Your ROI

Here is a rumination of return on investment, both on material and spiritual!

- Guru Prasad Makam

A neighbourhood. His only advertising strategy is a loud howl: “Beans, fresh beans. Brinjal, the best brinjal.” He knows his customers' tastes,price points and required quantities, and smiles are the only form of communication. It was a Sunday morning, and it was my turn to pick the jute bag from him, and I asked him, “Do you make enough?”

The communique went on: “Costs are going up saar, margins are down, but smiles are for me, and the saga goes on.” In a single line, he had economics, accounting and philosophy coupled with customer relationship and his ROI was clear. His ROI was to make a living, and also sell smiles.

Everyone wants a return on investment. The two words - 'return' & 'investment' - are there in every walk of life. Investment could be money; the returns are in terms of money. Investment could be time on services, and the returns are service income. Investment could be time for a social cause, and the return is a social impact. Different people construe investments and returns very differently. Similarly, returns could be different for the same person during different periods of time.

Originally, when I started in my profession, returns were my profitability. Over a period of time, the return is organisation growth. The initial investment was time, professional services and the returns were profits. Later, the investment was being a partner in growth, the return manifested as 'shared' return. Then, the investment was growth of the organisation, the return was brand value and recognition. Thereafter, the investment would be for the ecosystem, and the return would be the growth of the profession. Even for an individual, the investment varies at different points of time, and similarly the return also varies.