 May 2010
Ebiz Products, LLC • 1855 Air Lane Dr. • Nashville, TN • 888-496-8180
FLOODING IN NASHVILLE AND YOUR BUSINESS On May Day, 2010, the rains came to Nashville. And, as if a giant hand was emptying the contents of an enormous pitcher dipped from the not-yet-oily Gulf, Music City and much of Middle Tennessee watched as all chaos broke loose. The massive weather system parked over the area in what at least one meteorologist called a “perfect storm”—one system pressing against another like two opposing fists, stalling the heavy rains and drenching residents in a “500-year flood.” Rivers, streams and ponds rose to dangerous levels, spilling over their banks into the most unexpected places. After only two days, homes generally thought to be far from a flood plain stood in water to their roof lines. Highways became waterways where cars, trucks and even a mobile home floated dangerously among debris and other half-sunken vehicles. Emergency workers, many in borrowed row boats, made their way past submerged street signs to rescue in-city residents and workers. Hundreds were air-rescued to safety. Most tragic of all—more than thirty people lost their lives in the rush of water. Business came to a standstill that first week in May, as if the already faltering economy wasn’t enough! Only a few miles away, furniture and equipment floated freely inside Music City’s famed Grand Ole Opry house. And the substantial operations of the also grand, 3200-room Gaylord-Opryland Hotel came to a halt, as the normally serene waters of the Cumberland River caused nearly 2,000 hotel guests and personnel to abandon the flooding complex. So many businesses stopped doing business that May Day. Philip Beyer’s company, sitting on higher ground, was one of the “lucky” ones! Our thoughts and prayers are with all Middle Tennesseans as we join hands to come back. ...Susan Beyer Flooding in Your BusinessA note from Philip Beyer On a clear day, nearly eighteen years ago, I experienced a flood in my own business that nearly caused me to shut down operations permanently. I was relatively new to business; only in my fifth year as an owner of a small printing company. More and more the business had become steeped in disorder, high waste ratios, upset customers, unmet due dates, lost revenue—ONE BIG MESS. The thought of one more day of it became intolerable. Was every small business so inundated by a tsunami of disorder as mine seemed to be? That's when I determined to find a way out of all that chaos and bring sustainable order to my business. We've done it! Like an unexpected flood in what's thought to be a “safe” place, life can change in a heart beat. Natural disasters aside—without order, your once-promising business can become your worst, most stressful and expensive storm. The important thing is to recognize the signs that can lead to disaster in your business, so when the waters of chaos begin to rise to unsafe levels, you’re prepared. Better yet—to have great systems in place that are proactive against unsafe levels! Great systems WORK! LET US HELP BRING ORDER TO YOUR BUSINESS -- HANDS-ON! Over the past few years we have shared—by way of Philip Beyer's book System Busters: How to Stop Them in Your Business, this newsletter "The Organizer", also in various articles and other communications—how business owners and managers can literally take the struggle out of their operations, permanently. Many clients have asked about Philip and/or one of our representatives going onsite at their companies to help hands-on with their System100™ implementation. We’re happy to report—we now offer the hands-on, onsite service option! Representatives of System100™, including Philip Beyer, are now available for 1-5 day visits to work with client management teams regarding implementation. Fees vary, depending on desired services, number of days involved, and 1-3 representatives requested. Onsite services include: Quality and Service Control Checklists; Position documentation (Job Descriptions, Daily Routine Checklists, Sub-systems/ procedures); PowerPoint presentation seminars for management; group or individual hands-on training with a System100™ specialist; introduction to the “100% System of Cleanliness” (5S); plus a companywide overview meeting with Philip Beyer or other System100™ representative. 
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