When Canoeing Resembles Running your New Business
No man will remain seated when something jumps out of a river and lands in his lap. It's a normal reaction to scream, and to protect yourself by leaping out the canoe and into the river. But before I get ahead of myself, let's start where we're meant to: at the beginning.
So one holiday afternoon after a long drive, I finally arrived at my holiday cottage in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. A canoe lay tied to a small jetty on the edge of the river. It seemed so inviting that although I had not yet unpacked, or even changed out of my travelling clothes, I simply had to try my hand at a ride on the river.
After all, my long trousers, shoes and socks would not get wet if I remained in the canoe; I was quite safe, I thought. As I have never canoed before, it took a minute to work out how to get into the canoe, and a few moments longer to work out how to hold the rowing oar. But soon I had managed to get in and untie the canoe, so off I set.
Even our President would have been proud of how masculine (perhaps imagined) I was. Soon I was travelling at quite a speed. I remembered all the movies I had seen where canoeists achieved great speeds, and I grinned to myself, racing along the mighty river.
This was the moment when disaster struck - beginner's luck only goes so far, I suppose. Out of nowhere, something flew through the air, jumped into my canoe and landed right in my lap. I don't care that it was only about 10 cm long; I did not want anything alive (which could fly out f a river) so close to my family jewels. The only solution was to leap out the canoe for the "safety" of the river.
Today, I realize that this is exactly what happens to many people who open up their first business. They have a qualification as a craftsperson, and are dying to set sail as a businessperson. Very seldom, however, do our budding entrepreneurs take sufficient advice before starting - or, very seldom do they listen to that advice which they are offered.
Should a surprise hit to the business, and especially one that seems(to the owner) to have the power to destroy (even if it would seem miniscule to an outside spectator), a knee jerk reaction takes place and often the reaction itself has far more disastrous consequences than the original scare would.
What should every entrepreneur consider before they leave the safety of the land, to sail the river of entrepreneurship?
Being a good craftsperson does not automatically translate into being a good businessperson.
Build a team of mentors and advisors who have more experience than you do, and who will be able to guide you - and listen to them.
Understand that, as the leader and owner of a business, you will have to develop a number of skills.
No one expects you to have all the answers, they do, however, expect you to know where to find the answers.
About the Author
Nico Kleynhans CFP® is able to make the principles of Financial Management easy to understand. By means of games, books and seminars, clients learn how to apply these principles in their lives. He has been called upon by various bodies to provide seminars that educate staff. He is the author of SENSIBLE FINANCIAL PLANNING SERIES of books. http://www.northwood.co.za
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