Change happens all the time. Sometimes it is more seem than be. Speed is great, but sometimes this will let us to forget the foundation of what we are doing, the foundation of being and business at the same time. Here is a little story to think about…

Let’s imagine a large field with orange trees. The owner invested a lot of time and effort until it became so big and profitable. The soil had to be cleared of weeds and the trees had to be watered and fertilized. In addition, there was pest infestation that had to be fought. This is the only way for the trees to grow and flourish for many years … and become as productive as they are today.

Now a new owner has taken over the field. He harvests diligently and is happy about the yield. But soon this is no longer enough for him and he buys a further smaller field next to it to plant fig trees. The yield increases and everyone is happy about the increasing turnover and profit.

The owner is now entering the stock exchange with his fruit company and the share price is increasing from year to year because the fig trees are growing and becoming more and more profitable.

Most of the sales, however, come from the orange field. The trees here are many years old, very healthy and tall. The owner takes advantage of this and harvests several times a year. What he doesn’t do is take care of the trees. The way you stand there you are also very healthy. More and more weeds grow on the ground and the first pests attack the trees. No care is taken when harvesting, and so smaller and larger branches break off. The broken edges, small wounds for the tree, are an open place for pests …

The orange plantation is slowly but surely falling ill. This is not noticeable as the fig plantation grows and thrives and thus the turnover and profit of the company continue to rise. This is still going well so far. The orange trees are the foundation of the company. However, the company cannot yet support the smaller field with the fig trees, not even for the foreseeable future. Since there are more and more suppliers of figs on the market, the question is whether figs are not just a fashion product, which may no longer be relevant tomorrow, even if they will continue to exist.

Suddenly the share price drops after years of climbing. At the first sign, the owner resells the company and is in a good position because he has allowed the company to grow.

Happy new year. All the best for 2021, stay save and healthy.