There was a buzz in the air recently about the US Postal Service. Seems as though they were running into a budget deficit in the billions.

The Postal Service claimed they must cut Saturday service to customers to stay afloat -- a service they had provided for years. And one that customers expected. They said people using email instead of regular mail made a major dent in their profits. Customers were in an uproar. If customers had a choice, they'd lose many. Welcome to the real world of business.

There are three lessons in this for your business.

Lesson #1:

Use indicators, in addition to cash flow, that help you watch the ebb and flow of your business. What can you measure that will tell you quickly -- so you can act -- about what's happening in your business?

Lesson #2:

Don't just whack a service you've been providing your customers. If you need to cut, look inside your business for processes and procedures that can be streamlined to save you money. Cut the fat of your business, not the services.

Lesson #3:

Always be on the lookout for new competitors entering your business space. Don't wait for that competition to start taking away your customers. Be proactive. Find ways to offer more value to keep your customers loyal.

Denise O'Berry

With more than two decades of operational and management experience, Denise O'Berry has developed a sharp eye for how businesses get bloated with inefficiencies, cross-purposes and miscommunication -- and how they can retool for a sleeker, smoother, strategically focused organization.

An entrepreneur who quickly built her own successful consulting business, she helps other small business owners set priorities, take action to grow their business and create the balance they want between life and work. Her clients have ranged from telecommunications giants like Verizon to Mom-and-Pop retail shops with a primary focus on those having 10 or fewer employees and up to $2.5 million in annual sales.

Denise frequently speaks to professional organizations, is the author of three booklets, and several "how-to" manuals. She writes a weekly small business column, hosts an online small business owners forum and is called upon regularly by publications such as Entrepreneur, Bank Rate Small Business, Florida Trend, Inc., various newspapers, radio and television to provide expert comments on small business issues.

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