Business Education

Now is the Perfect Time to Plan for the Next Big Disruption

Pandemics, natural disasters, and other unfortunate events might be a rarity, but they do happen. While it’s certainly possible we may not experience a major event in the near future, it’s irresponsible to ignore the possibility. After all, there’s an undeniable truth to the old adage, “Better safe than sorry.” Even if it is only a minor occurrence, being prepared is just plain smart.

Fortune Favors the Prepared

You’ve no doubt heard the expression, “Fortune favors the prepared.” The reason it’s been around so long, is because it’s proven true time and time again. When you have a plan in-place, you’re much less likely to panic. Stress and anxiety are very powerful emotions which can cause you to make rash decisions. And, everyone knows that making decisions in a rush often leads to worsening already bad situations.

Today’s business landscape has several unique features, which will add new complexities on top of the historical playbook. This makes it important for business leaders to prepare for the specific circumstances of the next downturn, as well as exploiting the right lessons from the past. —Harvard Business Review

So, knowing what you’re going to do in advance provides you with an immense advantage. You’ll be able to follow along a predetermined path. At the very least, you’ll have parameters in-place to help guide you, should your plan not be totally applicable.

Planning for the Next Big Disruption

We’ve already gone over some of these points before, but most, if not all, warrant repeating. When you prepare, it’s much easier to take decisive action, virtually eliminating the need to debate a course of action. Here are some helpful tips for how to plan for the next unplanned event:

Ready your team for truly remote capabilities. When the impact of the novel coronavirus was foreboding and uncertain, precautionary steps were the only responsible thing to do. If you allowed your employees to work from home, they did so on the fly. And, since reopening, might have returned part- or full-time to the office. However, they probably did not have and still don’t have all the necessary resources to truly work remotely. Put those tools in place now and this will offer you a more seamless transition if needed in the future.
Prepare your place of business. We previously discussed protecting a business from vandalism. Although this is unpleasant to think about, it is something that you should plan for. Having the right security and structural preparedness is a necessity to limit damage caused by vandalism. Additionally, you should have prevention and recovery tools in place for other events, like natural disasters, criminal activity, and other unfortunate events.
Streamline your organization. Due to the global pandemic and subsequent shutdowns, many businesses furloughed or outright terminated employees. But, expenses remained, despite a marked decrease or near complete cutoff of earnings. While you may have made some temporary adjustments or even cut some expenses out altogether, now is an ideal time to re-examine your operations, pinpointing duplication, inflated expenses, and other unnecessary elements.

The overall point being, even if you managed to pull through this last disruption, you may not be able to do so again. Now is an ideal time to plan ahead put in place measures so they are ready to go at a moment’s notice.

What other suggestions do you have getting prepared? Please, take a moment to share your thoughts and experiences by commenting and benefiting others!

Interested in learning more about business? Then just visit Waters Business Consulting Group.

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From $7.5 Million to $42 Million: The Turnaround Story Behind Creative Environments

October 8, 2026 No Comments

From Family Landscape Company to Regional Powerhouse Creative Environments has been shaping outdoor living spaces in Tempe, Arizona since 1950, growing into one of the region’s premier design/build landscape and pool companies. But its most dramatic chapter began in April 1999, when John Waters joined the business at a point when it was generating roughly $7.5 million in annual revenue. What followed was one of the more remarkable growth stories in the company’s history — and a case study in how strategic leadership can transform a solid regional business into a diversified industry leader. Operationally Trapped, Ready to Scale Before this transformation, Creative Environments was dealing with a challenge many growing companies face: ownership felt overwhelmed and operationally trapped in the day-to-day, without a clear vision or leadership alignment on where the company was headed. Systems weren’t integrated across departments, the brand lacked a clear distinction from competitors, and the company was growing quickly without the scalable infrastructure to support it. Financial visibility and discipline were limited, and the business was heavily dependent on the housing market and a handful of major national builders — a dependency that would prove costly during the recession years ahead. A Complete Operational and Strategic Overhaul John’s instrumental strategic guidance led to his appointment as CEO in 2005, and from there the company underwent a full operational and strategic overhaul. That meant taking ownership of all major business functions and implementing coordinated growth, cost-control, lead management with a CRM, and profitability strategies. The team developed a proprietary ERP system for estimating that gave the company real control over margins for the first time, and built a recognizable brand through creative design and strategic marketing — including a new website, vehicle wraps, and updated collateral materials that helped Creative Environments stand out in a crowded market. Structurally, the company introduced new systems, standards, and accountability across the organization, launched a dedicated Maintenance Services division, and expanded into pool and spa services in 2008 to diversify beyond its core landscape offering. Leadership also initiated Buy/Sell Agreements to protect the business and its partners in the event of death or other major ownership changes — a decision that would later prove critical. Growth, Then a Stress Test The results of this overhaul were dramatic: revenue grew from $7.5 million to approximately $42 million in about seven years, with the new maintenance division alone reaching nearly $3 million by 2007. Creative Environments became a recognized premium brand for landscape and pool design across Arizona, with meaningfully improved operational efficiency and profitability. Then came the 2008–2010 economic downturn, which drove roughly a 50% drop in revenue and brought serious customer financing and payment challenges that strained cash flow across the industry. The financial discipline built into the company during the growth years paid off. Creative Environments successfully navigated the downturn, and the Buy/Sell Agreements put in place years earlier helped the partners successfully manage the death of a key partner — a moment that could have destabilized the company but instead demonstrated the value of planning ahead. The company emerged from the recession positioned for long-term, continued success as a multi-division industry leader. Building a Business That Can Survive Anything Creative Environments’ story is a reminder that rapid growth and resilience aren’t opposites — they’re both products of the same disciplined planning. If your business needs a clearer vision, stronger systems, or a plan that can hold up under real-world pressure, Waters Business Consulting Group can help you build it. Contact Waters Business Consulting Group to schedule a free consultation

Smartest Ways to Refresh Your Business Brand for the New Year

November 28, 2024 No Comments

The start of a new year brings a sense of renewal and opportunity—a perfect time to breathe fresh life into your business brand. Whether you’re looking to attract new customers, better connect with your audience, or outshine competitors, a brand refresh can be the key to staying relevant and impactful in an ever-changing market.