What’s 15 Years?

In the great scheme of things, 15 years is not a lot.  At 15 years old you can’t drive, drink, or do much else for that matter. But in the business world where things can change overnight – companies fold, leadership changes, and world changing products and services emerge, it can seem like an eternity.  With that in mind, let’s take a look back 15 years ago today, November 22, 1999.

On that winter-time Sunday,

• President Clinton said he would shop online for some Christmas gifts for the first time and believes electronic commerce will benefit consumers and the economy if used with care and caution.

• Donald Trump is a guest on “Hardball” and said he would run for president only if it were certain he could win.

• The Nasdaq composite rose 27.31 points for another record – to 3,447.81

• Crude oil prices top $27 a barrel for the first time since the 1991 Persian Gulf War.

• Egghead.com and Onsale.com have merged to form the best computer store on the web!

• Mobius VP, LLC was formed

15 years later, that day’s events appear humorous and even unbelievable based on what has followed.  However, today I am preoccupied with the last item on the list.  With the formation of Mobius Vendor Partners (MVP), a process began that saw a company morph several times into what it is today – the proud parent of CustomerCount™ online feedback management system. 

For a startup business with no funding to make it through 15 years seems noteworthy – especially during a period of time that saw a tumultuous economic climate.  But honestly, without the hundreds of friends, fans, and yes, even detractors that have helped touch this business, it would feel less significant.

Built on both successes and failures, the resilience of Mobius is driven in large part by an article published in 1975 in the Harvard Business Review. Titled “Marketing Myopia” by Theodore Levitt, the article argues that every industry that was once a growth industry riding a wave of enthusiasm, is also simultaneously in the shadow of decline. The same can be said of businesses large and small.

MVP started out as a business process design and management consulting firm. One of the prime directives was, and is, to remain flexible. And flexible we have been.  To name just a few of our efforts; we have managed a global trade association, helped build or grow contact centers, started and managed an online buying service for a major political party, and even turned the training department of a global insurance company on its head and re-engineered the entire group and processes (all without losing one trainer). The successes have been many and as I write this, humbling at the same time.

Now, 15 years later on November 22, 2014, our experience focusing on process has made CustomerCount, our Enterprise Feedback Management (EFM) system, even better than we could have imagined.  But more than that, it has been the input of our clients that has helped our business to continue to thrive.

I want to give my heartfelt thanks to all of you that have given us the chance to help shape your businesses, and have touched and improved ours along the way. It’s never easy but this day, November 22, 2014, is a very happy day indeed.