When you run a small business, you need to know how to make the most of your limited resources. The truth is that you can’t do it all by yourself. It might seem like a cost-effective plan at first. But you’ll end up wasting valuable time and affecting your productivity.
When you can’t afford to hire a new team member to secure access to unique skill sets, you need to trust an external expert. Outsourcing to specialist companies are reaching out to contractors are the most popular solutions for small business owners. However, how do you know if you’ve found a trustworthy partner? Too many businesses fail to research their experts. If you are going to trust someone with your company’s future, you want to make sure they will do a good job.
As surprising as it might sound, TV dramas can be just the wake-up call you need. More often than not, excess trust can be damaging in a business. New and inexperienced business owners can fall for con artists and poor-quality suppliers. Here are some surprising things you can learn from your favorite TV show.
#1. K-Drama Healer and security teams
Netflix is promoting South Korean dramas with a large library of exciting titles. One of those, Healer, is an action pack series with South Korean action heartthrob Ji Chan-Wook playing an illegal night courier. He’s someone people call for a variety of services, including securing information secretly. The night courier accepts most jobs, except those involving violence. With a strict rule of not killing anyone — either target or enemy — Healer shows a range of action moves, tech gadgets, and smart thinking to complete his contracts.
As a viewer, we get to discover how easy it is to distract security guards, using neither violence nor threat. Healer relies on a convincing narrative in his day-to-day interactions with people, using conversational and acting skills that are not dissimilar to scammers. Granted, it’s fiction. But the fiction also asks an important question: What if your security provider falls for similar tricks? Can you sue a security company that fails to deliver what it promised? Law specialists advise caution when it comes to interacting with a negligent company. It’s not always easy to prove negligence. Ideally, you want to do your research and compare security packages. Sometimes, it’s worth checking employees’ and customers’ feedback online. You want a company that provides regular training for the security guards and supports its clients successfully.
#2. The moving Navillera on Netflix shows delivery risks
If you’ve spotted Navillera appearing on Netflix at the start of the year, it’s another K-drama that’s been sponsored by the streaming giant. Originally, Navillera is a webtoon that has received high praises in South Korea. The series brings Song Kang, a young actor playing a ballet dancer, and veteran actor Park In-hwan as an old man wishing to learn ballet. The moving story takes the viewer through the path of an elderly gentleman determined to learn ballet despite experiencing alarming symptoms of dementia. Packed with delicate sensibility and emotions, Navillera offers a unique insight into the minds of someone affected by Alzheimer’s and the efforts of those around him.
What does it teach you about finding the right partner? Navillera shows delivery couriers working on small bikes as they reach clients’ locations. Regardless of the weather, the couriers are equipped with minimal protection on unstable vehicles. If you are looking for a delivery service, the first thing you want is to ask if your designated delivery station drivers receive the appropriate gear and equipment. Injuries caused by inadequate equipment could leave your business without any delivery service.
#3. The US Scorpion on IT services
Away from South Korean TV dramas, and back to more popular US TV shows. In 2014, when CBS launched the first season of Scorpion, the audience was mesmerized. The main character, Walter O’Brien, is loosely inspired by the Irish businessman and IT expert with the same name. Opinions are divided whether the real O’Brien achieved as much as his fictional counterpart (many believe he didn’t and lied his way into the spotlight). Still, the exciting high-tech hacking and action-packed series remains a must-see. Scorpion shows a team of geniuses tackles a variety of complex problems to protect citizens against high-tech threats. Naturally, the show delights in revealing multiple tech hacking scenarios that can save the day at the last minute. But, from a business perspective, the most important thing that Scorpion does for your business is highlighting how much data can be easily accessible to individuals with the right tech and mindsets. As a company outsourcing IT services, you want to make sure you can trust your IT provider. A dedicated IT provider maintains training and constantly adjust their strategy and services to meet new threats.
#4. Death in Paradise
If you are not familiar with the French-British TV series Death in Paradise, you can catch up on Netflix. The show offers a modern crime drama in the veins of Hercule Poirot or Murder She Wrote. It’s family-friendly but not without some unexpected surprises. The show excels in hiding criminals under the most inconspicuous disguise, turning a cleaning lady into an accomplice to a murder. And somehow, it also shows us that we need to remain vigilant. Providers that tend to go unnoticed, such as your cleaning team, can genuinely get away with murder, according to Death in Paradise. So, if you are hiring cleaning services, you want to check feedback from clients. Murder may not be on the cards, but theft and data corruption could be a risk.
#5. Dr. House and the case of extreme food poisoning
In an early episode of House MD, the diagnostic team faces a woman who is slowly poisoning her husband by tempering with his food every day using only small doses. The accrued dose over time puts his body under great pressure. Intentional food poisoning is not something a business should worry about. But food catering can be a source of risk for your team. Indeed, as many workers in the hospitality sector have been left without an income for the best part of the pandemic, most are now unwilling to take a day off when they are unwell. They can’t afford to lose money. Enquire about your provider’s policy regarding health checks for their team.
Of course, TV shows don’t show a realistic view of the world. But they can help you spot potential risks for your business. Are you sure you can trust your service providers?
