This post was sparked by the continuing happenings at a poker affiliate forum that I regularly visit and is not targetted at any specific individuals or comments, but more to the overall concept of learning to change your business strategy when things don’t go your way. In any industry, there will be (almost guaranteed) bad things that happen, stupid policy shifts, rip-off’s, dissapointments and basically anything else you can think of that will test your business acumen. In my point of view, this is all really just a test of finding effective solutions to rising problems and is really what developing and maintaining a great business is all about.

Take a look at any industry and look at the market leaders, the ones who make the biggest profits, have the best product and usually are miles ahead of their competition. There is a simple reason for this which is the ability to use foresight and adapt accordingly. If you are really “in love” with your industry, your ear will constantly be to the ground and *most of the time* you will have a pretty good idea when things are going to go south with one thing or another. It is learning to use this foresight that will ultimately put you way ahead of your competition. If you sense a negative change coming, you better believe you are most likely right and start planning accordingly on how to adapt your business model to accommodate the shifting marketplace.

This seemingly simple skill is something that many take for granted in business but it really is what seperates the average from the excellent when it comes to strategy. Learning to identify potential problems and working to successfully overcome them is something that will not only help your business but you as a person as you continue on throughout your life.