Stick a fork in them. They are done! Blockbuster has finally filed for bankruptcy protection from its many unhappy creditors. About time!

There is an old saying about a man standing in the desert talking to a nomad. The nomad tells him that the land used to be green and beautiful. “What happened?” asks the man . The nomad smiles mirthlessly and says, “the wind changed.” This is more or less that happened to Blockbuster. 

There was a time when Blockbuster was the mightiest voice in movie rentals. How many of us drove up to the stores and rented our favorite movies? Millions. Of course, the selection was terrible and the late fees were atrocious. In fact, a few people go so fed up that they started a little company called Netflix. The day that entity opened its doors, Blockbuster was living on borrowed time. 

Well, guess what? That time is up. Blockbuster finally submitted to the obvious and filed for bankruptcy protection. Ostensibly, the company wants to “reinvent” itself. What a joke. The times have passed Blockbuster by and there is no denying this company dead and not going to recover any time soon. In fact, you can prepare the coffin and get the pallbearers ready.

What can we learn from the Blockbuster implosion? The business world waits for nobody. If you don’t evolve, your business will not survive. It is that simple. Like the green lands that became a desert, Blockbuster has gone from a mighty company to something less than a bad joke.