Your Business Is Like a Garden

As I was finishing up the power washing of my front deck the other day, I was thinking ahead to my next project – putting in a raised garden bed.

Time spent power washing is good for letting your mind wander, and contemplating life, so I was doing just that when it occurred to me that business is just like a garden!

In order to make my garden bed, I had to rototill the soil.  This is much like preparing yourself for business.  You need to get rid of limiting beliefs and fears that could hold you back from success in your business.  You should prepare yourself for the reality that not everyone will be as excited as you are about your product or service.  Some may even be a bit negative.  That’s where the next part comes in…

Next, you need a vision.  Well, in all honesty, this actually comes first.  First, you need a vision.  Before I rototilled the garden area, I had planned out what dimensions I wanted my garden to be, and what would be planted, and where, and how far apart the vegetables would be spaced.  So, what’s your vision for your business?

Back to the negativity you may encounter…when you have a strong vision, purpose, goal, you will not be deterred by naysayers who are out to spoil your positive attitude if you let them.  When you get someone who turns you down, or someone doesn’t show up for a business presentation…remember your vision.  Why are you doing this business?  Are you leaving a legacy?  Then, put the naysayers and anyone else who doesn’t catch your vision behind you and press forward.

Back in the garden, I now have to build a raised bed, which requires me to nail landscape timbers together, some sawing, some more nailing, then having soil delivered (with compost, of course!), and finally building a fence to keep the animals from eating my vegetables (we lost our entire crop of cucumber last year thanks to a gopher!).  Building a business is the same.  You must lay a strong foundation of training and personal development, so that you are building each technique and strategy on the last, where every thing you learn is helping you improve productivity or other areas of business.  Attend meetings, conference calls, read books, and build a strong foundation to your business.

The next step in the garden is the actual planting of the seeds.  For this, I sought out the expert advice of a good friend and master gardener, as well as a vegetable guide, since you must know when to plant and how deep to plant and how far apart your vegetables need to be planted.  You also need to know how to thin the vegetables when they are starting to grow, to leave the strongest ones to grow big and tall.  In your business, go to the experts.  Who is achieving at the level you want to?  Who do you want to emulate?  Go talk to them, ask them what they are doing to build a successful business.  Have a list of questions ready, and you will find that most leaders are more than willing to share their “secrets” with you.  Whenever I wanted to do something in business, I went and found someone already doing it, then did what they were doing, asked questions along the way, and continued to improve in whatever area I was focused on.

Now that the seeds are planted, you must water and fertilize them, and of course, pick the weeds along the way.  In business, you always should be growing.  There is a saying that you are either green and growing or ripe and rotting.  Very true – always be bringing new people into your team and growing.  There will always be people who leave a business for whatever reason, so when you are replacing them with new recruits, there is always a burst of enthusiasm and excitement from the new people which is good for motivating the entire group.  Along the way there will be obstacles and challenges (weeds) that creep up in business, but again, turn back toward the vision and press through – pick the weeds, knowing that the bountiful harvest is close behind, but if you let the weeds choke out your harvest, you will be left with nothing.  The same is true in business.  The only way to lose is to quit, so when you come up against an obstacle, don’t let it overcome you, but instead find a way around or over it and keep pressing forward to your goal and the vision you have for your business.

Gardens take constant care.  There is planning involved at the initial stages, then you build a foundation, cultivate the soil, plant the seeds, weed the garden, and finally, reap the harvest.  Businesses also take constant care.  You must start with a vision, build a strong foundation of training, knowledge and personal development, ask the “experts” in your field and do what they are doing.  You must plant seeds by speaking to everyone about your business opportunity and products, weed through the obstacles, naysayers and dream stealers, and finally, reap the reward of achieving your vision and leaving a legacy!

To your success,

Dr. Laura