more expensive and highly destructive), or continue to hemorrhage efficiency by operating a system that actively fights the organization (the default choice for most enterprises, inflicting perpetual financial bleed).

This document engineers a different trajectory. It is a definitive 12-month strategic roadmap for North American enterprises actively deploying or explicitly rebuilding Zoho CRM with the uncompromising mandate to architect a system that seamlessly supports velocity from your current scale to 50+ personnel without ever requiring a secondary rebuild. Every architectural decision outlined herein is mapped strictly for scale. Every phase stacks operational capability without destabilizing the foundation.

The Operational Reality of Scale

Review the specific telemetry dictating why scaling architecture correctly the first time is mandatory.

73%

Of fast-growing MSMEs structurally outgrow their initial CRM deployment within 24 months.

$45,000+

Average baseline cost to migrate to a secondary CRM platform when the initial architecture collapses under scale.

18 Months

The specific breakeven threshold where a properly engineered Zoho CRM transitions to becoming entirely self-funding via recovered revenue.

5 → 50

The precise employee bandwidth this roadmap is engineered to accommodate without requiring a platform migration.

The Scaling Architecture Principle

Prior to executing the roadmap, acknowledge one absolute foundational dynamic: the explicit reason the vast majority of CRM deployments fail to scale is that they were engineered strictly around today's team volume, today's process maturity, and today's reporting requirements with zero architectural foresight regarding what the environment must sustain in 24 months.

A CRM architected for scale is structurally distinct from a CRM built to survive today. The four architectural decisions below determine absolutely whether your Zoho CRM scales elegantly or collides with an operational wall at 18 months.

Architectural Vector	Built for Today (Guarantees Failure at Scale)	Built for Scale (Scales Infinitely)
Pipeline Design	Deploys a single pipeline utilizing generic stages and zero mandatory exit criteria.	Engineers multiple pipelines from Day 1, strictly defines rigid stage exit criteria, and structurally separates distinct deal types.
User Roles & Permissions	Grants universal administrative access to all personnel.	Constructs a granular role hierarchy immediately (Representative, Lead, Manager, Exec, Admin).
Custom Fields Architecture	Fields are injected haphazardly ad-hoc as requested.	A master field architecture is designed upfront; all modules (Leads, Contacts, Deals) are engineered symbiotically.
Reporting Framework	Relies exclusively on default reports with zero custom dashboard logic.	A comprehensive management reporting library is designed on Day 1, spanning team, geographic territory, and executive views.

The Scalability Test: Demand This Before You Build

For every single configuration decision within your Zoho CRM, you must explicitly ask: "If we suddenly acquired 3x the inbound leads, employed 3x the sales personnel, and managed 3x the active pipeline volume, would this specific configuration continue to function or would it instantly fracture?" If the objective answer is "it fractures," redesign the logic before initiating the build. The capital cost of engineering the architecture correctly at inception is a negligible fraction of the punitive cost required to rebuild it post-failure.

The 12-Month Roadmap: Phase by Phase Execution

The subsequent roadmap is ruthlessly divided into four distinct phases, with each phase stacking operational capability upon the preceding foundation. Phase completion is governed strictly by achieving specific milestones not by arbitrary calendar dates. A phase is only considered finalized when its explicit metrics are verified, not when its allotted timeline has expired.

Phase 1

Months 1 to 3: The Uncompromising Foundation

Primary GoalsPerfect the architecture, sanitize the legacy data, mandate daily team utilization. Zero operational shortcuts. Zero feature-creep before the core foundation is solidified.

Zoho Ecosystem DeploymentsZoho CRM Professional, Zoho Books (if unintegrated), bidirectional Gmail/Outlook synchronization, and Zoho Sign for formal proposals.

Month 1 Execution: Architecture and Data Migration

Week 1 is dedicated entirely to strategic planning. Rigorously map your physical sales process. Design the exact pipeline architecture (quantity of pipelines, specific stages, hard exit criteria). Design the master field schema spanning all modules. Define absolute user hierarchies. This must be fully documented before altering any Zoho configuration parameters.

Week 2 is focused on environmental setup. Construct the pipelines and stages. Instantiate all custom fields aligned with the master architecture. Configure strict user roles and access controls. Ensure native email synchronization. Mandate North American data center routing (Canada/US compliant) and engineer the CASL/PIPEDA/CCPA consent field architecture immediately.

Weeks 3 & 4 are reserved for intense data migration. Export legacy data. Aggressively clean it—purge duplicates, normalize formatting, and populate critical missing variables. Execute a test migration of 50 records and validate perfectly. Execute the macro import. Validate record counts and relational integrity. Do not authorize go-live until this validation is formally signed off.

Month 2 Execution: The Automation Foundation

The paramount automation priority is lead management. Every operational day lacking proper lead automation guarantees fresh leads enter the system without a verifiable response protocol. Build these exact workflows sequentially:

✓Workflow 1: Immediate lead acknowledgement (firing autonomously within minutes for any inbound lead across any channel).
✓Workflow 2: Algorithmic lead assignment routing (geographic, source-based, or round-robin—engineered for current capacity but parameterized to accept new personnel seamlessly).
✓Workflow 3: The 7-touch primary follow-up cadence (calibrated strictly to your industry's acceptable pursuit frequency).
✓Workflow 4: Stale deal alert activating at Stage 1 thresholds (immediately notifying the assigned representative).
✓Workflow 5: Stage transition action triggers executing for your top 3 highest-volume pipeline transitions.

Month 3 Execution: Health Check & Adoption Verification

Month 3 prohibits the introduction of new features; the sole objective is verifying the Phase 1 foundation is structurally sound and actively utilized. Execute this specific Health Check prior to declaring Phase 1 complete.

Phase 1 Operational Metric	Green (Optimal)	Yellow (Warning)	Red (Critical Failure - Fix Immediately)
Daily System Login Rate	95%+ of sales personnel logging in daily.	70–94% logging in daily.	Below 70% — Severe adoption crisis. Halt all feature additions.
Lead Capture Completeness	95%+ of leads across all channels routing automatically.	80–94% — Dangerous manual capture occurring.	Below 80% — A primary source integration is severed. Fix immediately.
Deal Record Integrity	90%+ of active pipeline deals possess verified values AND close dates.	75–89% — Validation rules require immediate tightening.	Below 75% — Toxic data quality renders reporting utterly useless.
Workflow Execution Reliability	95%+ of automated triggers firing flawlessly.	85–94% — Minor edge case logic failures.	Below 85% — Systemic workflow collapse. Partner audit mandated.

Phase 2

Months 4 to 6: Deep Optimization & Ecosystem Integration

Primary GoalsAssuming a verified foundation and high personnel adoption, Phase 2 dramatically expands automation depth and eliminates the manual data bridging between the CRM and peripheral operational systems.

Zoho Ecosystem ExpansionsZoho CRM Professional upgrades to Enterprise (if personnel exceeds 15 or AI is mandated). Deepen Zoho Books integration. Deploy Zoho Campaigns (CASL/PIPEDA/CCPA compliant).

Month 4: The Post-Proposal Architecture

The most devastating automation gap in Phase 1 deployments is the absence of a post-proposal sequence. Initial lead automation is simple due to high urgency; post-proposal automation requires nuanced engineering to ensure an email dispatched 7 days post-pitch remains highly personalized. Construct this specific sequence:

Day 1 (Confirmation): Automated email confirming proposal delivery, embedding specific dynamic context tags captured during discovery.
Day 3 (Review): Representative task triggered to manually review the proposal via phone.
Day 7 (Value Add): Automated delivery of highly relevant, industry-specific case studies positioning your enterprise as an authority, not a desperate vendor.
Day 18 (Objection Preemption): Automated communication preemptively addressing the standard objections known to stall your specific sales cycles.
Day 25 (The Breakup): Automated final communication offering to close the file if timing is poor. This specific touch consistently recovers a significant percentage of ghosting prospects.

Month 5: Financial Operations Integration

Integrating Zoho Books yields the most massive immediate operational time recovery of Phase 2. Execute these configurations precisely:

✓Enable native quote generation directly within Zoho CRM utilizing the synchronized Zoho Books master product catalog.
✓Engineer one-click Quote-to-Invoice conversion triggered instantly when a deal transitions to Won—eliminating the 15 to 30 minutes of manual re-entry per transaction.
✓Surface outstanding Books invoice data directly within the CRM contact record, guaranteeing representatives possess total financial context prior to engagement.

Month 6: Marketing Connectivity and Compliance Attribution

Integrating Zoho Campaigns with Zoho CRM in Month 6 permanently seals the loop between marketing spend and final sales execution.

✓Compliance Sync: Unsubscribes logged in Campaigns instantly overwrite the master consent field in the CRM, establishing an impenetrable compliance firewall across North American jurisdictions.
✓Engagement Scoring: Campaign open and click telemetry dynamically updates the CRM lead score, algorithmically prioritizing outreach based strictly on active engagement.

Phase 3

Months 7 to 9: Deploying Intelligence and AI

Primary GoalsCapitalize on 6 months of sanitized data to activate the intelligence layer: Zia AI algorithms, deep cohort analysis, exact lead source ROI, and executive reporting.

Zoho Ecosystem ExpansionsMandatory upgrade to Zoho CRM Enterprise (Zia AI suite). Deploy Zoho Analytics for cross-functional dashboarding.

Month 7: Zia AI Activation

By Month 7, your architecture possesses the 6 months of continuous, clean data required to train Zia AI's predictive models. Activate predictive lead scoring to mathematically analyze historical conversion parameters. Enable deal outcome predictions to flag pipeline anomalies where the algorithm violently disagrees with the representative's assigned stage probability. Deploy the Zia Workqueue; teams operating from this interface routinely execute 20–30% higher outbound volume.

Month 8: Advanced Analytics (Zoho Analytics)

Zoho Analytics bridges data across CRM and Books, enabling executive telemetry impossible within isolated modules. Build these mandatory dashboards:

Revenue by Lead Source: Identifies which marketing vectors generate final paid invoices, not merely top-of-funnel lead volume.
Salesperson Activity-to-Revenue Ratio: Isolates the exact behavioral actions driving peak performance.
Forecast vs. Actual Variance: Measures longitudinal forecasting accuracy to eliminate systemic executive over/under-estimation.

Month 9: Performance Engineering

Deploy individual performance dashboards, granting personnel total transparency into their activity-to-outcome ratios relative to team baselines. Configure algorithmic pipeline quality scores to penalize representatives maintaining stagnant data.

Phase 4

Months 10 to 12: Structuring for Massive Scale

Primary GoalsFortify the architecture to sustain rapid personnel expansion, new geographic territories, and secondary product verticals ensuring the Phase 1 foundation scales seamlessly rather than fracturing.

MilestonesTerritory Management fully deployed. Onboarding playbooks active ensuring new hires achieve full velocity in 14 days.

Month 10: Territory Management Architecture

As sales teams breach 5 to 6 personnel, informal lead assignment collapses. High-value deals are abandoned during handoffs. Zoho CRM Enterprise's Territory Management module resolves this permanently. Architect strict geographic hierarchies (Country → Province/State → Region) and configure automated assignment rules that route inbound leads instantly to the correct territory independent of human triage. Implement territory-specific quotas ensuring accountability across regions, not merely individuals.

Month 11: The Rapid Onboarding Playbook

Every newly acquired salesperson lacking a structured CRM onboarding protocol costs the enterprise 4 to 8 weeks of paralyzed productivity. Engineer a rapid 14-day protocol:

Days 2–3 (System Orientation): Conduct role-specific training exclusively utilizing an anonymized 'Training Dataset' cloned from your actual pipeline. Forbid the use of generic vendor demo videos.
Days 4–5 (Pipeline Transfer): The CRM administrator executes the formal handover of legacy accounts directly within the system, ensuring the new hire inherits complete institutional memory without relying on verbal debriefs.
Week 2 (Live Review): The new hire is fully integrated into the Monday pipeline review utilizing live data, achieving baseline velocity immediately.

Month 12: Year 1 Audit and Year 2 Strategy

Month 12 demands a brutal strategic review. Calculate absolute ROI (Capital Deployed vs. Recovered Revenue and Time Savings). Audit feature utilization to identify abandoned modules. Review Zia AI's predictive accuracy against Q3/Q4 actuals. The output dictates the Year 2 roadmap: whether to expand into a full Zoho One deployment or optimize the current footprint.

Final Assessment

Enterprises that intentionally architect Zoho CRM for scale from Day 1 executing the correct structural decisions in Month 1, adhering to a ruthless phased deployment, and stacking operational capability upon an unbreakable foundation fundamentally avoid the catastrophic $45,000 to $80,000 migration tax that cripples their competitors at the 18-month mark.

The roadmap detailed above is the definitive engineering path bridging your current operational state to a highly synchronized 50+ person revenue engine running on an architecture designed for that exact scale. The question is not whether your scaling enterprise will eventually require these capabilities. It will. The question is whether you invest a few days in architectural planning now, or surrender massive capital to a complete platform rebuild later.

Build it correctly. Build it once. Scale infinitely.

Deploy Executive Intelligence

Start Your 12-Month Roadmap With Elite Architects

Executing this specific roadmap optimally requires engaging a Premium Partner who understands which shortcuts are viable and which ones inject fatal technical debt. Bickert Management provides a complimentary 60-minute Roadmap Strategy Session exclusively for North American MSMEs planning a Zoho deployment or recovering from a failed one.

We will audit your current state, architect your Phase 1 foundation, isolate the scaling decisions critical to your specific trajectory, and deliver a definitive written roadmap document.

Book Strategy Session Visit Our Website

Zoho Premium Partner Canada | Bickert Management Inc. - Zoho CRM Experts

Fri, 23 May 2025 12:24:41 -0600

In an era where digital transformation dictates the pace of growth, small and mid-sized enterprises across Canada and North America are turning to technology to sharpen their competitive edge. Among the many technology providers available, Bickert Management Inc. (BMI) stands out as a trusted Zoho Premium Partner in Canada, delivering top-tier Zoho consulting services that help businesses thrive. Through expertly tailored solutions, seamless integrations, and a people-first approach, BMI empowers organizations to streamline operations and unlock unprecedented growth.

What It Means to Be a Zoho Premium Partner

Being designated a Zoho Premium Partner is more than just a title—it's a recognition of trust, capability, and commitment. This status is granted only to partners who demonstrate deep product expertise, exceptional client satisfaction, and a proven record of delivering complex, scalable implementations. BMI’s designation as a Premium Partner confirms its standing among the most reliable Zoho CRM experts in North America. Clients working with BMI benefit from early access to new Zoho features, direct escalations to Zoho support, and access to advanced resources, enabling faster resolution times and cutting-edge integrations.

Unmatched Expertise in Zoho CRM, Books, and Automation

At the heart of BMI’s service offerings is its mastery of Zoho CRM implementation—a crucial tool for managing customer relationships, lead pipelines, and sales processes. By tailoring Zoho CRM to fit each client's workflow, BMI ensures a significant boost in productivity and customer satisfaction. In addition, BMI excels in Zoho Books integration, enabling clients to achieve real-time financial visibility and seamless accounting operations. The team’s ability to integrate Zoho Books with CRM and other modules ensures financial data flows effortlessly across departments.

Equally vital is BMI’s focus on workflow automation, utilizing Zoho Creator, Flow, and Deluge scripting to automate repetitive tasks. This reduces errors, saves time, and enhances collaboration—especially vital for businesses scaling operations across multiple locations.

Schedule your Free Consultation Today

Tailored Solutions for Diverse Industries

What distinguishes BMI from other service providers is its emphasis on custom Zoho solutions. From renewable energy firms like Raysolar to service providers and startups, BMI has successfully designed and deployed Zoho environments tailored to sector-specific requirements. For example, the custom CRM modules developed for Raysolar not only simplified inventory and technical issue management but also improved customer engagement, resulting in operational excellence.

Whether it’s CRM customization, finance automation, or cross-platform integration, BMI adapts each solution to meet the nuanced demands of your business—offering both scalability and agility.

A Trusted Name in Zoho Consulting Services

Through its blog, BMI outlines the common challenges businesses face during Zoho implementation—such as lack of expertise, integration complexity, and change management hurdles. BMI addresses these pain points head-on with a structured, client-focused implementation process that includes:

Deep discovery sessions to identify business objectives
Custom architecture planning
Module configuration and API integration
Hands-on training and user adoption support
Continuous optimization post-launch

BMI's commitment to ongoing support ensures that your business doesn't just adopt Zoho—it masters it.

Driving Business Value Across Canada and North America

From small businesses in Calgary to established enterprises across North America, BMI’s footprint is growing as companies seek smarter ways to manage growth. With cloud-based scalability and industry-leading customization, BMI empowers organizations to:

Improve team collaboration across departments
Reduce operational redundancies
Make data-informed decisions
Scale infrastructure in alignment with business growth

The feedback is consistent—clients appreciate BMI’s responsiveness, technical expertise, and strategic insight. These qualities have made BMI the go-to Zoho consulting service in Canada.

Get Started with Bickert Management Inc.

If you're a business in Canada or North America looking for reliable digital transformation through Zoho, it’s time to work with Bickert Management Inc. As a Zoho Premium Partner Canada businesses trust, BMI offers the perfect mix of innovation, service, and strategy.

Schedule your Free Consultation Today

Unlock the Power of Business Efficiency with Zoho Business Software Solutions

Thu, 16 Jan 2025 23:28:55 -0700

Running a business is no small feat, and in today’s competitive market, every company seeks tools that streamline processes, enhance productivity, and optimize operations. This is where Zoho Business Software Solutions come into play. As a Zoho Premium Partner, Bickert Management offers tailored solutions designed to meet the unique needs of businesses across industries. Whether you're a startup or an established enterprise, Zoho's suite of software is the key to operational success.

Why Choose Zoho Business Software Solutions?

Zoho provides a comprehensive ecosystem of over 50+ integrated applications to manage every facet of your business, from sales and marketing to finance, HR, and customer support. Here's why Zoho stands out:

All-in-One Platform
Zoho eliminates the need for multiple software solutions. Its centralized platform enables seamless communication and collaboration across departments.
Customizable to Your Needs
From workflows to user roles, Zoho apps are highly customizable, allowing businesses to adapt the software to their unique processes.
Cost-Effective
Zoho provides affordable pricing plans, ensuring even small businesses can leverage enterprise-grade tools.
Scalability
Zoho grows with your business, offering tools and features that cater to evolving needs.
Cloud-Based Accessibility
With cloud-based applications, your team can work anytime, anywhere, ensuring productivity never takes a hit.

Also Read: Revolutionize Your HR Management with Zoho People: Streamline and Automate Today

Key Zoho Applications for Business Success

1. Zoho CRM: Master Customer Relationship Management

Boost your sales performance with Zoho CRM. This tool enables you to track leads, automate workflows, and close deals faster. Key features include:

Lead scoring and prioritization
AI-driven insights with Zia
Real-time analytics
Integration with third-party apps

Start Your Free Zoho CRM Trial Today!

2. Zoho Books: Simplify Financial Management

Managing finances can be overwhelming, but Zoho Books simplifies it all. It offers:

Automated invoicing and payment tracking
Tax compliance features
Financial reporting
Seamless integration with Zoho Expense and Zoho Payroll

3. Zoho Desk: Enhance Customer Support

Deliver top-notch support with Zoho Desk. This tool enables businesses to:

Create a self-service knowledge base
Automate ticket assignments
Analyze customer feedback and performance

4. Zoho People: Streamline HR Processes

HR management becomes effortless with Zoho People. This robust tool helps you:

Track employee attendance and leave
Automate payroll processing
Manage performance reviews and appraisals

Request a Demo of Zoho People

How Bickert Management Inc. Elevates Your Zoho Experience

As a Zoho Premium Partner, we don't just implement software—we craft solutions. Our team of experts ensures:

Custom Implementation
We tailor Zoho applications to suit your business processes.
Training and Support
Our hands-on training ensures your team gets the most out of Zoho's features.
Seamless Integration
We integrate Zoho with your existing systems for a unified workflow.
Continuous Optimization
We provide ongoing support to fine-tune your Zoho setup as your business evolves.

Success Stories: Businesses Thriving with Zoho

Case Study 1: Waste Management Company Streamlines Operations

A leading waste management company faced challenges with complex regulatory requirements, outdated data management, and billing inefficiencies. By partnering with Bickert Management, they implemented Zoho CRM and Zoho Books to:

Modernize Data Management: Migrated from spreadsheets to a custom CRM solution, enhancing customer interaction tracking and scalability.
Automate Billing: Developed a bespoke billing automation tool, reducing manual errors and streamlining payments.
Ensure Compliance: Leveraged Zoho Analytics for tailored reporting, meeting municipal regulations efficiently.

This transformation led to improved operational efficiency and compliance.

Case Study 2: Pet Grooming Franchise Enhances Lead Management

A growing dog grooming franchise struggled with managing leads from multiple sources, leading to delayed responses and missed opportunities. Bickert Management provided a custom Zoho CRM solution that:

Automated Lead Assignment: Implemented workflows and Deluge scripting to assign leads based on location IDs.
Overcame System Limitations: Developed a system to bypass Zoho CRM's 50-rule limit, accommodating the franchise's expansion.
Improved Response Times: Reduced manual interventions, ensuring timely lead follow-ups.

As a result, the franchise increased efficiency by 50%, handling more leads without additional staff.

Also Read: Unlock Business Growth with Zoho CRM: Powerful CRM Software

Why Invest in Zoho Business Software Solutions Now?

The future of business lies in digitization and automation. By choosing Zoho, you position your company for:

Enhanced efficiency and reduced operational costs
Improved decision-making with real-time analytics
Superior customer experiences

Conclusion

Zoho Business Software Solutions are the ultimate tools for driving growth, efficiency, and customer satisfaction. As a Zoho Premium Partner, Bickert Management ensures you unlock the full potential of Zoho’s ecosystem, delivering customized solutions that align with your business goals.

We wish you a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!

Wed, 08 Dec 2021 06:52:16 -0700

The first snowfall of the season has finally landed on the doorstep of BMI's HQ - at least, the first snowfall that seems to be sticking around. The snow is actually quite late this year, compared to years past, though that should not be taken as a complaint. Instead, it actually looks as though the snow is matching the generally slower pace the world has been operating on in the past months. Last year, BMI encouraged that the days and weeks leading up into the Christmas season be spent with laser focus, denying the urge to let the impending holidays start bleeding out into both days prior and after, and similarly, to prevent work from crossing over into the holidays. Work at work, and relax at home; focus on what needs to be accomplished now, so that your time off can be spent truly relaxing, and not having to worry about work you procrastinated.

This year, however, there needs to be a small shift in where that aforementioned laser focus should be. A consequence of what we'll refer to as a global situation, the lines between work and home life have become unbelievably blurred. Work from home, virtual meetings, unusual office hours, labour shortages, the list goes on and on. Suffice it to say, even BMI has not been immune to work becoming a perpetual event that does not stay confined to office hours. More important than ever, then, becomes the BMI concept of Wellth. The concept of holistic success, of work-life balance, of separating and keeping work at work and home at home, is something that is getting lost in the shuffle of the constantly shifting work environment and various rules, regulations, and habits. It is the most difficult but most important thing that anyone can do this season to help move their business forward.

Take, then, the time to plan your holidays to be real holidays. A holiday needn't be extravagant, expensive, involve travel, weeks-long, or 'doing' things. All it need be is a dedicated time to unplug, relax, recuperate, and catch up on some of the critically important (but never urgent) things that may have been put to the backburner. Things like spending time with friends and family, time spent on hobbies and enjoyable activities, time spent enjoying life. Things that make life fulfilling, and the things that seem to suffer because work has urgency and demands. Take the time to reflect on what you're working for, the goals you are trying to achieve, the dreams you are passionately trying to fulfill; take the time to well and truly relax, so that you are renewed and ready to face whatever comes your way.

If you find yourself completely unable to take that time, then that unto itself should be cause for pause and reflection. Working yourself to death is not your purpose, even if the world should like to posit that it is. And if you find yourself in that position, perhaps it is time to reach out and employ resources to relieve you of that burden.

From all of your BMI family, have a joyous, holy, and wonderful Christmas, and a very happy new year. Here's to 2022, and another year of success, prosperity, and achievement.

- Your BMI family

Struggling to break away from work to spend time with friends and family?

You Can't Outrun A Grizzly

Wed, 12 May 2021 02:31:46 -0600

BMI's clients and prospective-market business owners understand that they are always, at least in some way, competing against behemoth companies such as Amazon, McDonalds, Disney, and Walmart. Indeed, we regularly acknowledge that these mega-players continually frame and reset consumer expectations so that the little guy must step-up his game. However, they are under no illusions that they have to win on all fronts. The economies of scale and resources possessed by the biggest corporations in the market enable pricing strategies and customer service processes that are very difficult for SMEs to duplicate. So, instead, BMI's community leverages the advantages inherent in being smaller, such as greater local market intelligence, more agile management that can quickly pivot when market forces dictate change, and a passion for their product and service that pervades throughout their entire teams.

But, there's more: BMI's business community members understand that their sustainability and ultimate success does not depend on being able to beat the world's largest companies. They need only beat weak competitors of any size.

You know that old joke about not being able to outrun a grizzly bear? If not, consider this as your spoiler alert. The punchline reveals the somewhat coldhearted wisdom of one camper telling another that he doesn't have to outrun the bear, he only needs to outrun his fellow camper. We see this as an analogue for competing in business. Our businesses can flourish while grizzly-esque companies like Amazon gobble up the weakest competitors in the market. In fact, the biggest "predators" in the economy have a symbiotic relationship with well-managed SMEs. A carcass leftover by a grizzly provides ample residual nourishment for several other species lower on the food chain, such as coyotes, ravens, rodents, and insects. Similarly, while enforcing economic natural selection, corporate grizzlies leave significant remnants of market share available to be gained by the strongest SMEs.

The next time you become discouraged or disillusioned by the thought of trying to survive in a business environment dominated by economic apex predators, remember that you don't need to outrun the grizzly; you need only outrun the weakest members in the market. And, if you need some assistance in ensuring that your business is a strong competitor, reach out to BMI. Naively assuming that the human resources, marketing, administrative, accounting, customer service, and software strategies that you've always used will continue to suffice may be the metaphorical equivalent of wearing flip-flops around the campsite while BMI helps other campers lace up their running shoes!

- Michael J. Bickert

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