Scream 4, 5, 6.....15,16, 17 and so on

Have you seen any masked stabber lately? If not, think again!!! In case of Sidney Prescott, it’s that ghost-faced killer, and in our case, its quite definitely is the big bad guy called Recession. Despite of the fact that Kevin Williamson writes for another sequel of the movie series and Wes Craven decides on directing that, the truth is that the killer will again be on the loose. May be it will take another 6 months or ten years, but the hard fact is that the companies will again get that call which will say “Hello Sidney, Remember me?” In that way, we can say that, this Global Economy is the Best Horror Sequel, ever staged. So, whether you are Sidney Prescott or Little Red Riding Hood, you just have to run from the BIG BAD WORLD.

Now, if we watch these movies carefully, we can observe that there is a certain time gap after which these villains reappear. This time gap is what the companies will call the “Happy Time” or the summers. So, what do the companies do in these happy times? Well, they EXPAND!!!  As it is the happy time now, they get married to pretty looking strangers (international mergers), they have kids (wholly owned subsidiaries) and they go on long vacations to Europe or Asia (international marketing). Common! That is what holiday’s are all about. Isn’t it? Well, in this way before they know it, the companies make themselves fat and obese. But, it really does not hurt, till it is Friday the 13th again. Thus, one fine night, they get that call or a writing on the wall, stating that “I know, what you did last Summer”.  Now what will you do Sidney? You have grown fat and you cannot run that hard now. And they really know what you did in these happy times as your extra cheesy fat tells it all.  And in this way, eventually the Sidneys of Wall Street and other International Markets get stabbed. Boy! It hurts. And we can hear their Scream load enough to feel the suffering ourselves. Then what do they do? They hit gym, so that they can run and escape before the stabber gets them again. Human beings call it weight shedding, they will call it Cost Cutting. Now, isn’t that painful?

You can ask me a genuine question. Is it a crime to expand? Is it wrong to go International? I will say, certainly not. But there must be some logic behind it. Growing for the sake of growth only makes you fatter and eventually helps you get stabbed again and again. The one thing, the companies must realize is that, the economy is not a nice thing to deal with and you never know, when can it wear that mask and the black robe again; thus for that reason, its better to remain fit and sleek and always on the toes. The only logical reason for expanding, according to me is DIVERSIFICATION. Suppose you are selling jelly beans in New York, and you realize that your customers like cotton candies too. So, you definitely can expand your product range and given the demand it’s completely logical. Also suppose, while you are selling jelly beans in New York, you come to know that Japanese fishermen are also fond of jelly beans and they are ready to pay the price you want to ask for. Then, you can definitely go and visit Japan and stay there for 10 years if you like. But, just don’t start selling tomato ketchup or set your boats to sail for Greece just because you are getting bored after selling only jelly beans in New York. It would be an irresponsible act putting the lives of the stakeholders and specially the employees into danger. Thus, with every move you make, you should know that you have to run at certain point of time. Don’t tell fairytale about “Happily Ever After” or “Constant Growth Curve” to your employees. They are old enough not to believe in such tales especially when it hurts their purses in the form of steep pay cuts. Using the happy times is crucial as it will determine your longevity. So, it can be Scream 4, 5 6 or even 16, 17 or 18, the secret of survival is to be the fittest. It is what evolution is all about, at the end of the day, you have to survive.

Thus, the next time, when you see that ghost –faced killer, or get the call, do not even think than I am a suspect, as here I am the one, who once told you, to eat healthy and be fit.