Recently I heard an insightful illustration about 2 business owners in the early 90s. Both businesses were fairly successful selling the same product: Radios.

Joe, the owner of the first store, knew everything there was to know about the radio business. He sold them, repaired them and could rattle the brands off without even thinking. When asked "What business he was in" he would throw his shoulders back, stand a little straighter and reply, "The Radio Business."

Sam also owned a store that sold radios. He too, could be considered a radio expert. However, when he was asked, "What business are you in?" he would smile broadly and reply, "The Communication Business".

As the years progressed, radios became less and less popular. New technologies were being developed such as Cell phones, mobile devices and portable music alternatives. How did these 2 men react? Joe, the radio-man, stuck his feet in stubbornly and refused to change. Afterall, he was a "Radio Man". That’s what he did. He sold radios.

On the other hand, Sam, was constantly listening for the newest advancement in technology, soon he began carrying cell phones, portable music players and other tech toys. As fewer and fewer radios sold, he slowly quit purchasing them himself. Soon, there wasn’t a radio in his store, but his business was better than ever.

What happened to Joe? He used up all his family’s money trying to make a success out of radios. He wound up bankrupt and alone. Why? He was in the "Radio" business, not the "Communications" business.

The question is clear: Are you a "Joe" or a "Sam".  As designer’s this is an important question. As more and more things are going paperless, and design trends grow and expand, are we in the "print" business or in the "Design" business. Which sounds more fluid?

The moral of the story is, make sure you don’t try to "specialize" so much that if something new comes out and replaces your product or service, you will be left by the wayside. To continue to grow, we must be constantly learning. Go to seminars, read magazines and follow the technology.

Don’t keep trying to sell radios when everybody else has iPods.

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