Protecting Your Turf in the Business Jungle

Protecting Your Turf in the Business Jungle. Concerning corporate success, once a company becomes very successful, other people want to buy in and there is nothing wrong in this. However it is a business jungle with predators and the Junglepreneur should be careful not to lose out to corporate scheming. This is because corporate success may also attract corporate raiders who carry out the modern day business equivalent of piracy or commerce raiding. Piracy is described as when unscrupulous sea faring persons take over the resources of a legitimate sea vessel laden with valuable goods. On the other hand commerce raiding involves warfare against merchant vessels aimed at reducing their logistics ability to trade or carry out commerce.

In the modern business terrain, acts similar to piracy are carried out in business where the resources of a successful company are taken over by others in often a hostile exercise. Commerce raiding or commercial warfare presently exists too in business. This is whereby a successful company is bought out or infiltrated by others with the intention to limit or hinder its ability to do business for various reasons which could include the desire to limit competition. It is also widely known for founder shareholders, directors or even chairpersons of successful companies to be sacked or played out. This is often done by players who came into the company later but were more adept at corporate governance manoeuvres or were better skilled at garnering stakeholder support for what they wanted. So the Junglepreneur needs to protect their turf or corner of the business jungle.

How to do this involves the following amongst others:

1. Vigilance: Be vigilant concerning the interest your organisation is attracting and the attention you or your organisation begins to receive. Be certain that critical business intelligence regarding your organisation is not readily accessible for use against you.
2. Clarity: Be clear about your vision for your business and its goals and objectives. Ensure you work with stakeholders who share the same ideals with you. Do not assume this but pry to find out their real long term game plan or vision concerning their business involvement with you or your organisation.
3. Pragmatism: Be pragmatic and realistic about most business interactions you have with others. Often it is simply about people protecting their interest and ultimate survival. So don’t have your head in the clouds, assume nothing and watch out for your survival too within ethical limits.
4. Work Hard: You will need to do the hard work in monitoring all that is going on around you or your business and keeping on top of the game. Read between the lines, watch your immediate terrain for any business hostility and be diligent in ensuring you are in the most advantageous position should a business predator come after your business.
5. Negotiate: If push comes to shove, be prepared to negotiate your business out of trouble. A hostile business situation may eventually resolve into a give and take scenario. However be careful not to negotiate away all your core values, reasons for being in business or potential benefits.

Business warfare does occur and the Junglepreneur should be prepared for it at all times even when you are still a growing business. When business warfare eventually arrives at your doorstep, do all you can to protect your turf in the business jungle. If all else fails ask for help from other people whom you are sure of their loyalty to you or as a last resort involve business professionals who can help you change the game and turn things around. At the end of the day, the goal should be to keep your business turf against all odds.