Your success can be your downfall. Blockbuster was so in love with their business model they failed to adapt to the world as it changed around them. In 2000 Blockbuster earned almost $800 million in late fees. They weren’t interested in losing that huge profit center. After all, it had been a huge success.
The problem was people hated late fees. As soon as an alternative came along people began saying goodbye to late fees and hello to Netflix.
As of September 2019, there is only one physical Blockbuster store left in the world and it’s a privately owned franchise store. That lone store is one I see as I drive through Bend, Oregon doing my shopping.
It’s a small reminder that defining your success on what you are currently doing may not allow you to be successful in the future.
How do you define your business?
Are you hindering your future by defining your business on your terms or are you willing to define your business on the wants, desires, and needs of your clients?