Small business support is one of the universally shared values that almost all global policymakers can agree on. Like zookeepers trying to coax pandas to mate in captivity, they obsess over questions like, “How do we get more of them to start? To succeed? To create jobs?” This intense scrutiny and support means there’s no shortage of international research trying to figure out what makes entrepreneurs tick. And when asked why they have taken the crazy, risky, imprudent-by-almost-any-objective measure decision to start a business, entrepreneurs consistently answer: “Freedom.” Countless studies have shown that entrepreneurs take the leap because we want to control our own time, be our own boss and lead rather than be led.
But there’s a paradox at the heart of small business. For all our desire to be independent, we are extremely needy — we need customers, we need supportive partners, we need fast internet and strong coffee, to name but a few essentials. So much for autonomy.
This first realization of how much you need other people happens soon after you open your doors for business. But there’s also a second realization that only happens if you don’t wish to remain a “small” business forever. Small business expert Gene Marks described it brilliantly:
There was once a time when it was just me. I was providing computer services. I was working a lot of hours. But I wasn’t making any money at it.
Today, I’m making money. Why? Because I’m supervising 10 people who are providing computer services for me. I’m making money off of them.
Want to quit your job and be a freelancer, a one-person shop? I have bad news for you, and you need to hear it now, before it’s too late. You won’t be able to make a lot of money if you’re running a one-person business. Maybe, just maybe you might make a living. But that’s all.
You will need people working for you, just like I learned years ago. This is not easy. You’ll have to stop providing the services yourself and rely on others to do it for you. [Emphasis added.]
To truly adopt a growth mindset for your small business, you must become fanatical about spending your 24 hours doing only what you must, and offloading the rest. Bruce Lee becomes your spirit animal:
And there has never been a better time to get the help you’ll need to grow your business. From on-demand receptionists to automation tools to Emphatic’s own do-it-for-you social media service, today’s business owners can get help in almost any aspect of running their business while they focus on the most essential parts. Gene Marks again:
At first you will hate this. You will think that no one can do as good a job as you. You will have a difficult time letting go. You will want to always be “busy,” and to you being “busy” meant doing the actual work. But gradually you will learn that it’s more important to keep other people busy while you find more work.
You may have started your business to secure your own independence but as you celebrate another July 4th, remember the old African saying:
Happy In(ter)dependence Day from all of us at Emphatic.
[…] Source: https://www.emphatic.co/blog/happy-interdependence-day/ […]