The old saying "Rome wasn't built in a day" takes on a new meaning for the business entrepreneur when building a business or maintaining a business in our world today. Hold on to this thought as you continue to search out new markets and review old markets in this rogue economy. This old adage states "relax" but adding another thought keeps us on our toes: don't fiddle while Rome burns. In other words, there are still others doing new business as well as old business. There is still money to be made. They have been printing more money (which is not necessarily a good thing) daily, and of course, no one has been caught burning that green stuff! However, it remains a scavenger hunt to find new business and new products. Use the three Ls. They are listen, look and learn.

Want to start a business or develop a new line within the confines of your current business? Then stay with me on this. When a current client asks if you make a certain product and it is not in your current line, this is a good signal that perhaps you might consider an addition of a new product line! We had been asked several times by several in our client base if we made a particular product. It was an item that involved printing. We print lots of ribbons but the product they wanted would involve additional equipment. Not making a decision sooner was a costly mistake. Remember no decision is a decision!

We finally listened to the needs of our clients and decided to check out the equipment needed. The equipment company showed us how their machines worked. We would need our production department to see this new project to completion. While talking with another company in New York, we found that we would save hours of time using this new equipment for products that we were currently making.

Our graphics department has taken it further and has produced product beyond our imagination! A second machine has been added and all of this in less than a year! Remember we are in a very volatile economy! We now refer to this new equipment as the "cash cow"! We have devoted one complete room to this printing endeavor. We no longer have our "fast track room". It housed items that we could produce as a client waited. We haven't missed having our old room all that much. The new equipment is going almost all the time. Our new "fast track" room is making us more money now than before, and the products being made are selling.

This machine is now daily producing a very lucrative line for many of our current clients. It has also brought us new business. This department has been in production less than a year. Two machines going and we are considering more! We had to let our current market base know that these new items were available. We sent actual sample products as we shipped them their orders from our current line.

Have your customers asked for products that you currently do not have available in house? If so, you need to check out all of the equipment available to you that makes those items. The next NBM Show that comes close to your area is a great place to look at equipment that could be your "cash cow" that takes up the slack of the slow economy. If the cost of the equipment is more than you would be able to receive orders for, don't forget to consider outsourcing.Go to businesses, schools, and associations in your area and simply ask what services they are currently using. Take them a pen, paper product (calendar), or any advertising specialty item that you currently use to be the opener of your conversation. You can't change the cost of your utilities, employees and your building expense. However, you can find additional products and new ideas to add to your existing client base. Is there a "cash cow" in your industry pasture that you can fence in to build up your business?

Have you ever tried to milk a cow? Being a farm girl, I know that you don't just sit down on a stool and place the bucket under the udders and the milk simply starts to flow! You could sit there all day and no milk will flow into the bucket! You can sit in your store while others are out there milking the cows as well!

My older brother was an expert at milking a cow! A professional for sure and even the cows could tell. When he placed his hands on the cows' udder, the cow knew he meant business. He developed this ability over many years. He had as much foam on the top of the bucket as he had milk in the bottom! This was before we had automatic milking machines. His milking business was great! He selected the cows that gave volume and others to raise the butter fat content. The two together gave him a better price when he delivered his milk to the local cheese factory in our little country town! You may need to add some butter fat (new equipment or product) to get you some of that "udder business".

Develop "udder business" from your current customers by adding a "cash cow" to utilize a business advantage of add-on business as well as adding new clients not currently in your market base!