By Sue Ellam
I feel that every business has a life of its own, and we need to get out of the way and let it manifest.
I know that when I first had the idea for my own business I was extremely naïve as to what it would entail to get it up and running. I thought it was just a case of getting the business registered, bank account opened, website built and off we go! Maybe this works for some people, but I can tell you that it didn't work that way for me at all - and thank heaven it didn't.
I just wasn't prepared at that early stage in the game, and it could have turned into an overwhelming experience if my plans had materialised back then. I have a favourite saying - 'You can't put a cake in the oven and expect it to be baked in 10 minutes'. I found this to be very true, and consequently have spent valuable time in preparation while I waited for my particular cake to finish baking.
Working with other people
It is really important to have the right people with the right skill sets, and more importantly mind-set, working with you - because they might be friends and family just isn't enough. Your business relationships have to be built on collaboration and not competition. It is crucial that every person is absolutely clear as to their function within the business and nothing is left to imagination, assumptions or individual interpretation. I recommend that you get together and discuss job descriptions and areas of responsibility, and that these be put into writing at the very beginning, so that they can be referred to at a later date if necessary. It is often the lack of these that create the problems and cause any rifts.
If you are the originator of the business idea, you need to think seriously about whether you are prepared to make sacrifices in order to incorporate other people's ideas in the start-up phase, or whether your vision is so strong that you need to start it up yourself, and invite others to join you after the business has formed. There is a real emotional attachment to the birthing of a business - are you prepared for someone to possibly criticise your new born, tell you it's not perfect and suggest changes? If that idea fills you with horror, you are probably better off not having a business partner who has an equal say, but get your support from knowledgeable consultants and employees instead, so that the decision remains yours.
If you are considering going into business to help promote someone else's idea, then you need to ask yourself if this is the right move for you. You might feel like you are living in their shadow while the business is being planned during the start-up phase. Are you prepared to be patient until the business launches, and the areas of responsibility become more equal, when you will come into your own? If you know that you wouldn't be comfortable with a potentially backseat role in the early stages, you might consider it best to work with them in a consultancy role, or not at all.
There are obviously many different scenarios around starting your own business and I have touched on just a few.
Go with the flow
This doesn't mean sitting back and doing nothing. Do the necessary work but don't get too fixated on the end result - leave some room for maneuver and things could work out even better than you imagined. When we try to control things too much it puts added stress into the equation, and if things don't work out the way we had planned it becomes a major incident, rather than just a bend in the road, which it would have been if we had had a more flexible approach. If you have a solid business idea, and are delivering something that is ethical and serves people, then your business will survive the bumps and bruises that happen along the way.
Deadlines don't always work
Only set deadlines when you have confidence that you can meet them. Don't base them on someone else's promises, unless that person has proved to be extremely reliable. This is a lesson I learned the hard way. It is extremely embarrassing and puts you in an unprofessional light to have to keep back tracking because you have been let down by a third party. It's not only other people that affect deadlines - there are many other things that factor into the equation. I am sure the weather conditions in many parts of the world have had a big impact on deadlines.
There is also the internal process of deadlines to consider - the added stress and pressure we put ourselves under when we know people are waiting for something that we have promised to deliver. Set personal deadlines by all means, in order to keep focussed and on track, but avoid announcing them to the world unless you are pretty confident that you can meet them.
Be prepared
What is true today might not be true tomorrow. Things change, people change and time moves on! Most importantly you change, and your vision for your business might change too. Don't be afraid to start over if that's what feels right, if you stop feeling the passion for your business in its current form. If your heart isn't engaged it is unlikely to succeed, as you will start to resent the time you need to spend on it. It will eventually become nothing but a chore, and you will transmit that energy to your potential customers.
Learn everything you need to learn about how to run and market your business, and make sure that you share relevant information with the other members of your team. You want everything to run smoothly when you take time off - you might have started the business, but at the end of the day, nobody is indispensable.
The advantage of delays
In businesses that are built on the fear principle, delays could easily make you yesterday's news, but in the world of ethical businesses that serve and value their customers, it's an entirely different scenario. There is a network of support which makes the sun shine on many a rainy day. I have heard such phrases as 'Divine Timing' and 'Go with the flow' uttered frequently. This gives you confidence that all is not lost. You just need to keep on keeping on and you will get there in the end.
A favourite saying in my family is 'Act in haste, repent at leisure'. Delays give you time to think, unless you choose to run around like a headless chicken of course! Use the time you have been given and consider it a gift which allows you to reconsider your choices, and maybe make a few improvements. I'm a great believer in everything happening for a reason and there are no mistakes. Every experience is useful as long as we learn from it.
In conclusion
I think that running a business is a bit like having a child. If you control them too much you will break their spirit. Let your business breathe and find its own way, with just a light touch on the reins so that it is heading in more or less the right direction. Open yourself up to the surprises and miracles that can happen when you let go and let outside forces play a role.
Also, as with a child, once your business is launched into the world it becomes more than just yours. There are outside influences at play. Other people's input can help catapult your business into areas you wouldn't even have considered. It's almost like it develops a life of its own, independent of you - it decides who, what and where - and you, like a proud parent, can go along for the ride.
I would be delighted to hear about your experiences of starting a business, and what challenges and lessons you faced along the way.
Sue is the Founder of Soulfully Connecting. The idea behind Soulfully Connecting is to demonstrate that there are other ways of living which can heal the earth, the animal kingdom and ourselves. She is passionate about people having freedom of choice, which is only possible when they know about all the options.
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