How is Your Ecosystem?

Whether you work for someone or you run your own company, you should ask: "How is the ecosystem of my company?" The whole ecosystem consists of everything A-Z from pens and pencils that the company owns to the staff, suppliers, partners, etc. If a company is being ran across the board with a quality ecosystem, chances are that the company is more stable.

A lot of entrepreneurs put off minor problems or issues they face, which leads to big pot holes in the ecosystem, bringing down the quality of the whole network. It doesn't matter whether "Joe" is running a $10,000 company or a $100,000,000 company, he better make sure that his ecosystem is healthy or he is going to face problems from every direction.

"Things done right"

What the heck does that mean? I know numerous entrepreneurs who are running small companies and take shortcuts, but it all ends up affecting their ecosystem. Five years into the future when "Joe" is running that same company worth $10k previously, that small issue might turn into a big situation.

"The right staff"

It is tough for all entrepreneurs to find a great staff, at startup pay, but it isn't possible. A lot of entrepreneurs look to save in the short run or hire the underdogs, but that all plays out to a weaker ecosystem. If "average" employees are pumping out "average" work, that equates to an "average" company. Average doesn't cut it in this day and age.

"The right partnerships"

We all face this question regardless of any business we run. A partnership can range from which staff members work on what project or it can mean which people are on the advisory board of the company, or even companies that work with your company to get things done. If these bonds are weak, it hurts the ecosystem.

Sometimes there are ways to cut back and take route "B" instead of "A" and other times it will only make sense to take that route if an entrepreneur is willing to face a bigger pothole in the future. It doesn't always mean that there will be trouble, but in a company's infant days, if things are contributing "softly" to the ecosystem, it is hard to change course and make it a quality ecosystem in the future.