Separating emotion from business a difficult chore

Can you imagine a world with no McDonalds?

It’s difficult, I know, but indulge me for a minute.

Imagine McDonalds started struggling financially. And I don’t mean a slight decrease in quarterly earnings. I’m talking about a full-fledged bleeding from an artery, with financial losses in the billions of dollars for several years in a row.

For whatever reason, people simply are no longer buying Big Macs, Quarter Pounders and Chicken McNuggets at the frenzied pace they once did.

And McDonalds tries to adapt. They go with different marketing strategies, new product lines, whatever it takes to regain their market share.

But the market has changed. With an abundance of new competition, the fast food giant starts to falter.

Restaurants start closing, especially those in small towns, where business is declining as quickly as it is in urban markets.

And if Red Oak’s McDonalds were to close, I’m sure there would be some upset consumers.

There would be one less food choice and there is the emotional attachment to a longstanding business, especially a restaurant.

I still remember as a child the anxiousness associated with a trip to Mickey D’s and as such, would be sad to see one associated with that childhood close.

But business is business. If the restaurant chain were losing billions of dollars by staying open, I wouldn’t expect it to stay open for my convenience or for my sentimentality.

And I certainly wouldn’t be signing a petition or lobbying my legislator to keep it open.

But yet, that’s exactly what is happening today with the United States Postal Service.

There is no disputing the fact the USPS is losing money like a sieve.

Mail usage is sharply declining, and has been for years, and there is no reason to believe that trend is ever going to change.

As a result of this decline in business and revenue, the USPS is forced to downsize and close several of its offices, many of which are located in small towns.

Everyone knows the response by now.

Petitions have been circulated, meetings conducted, voices raised, and legislators lobbied.

Residents of towns faced with post office closings simply don’t care about the USPS’ financial picture. They don’t want their post office closed not only because of the inconvenience, but because of their emotional attachment.

The problem is perception. The Post Office isn’t perceived as an actual business, although it is. With United States as part of its name, its assumed the post office is government funded.

It isn’t.

Which means, in essence, it’s just like any other business. While they may techincally be a not-for-profit business, they still have revenue and expense goals to meet. When those goals aren’t met, and budget shortfalls ensue, cuts are going to be made.

There are benefits and disadvantages living in a town of 400. One of those disadvantages is no McDonalds. Another one may soon be no post office.

Gregory Orear is the General Manager/Editor of the Red Oak Express. He can be contaced at publisher@redoakexpress.com.