The other day I wrote a kind of alternate history post in which the Spartans didn’t make it to Thermopylae to hold off the advancing Persian horde. As a result, Greece was conquered and Western civilization never got off the ground. What does this have to do with business blogging?

Taking action is risky, but not taking action can be even riskier. When Leonidas proposed leading a mere 300 men into battle against an army of 250,000, most folks would consider that risky. But the cost of inaction? Riskier still! Yes, marching forward with new marketing initiatives (such as blogs) may seem adventurous, but what are the consequences of turning a blind eye? Shunning new marketing approaches could mean losing your entire customer base.

Discussion is futile. Robert Hruzek zeroed in on this one immediately. Turning new ideas into action takes a champion. Blogs don’t start themselves, and it takes brave energy to pull an organization along. Will you be the Leonidas of your operation, the one willing to be bold … or will you send it to committee? We would do well to remember the words of author G.K. Chesterton –

I’ve searched all the parks in all the cities and found no statues of committees.

Timing is everything. Bold ideas are great, but jumping in too early or too late may destroy their value. Once the Persians got past Thermopylae, Leonidas could not have defeated them with his whole army. If a competitor gets the jump on you with a blog and capture your share of the market, will you be able to recover?