There are many ways to float a business. It all depends on what your purpose is and what your needs are for having the business. When I went cruising on our sailboat 15 years ago, I had just one vision of how that would look: leisurely sailing with umbrella drinks every sunset. Boy was I wrong! There were as many ways to go cruising as there were sailors! Some did exactly what I had envisioned. Some never went off shore. Some cruised for 6 months and then worked for 6 months (that’s what I did). Some had their boat meet them at the next big port (they had a captain who cared for the boat in their absence). Some got to a destination, purchased a condo, and never left.
It strikes me that having a small business is very similar. We have a vision of what that might look like, based on what we’ve read or heard. But in reality, it becomes fashioned by what our needs are as well as our purpose for having that business. Our business is like none other. For that reason, we can honor its unique value, and we must attend to its unique needs in order to keep it afloat, and actually sail forward.
So there is envisioning – picturing what a successful business means to you. And there is building – taking the steps necessary to realize your vision. Businesses sink because these steps are faulty or absent. Having a plan is the map of steps one must take to get somewhere. This map should be as rich in information as a chart used for navigating; that means, YOU make the map, and do the research necessary to have all the information you need to confidently move towards your goals. In some ways, your unique business travels uncharted waters, until you create the plan (map) from your own research and learning from many who have gone before you.
Smooth sailing!
To learn more about sailing your business, click here