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I started my first business when I was eighteen. I had no clue what I was doing. Computers and technology were something that came naturally to me and I wanted to earn some money. And so, a business was born, fueled by youthful energy and optimism.
And the crazy part?
It started to work. The first business I started was a success. Ironically, that was also the thing that killed it. I got scared, backed off, and eventually let the business die.
I sort of felt like a dog chasing a fire truck. Once I caught the dang thing, I didn’t know what to do with it.
These days, I talk to lots of business owners and entrepreneurs and I hear the same story from many of them. The details vary, but the story line is the same - most of us are standing on top of a pile of failure and a handful of successes.
But, why does this happen? And how can we fix it?
The answer comes in two parts:
- we must be connected to a community of other business owners and leaders
- we must work more ON our businesses, and less IN our businesses
Like many intrepid business owners, I spent the first 16 years of my business endeavours working alone. And this is common - I meet dozens of business owners every month who have the same excuses I had. “I’m too busy. I don’t have time to be part of a group.” Or, “Other people don’t know my industry”. And so on.
The result? We build our businesses in a vacuum and then feel frustrated and discouraged when our business doesn’t grow like we’d hoped.
A few years ago, a significant change in my day job forced me out of the corner. I’d taken on a new level of leadership and I felt way out of my league. I didn’t have time to “figure it out on my own” - I needed help, and fast. So, I joined a mastermind group of other business owners and leaders. And that was the year my life as a leader and a business owner changed forever.
As it turned out, I’d been missing out. On a lot.
I’m not sure who said it first, but “it’s hard to read the label when you’re inside the bottle” has become one my mantras. If nothing else, being part of a business community will help you start to see yourself from an outside perspective. A couple of truly wonderful things begin to happen:
- you learn that you’re not alone in your business challenges
- you discover that your business isn’t nearly as unique as you’d thought
- you find that you can learn a lot from other business owners
Even here in a rural community like Tuolumne County, there are plenty of opportunities for connecting with other business owners and leaders. There are several different Chamber of Commerce groups. We have the Motherlode Job Training center. We’ve got trade groups and half a dozen professional assocations and networking groups. If you’re not making time to connect with some of these groups, it’s time to start. Most of them do an amazing job of providing a rich sense of community and networking, but they tend to lack one thing - practical, actionable education on building a growing a business.
Which brings us to the second point: we have to work more ON our businessess and less IN our businesses. Businesses rarely grow the way we’d want them to when we spend all of our time working IN the business. So, if you want to grow a business, you have to do it on purpose. The best way I’ve found to do that is to be come a lifelong learner - you’ve got to know more tomorrow than you do today.
Which is exactly why I helped co-found Sierra Business Builders. While networking definitely does happen at our monthly events, we’re primarily focused on teaching sound business principles that you can begin using immediately to build your business. We’ve taught on topics ranging from cashflow management, sales, marketing, and product development to company mission, team leadership, and running meetings. If you’d like to join us, you can learn more and register for upcoming events at gofr.me/sbb1. (Use the code _SONORALIVING_ to register for your first workshop for free.)
Listen. You’ve worked too hard for too long to have a business that owns you (instead of you owning it). If you’re still going it alone, you’re missing out. And you may find, just like I did, that getting connected to a community of other business owners and leaders is the key to unlocking a whole new level of growth and joy in your business.
Growing a business is hard enough. Growing one alone is even harder. Let’s grow together.
Zach Wise is the owner and principal coach at Small Business Surthrival and is the co-founder of Sierra Business Builders.
Many small business owners are slaves to their businesses. Zach coaches business owners to grow their profits and build thriving businesses they love.
To thriving,
Zach
