Beware and Prepare: What You Can Learn from the “Ides of March” Warning

In response to a social media trend last fall, there’s a chance someone asked you “How often do you think about the Roman Empire?” As a history enthusiast, my answer was often. But it shocked me to hear how often my coworkers, friends, and family thought of it too.

Even if not a history enthusiast, I would bet you know a little about Julius Caesar. Whether you were required to read the Shakespearean play in high school, think of him when ordering salads (sadly, no relation), or are genuinely curious about the fateful fall of the Roman politician and his empire – Caesar has created a lasting impact.

Centuries ago, a soothsayer (old-timey name for fortune teller) told Caesar to “Beware the Ides of March” – a warning that was ignored and eventually led to his death and betrayal¹. With today marking another anniversary of that infamous day, let’s discuss how the historically haunting omen is relevant to your business office.

An attentive business office is essential to running a profitable dealership. Whether estimating and adjusting for expenses, ensuring you have the most up-to-date reports, or reviewing past data – you’re constantly thinking about what’s next. When the unexpected happens, you need to be ready.

Notice the Signs

One of the major oversights leading to Caesar’s ultimate misfortune was his dismissal of the soothsayer’s warning. With blatant disregard for his impending doom, he merely scoffs at the idea, probably thinking something along the lines of “that won’t happen to me.”

With hindsight, it’s easy to blame Caesar for his misfortune – if only he had heeded the advice of the fortune teller. But often we do the same thing: see signs pointing towards trouble, yet move on without second thought.

What if you could stay ahead of potentially troublesome events in your dealership, be it employee behaviors or profit leaks? Having the ability to analyze trends and review performance month-over-month will help you adjust your business strategy and make wiser decisions.

Guard Against the Unexpected

Though we can only hope no Brutus-inspired backstabbing will occur, you can’t be too cautious when it comes to guarding your dealership against potential vulnerabilities. A risk transparency tool can reduce the chance of unethical activity with round-the-clock system monitoring and embedded warning messages. It’d be like if Caesar wore a watch that kept him ever-alert to his upcoming downfall; perhaps then he’d take his fate more seriously.

Look Towards the Future

Accessing critical business information through reports can help you analyze the long-term health of your dealership. Your reporting tool should provide you with timely and accurate information that allows you to completely understand where you’re at so you can realistically plan where you want to go.

Running ‘what-if’ scenarios is a great way to identify profit opportunities. By better understanding the impact of specific decisions, you can be strategic about which deals go where and end the month more profitably.

While there’s a good chance you won’t find soothsayers and seers frequenting your dealership and alerting you of future troubles, there are tools available to help you accurately forecast and steer you away from an avoidable demise.

So the next time the 15^th rolls around, don’t wonder if you’ve ignored any warning signs – make sure you’ve guarded your business against potential trouble and are prepared for whatever comes your way.

¹In the Roman calendar, the Ides were a monthly occurrence marked by the full moon. Today, we celebrate the Ides of March on March 15^th – best known as the date of Julius Caesar’s assassination.

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