Ecosystem is a concept that we constantly encounter in our daily lives. But it is not always clear whether we are talking about some really working mechanism, or whether this is just a marketing ploy to attract customers. What is it, an ecosystem, and what is it for?
The role and importance of building an ecosystem in business
When talking about an ecosystem, we must first of all define how it differs from just a system. The key and most basic difference is in the prefix “eco”. That is, here we are talking about something living, about a certain collection of living organisms, while the system is not such.
A simple example to illustrate. Take a handful of river sand and pour it into the water. The quartz will simply settle to the bottom – and that’s all. Neither the chemical nor the physical properties of both substances will change significantly from this.
But if you take a glass of warm water and add dry yeast, it will immediately begin to divide and ferment. There will no longer be either water or yeast separately – an ecosystem will be born that operates according to its own laws.
The same thing happens with business. An ecosystem is born when each element is both on its own and at the same time part of something larger.
What should you consider when building an ecosystem around your business?
First of all, the business owner must unload his own values and qualities, true goals and mission, which will further give impetus to the entire team. What happens if you, as a small provincial company, try to live by the “rules of life” of a multimillion-dollar startup? You can put on a mask in the moment, but you won’t be able to live like this forever. A system built on pretense is doomed.
The platform on which the ecosystem will be built must be strong, and this means real and durable. And we are talking here not only about a financial cushion, but also about an ideological basis. I would like to note here that revealing the true essence of your business can be difficult, even for those owners who have been doing their business for many years. It is still somehow not very common in the world to think about such things as purpose and mission – for many this sounds like something esoteric. But if you want to build an ecosystem, you can’t do without it.
How is the synergistic effect of participation in the ecosystem manifested?
If employees within a business system work mainly for a salary and maybe some other bonuses, then members of the business ecosystem are included at the level of the meanings and mission of the company, perceiving them as their own. This gives rise to the same synergy effect that thousands of managers dream of.
Synergy helps a company not only earn more and feel better, but sometimes also plays the role of a lifeline.
An example from my personal practice. I have been cooperating with a printing house for a long time, helping to build various business processes. During the pandemic, when most of the economy shut down, we had no orders for several months. There is a real threat of closure hanging over the business.
But thanks to the fact that the printing house had already built its own ecosystem, we were able to reassemble work processes in a short time, refocusing on the online training market for designers. Even though the employees had to work for some time under some minimal conditions, they did it because they believed in the company and its future. And after a while we already had a good foundation for further growth.
But what would happen if we were talking about a business where everything is tied solely to profit? As long as there is money, there is a system. There is no money – and the system will collapse, because nothing holds it anymore.
Examples
If we talk about specific examples, I can’t help but think of the company where I’m building an ecosystem. It rests, first of all, on values and meanings. And a key value within our team is to contribute to each other.
This is manifested in the fact that each employee does not focus only on himself, but at any moment understands what his personal goals are, how they relate to the strategic goals of the company, and how he can help in solving certain problems, even if they are directly do not concern his divisions. This gives rise to a sense of community and involvement in a common cause.
And it’s not just about work. Little things play an important role – for example, on a birthday, the team gives the birthday boy what he wants, and does not get away with a conventional chocolate “for show”… Another tradition is “expanding” planning meetings, where we all learn something new together and share motivating films, books, learning to replenish our inner resources with the help of certain practices. And there are quite a few of these “building blocks” that make up our ecosystem.
Conclusions
Can we say that an ecosystem is a necessity for absolutely any business? This is not entirely true. If you have a shoe repair shop where two people work, or a pastry shop with a single pie maker, in this case, of course, you can limit yourself to just doing business as an individual entrepreneur. But if you dream of a larger scale, hoping to unite people and change the world around you, then you definitely cannot do without an ecosystem.
