WARNING: Booming Business!

Recently, I drove with my family across the California desert on I-15 to Vegas from Los Angeles. About halfway between Barstow and Baker sits a deteriorating and long-closed water park called Rock-a-Hoola. Sadly, little water remained with the majority having fallen prey to arid desert environmental conditions. Peeling paint, falling down buildings, dried up pools: you would be hard-pressed to recognize the thriving water park it once was.

When I was a kid, Rock-a-Hoola (aka DiscoveryWaterpark) was called Lake Delores. Throughout my youth, my family would pile into our 1967 bright blue Volkswagen bus and trek across the desert to visit two sets of grandparents in Utah. Most will say it is a horrible, torturous drive but I have always loved it. Maybe it is because my father was very adventurous and risky. We usually ran out of gas or the bus broke down and we would have to stay the night in Vegas. We, as kids, loved it. Vegas meant hotels and pools. And sometimes our trip meant a stop at Lake Delores.

In its heyday, Lake Delores had super slides, pools and zip lines, all very dangerous by today's standards but incredibly fun. My dad was the biggest kid of all and always encouraged us to beat our fears into submission by trying something new and exhilarating like the zip line at Lake Delores. The one and only time I rode the zip line, I stood atop a rocky, hot hilltop, fingers in my mouth, scared to death. I could see my dad waving his arms at the bottom of the hill and I knew he was yelling, "C'mon Rayanne, you can do it!" though I could not hear him. I eventually overcame my nerves and clung for dear life to the zip line where a watery splash down awaited along with a vow to never do that again. Lake Delores will always represent good times, laughter, family fun, crazy midnight drives across the desert, and sadly now, a booming business that has dried up, literally.

yep, that's me on the zip line...

A booming business isn't always necessarily a good thing. Growing too big, too fast can be a curse. Ask Krispy Kreme or now, even Starbucks has fallen prey. Understanding that a heyday is great but typically short-lived may assist you as a business professional or business vendor. No matter how much fun you are having, at some point, it has to come down to business and brass tacks.

Recognition of the risk and chance for extinction is important. Especially during a boom. That fear may keep you on your toes and drive you to use sound business practices. While great risk brings great benefits, business and practice decisions must be made carefully and with full awareness of the potential risks. Never overestimate the good times. How many of us did?

by rayannethorn

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Maureen Sharib on July 15, 2009 at 2:28am

Many overestimated, Rayanne. It's all they knew. Planning, as Sandra wisely and perceptively advised others around her to do, was hardly done by most. That's why so many are gone from the profession today. We're way past six months - even past a year. Hang on - we may even have a few more to go. Being able to "present a positive to...clients and...candidates without that edge of panic" is a feat that's priceless in today's world.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Maureen Sharib on July 15, 2009 at 11:28am

Few listen to warnings, Rayanne. There are plenty of them on this site. Who pays attention to most of them? Nobody. The messenger gets killed just abt every time. The trick is in delivering a warning that doesn't sound like a finger-wagging warning.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Peter Ceccarelli on July 15, 2009 at 1:38pm

Hear, hear! Sound advice!

Sandra McCartt said:

We are hearing a lot of advice for individuals about being prepared in case you get laid off. Have enough money in savings that you can pay your bills for six months or a year. When the boom is on in business assume that what goes up must come down, it always does and it always will.

We refer to it as Vuja De. Everyone knows what Deja Vu is, the feeling that you have been here before. Vuja De is the solid knowledge that you have been here before and you aint' goin back. Ok, we've had a good taste of Vuja De in the recruiting world. If you ain't goin' back start now. When placements start to fall and the check comes in, operate like there may not be another one for a while. Put a third of that check in savings.

All of my group had been through one of these before. When the big bucks were coming in last year and the year before we all started a Vuja De fund. When the going got rough our Vuja De fund would cover the office expenses for one year, individually we could cover our personal expenses for one year if we didn't make one placement. Without the press of financial panic we have been able to work effectively, present a positive to our clients and our candidates without that edge of panic that even many of them were feeling. We did make placements and part of it may have been the lack of financial pressure.

We recommend Vuja De, we ain't going back!