Small business owners spend years growing their dreams into income streams that support them and their families. They sink every dime they have into developing websites, offering new products, and getting in front of potential customers. Over time, these businesses grow into entities of pride and value. It is impossible not to feel proud of an endeavor that started as an idea and evolved into a way to earn a substantial or comfortable living.

For Detroit auto makers, it appears the proposed bail out for them is dead, at least for today, anyway. What can be said of a group of companies that relinquished any competitive position in the car building industry in favor of gas-guzzling trucks and SUV’s? Detroit perhaps took the worst route of all, recognizing that it was just easier to dominant in the market demand for trucks and SUV’s by the American consumer rather than innovate and battle it out with the more efficient, better-built imports over cars. Yet the failure to innovate by these auto makers has pushed them to the brink of a precipice. A question we need to all be asking ourselves is this: how do we move forward towards innovation and change to create long-term sustainability and success?

Want to instantly boost your profits? Consider how well you’re handling your unhappy customers.

Outstanding customer service is the key to creating a successful organization during any economic time… but especially during challenging economic times. It’s amazing how most organizations will invest millions, if not billions, of dollars on new computer systems, new displays, new phone systems, and new marketing campaigns to try to acquire new customers.

Executives must create a culture that overcomes barriers to innovation. To succeed, organizations must be able to thrive in a culture of rapid and constant change. HR executives need to foster cultures that offer a common language, foster experimentation and mix the right talent.