As many of you know, one of my favorite foods is the famous Buffalo Wing. In today’s blog, I’ll cover The Chicken Wing Guide to Small Business.
Here are the Categories:
Suicide. If you’ve ever eaten a ’suicide’ flavored wing, you know that the first two, three, maybe four wings are really good. However, by the time you start to pick up the fourth or fifth wing, all kinds of alarms are going off trying to keep you from the next wing: cleared sinuses, sweaty forehead, blazing mouth, and rumbling stomach. A small business in this category is the one that outgrows its strategy and quickly heads down the path of destruction. These are the businesses that seek out the one HUGE customer that will make them rich. Instead, they find that that customer leads to a faster exit.
Hot. These are the best wings. Full flavor plus the punch of a good, hot sauce. A HOT business is one that is finally cooking. Typically, for a business to be HOT, it must catch a break. A key alliance, deal, or breakthrough will take this business quickly from Medium to HOT, but avoid the suicide temptations.
Medium. Medium is safe, for both wings and business. A medium-flavored wing will have some of the zing of a HOT wing, but save the mouth from the fiery after effects. A Medium business is a little more mature. It has weathered the startup storm and has moved on to the ‘cash cow’ phase of business. New sales will come from referrals and word-of-mouth. This business has been there, done that, and doesn’t need to impress anybody by trying too hard.
Mild. We’re starting to reach the limits of way I’d call a true ‘Buffalo’ wing. Eating a wing with Mild sauce says, “I’ll join you in eating these things, but I’d really be eating something else.” Same thing for the Mild business. This business is likely to be more of a hobby than a business. From mowing your neighbor’s lawn to selling crafts once a year at a show, this is not a full-time gig.
Before closing, I should mention Teriyaki and Honey BBQ. I normally would not accept Honey BBQ as a wing sauce, but the inventor of the original Buffalo Wing, the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, does offer Honey BBQ — so it gets an exception. Teriyaki, though, will not receive an exception.
So, what kind of business would I describe as Honey BBQ? This is the business that was fueled by Passion! This business owner would not take “NO” for an answer. When everyone else was full of doubt, this entrepreneur was full of enough spice to push her/his way through and was sweet enough to get what they needed!
That’s the Chicken Wing Guide to Small Business.
Here are the Categories:
Suicide. If you’ve ever eaten a ’suicide’ flavored wing, you know that the first two, three, maybe four wings are really good. However, by the time you start to pick up the fourth or fifth wing, all kinds of alarms are going off trying to keep you from the next wing: cleared sinuses, sweaty forehead, blazing mouth, and rumbling stomach. A small business in this category is the one that outgrows its strategy and quickly heads down the path of destruction. These are the businesses that seek out the one HUGE customer that will make them rich. Instead, they find that that customer leads to a faster exit.
Hot. These are the best wings. Full flavor plus the punch of a good, hot sauce. A HOT business is one that is finally cooking. Typically, for a business to be HOT, it must catch a break. A key alliance, deal, or breakthrough will take this business quickly from Medium to HOT, but avoid the suicide temptations.
Medium. Medium is safe, for both wings and business. A medium-flavored wing will have some of the zing of a HOT wing, but save the mouth from the fiery after effects. A Medium business is a little more mature. It has weathered the startup storm and has moved on to the ‘cash cow’ phase of business. New sales will come from referrals and word-of-mouth. This business has been there, done that, and doesn’t need to impress anybody by trying too hard.
Mild. We’re starting to reach the limits of way I’d call a true ‘Buffalo’ wing. Eating a wing with Mild sauce says, “I’ll join you in eating these things, but I’d really be eating something else.” Same thing for the Mild business. This business is likely to be more of a hobby than a business. From mowing your neighbor’s lawn to selling crafts once a year at a show, this is not a full-time gig.
Before closing, I should mention Teriyaki and Honey BBQ. I normally would not accept Honey BBQ as a wing sauce, but the inventor of the original Buffalo Wing, the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, does offer Honey BBQ — so it gets an exception. Teriyaki, though, will not receive an exception.
So, what kind of business would I describe as Honey BBQ? This is the business that was fueled by Passion! This business owner would not take “NO” for an answer. When everyone else was full of doubt, this entrepreneur was full of enough spice to push her/his way through and was sweet enough to get what they needed!
That’s the Chicken Wing Guide to Small Business.
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