Strategy

Similarities - B-2-B

“Running a business is like bringing up a baby.” No doubt you may have heard this analogy. You really do not realize its significance until you have a baby AND have entrepreneurship experience. It has to be both as I am finding out. Our baby is less than a month old and we are overwhelmed. I remember going through the exact same feeling with my previous venture seven years ago.

Moment of weakness

Constant feeding (not much I can do in that department), changing diapers, rocking her to sleep all required tremendous amount of patience. That’s the same with a new business. I had a checklist of things to do to ensure things do not fall through the cracks. I remember looking at the checklist after a whirlwind of a day thinking I would have pared the pending tasks down to a page. I was astonished to find it had grown instead of shrinking. That’s when the feeling of helplessness creeps in - just like when you have a fussy infant in your arms; she’s just inconsolable whatever you do. That’s also when you need a break.

Mistakes - and me?

Babies grow incredibly fast in their first year. Our little princess is just three weeks old and is quite vocal about her likes and dislikes. Soon she will be on her tummy and pretty soon she will be scooting around on all fours getting into places she shouldn’t. Then she will start walking; stumbling at first and falling many times. But she will learn. She will learn balance; she will learn the difference between right and wrong; she will learn pain and hurt; she will learn success; and more. Over the years she will make her share of mistakes; some she will learn from our mistakes, some she will learn after committing them. She will learn from each mistake and grow.

Starting a business is like bringing a new born home. It is difficult and challenging. As a business owner you will make mistakes; some you will avoid by learning from others mistakes and some mistakes you will make. You will stumble and fall, and just like a baby you will dust yourself and say, “Charge this to experience.” And move on.

Baby-2-Business: Similarities

As I sit with my little girl, rocking her (in vain) to sleep, I wrote down five similarities between starting a business and caring for a newborn.

1. Understand that I will make mistakes. But I have to learn from other people’s mistakes. It will help my baby. I read articles on the subject of bringing up a baby just as I would read articles on how to start a business. There are wonderful insights out there on this topic. I do not have to make the same mistake someone else did - I can learn from their mistakes. I know that I will make mistakes but I can mitigate my risks by learning from others. (That is also one of the purposes of this blog)
2. Patience. Believe me you need a tremendous reserve of patience when you deal with a business or a baby. It takes time for the baby and your business to grow. I remember there were times when I wondered if starting a business was worth it. Now-a-days I sometimes think, if having a baby is worth it. Looking back, I did not regret my decision then and I know I will forget that thought when our little princess will look up to me in the morning and smile. But it takes patience to get through those moments of doubt.
3. Use a bouncing board. I seriously recommend this. I regularly talk to few friends who have gone though the early teething problems of infant rearing. Not only for suggestions but also to vent. Similarly use a bouncing board for your business ideas. Ideally, you should not be in business by yourself. Even if you are, you must have a board of directors who can act as your bouncing board. If not a board, at least a mentor.
4. Mission. I have seen this in older babies and I, no doubt, will see history repeat itself. Infants and toddlers behave as if they are on a mission. They stay focused on one thing and only one thing at a time; be it watching Dora and her friends find her lost stuff or playing with blocks. This is one area where business owners tend to deviate a lot. They fail to focus. They want to be all things to all people. Their business stumbles from one client to another never really growing. They end up as a statistic - part of the failed startup business group. Focus on your target market; focus on your deliverable. Keep it simple. Small businesses grow by developing a niche, not by being Jack of all trades. Find a niche and prosper.
5. Sleepless nights. Your Guide to Entrepreneurs has this submission by Barry Moltz and I will quote the fifth point from there: “As an entrepreneur, I sleep like a baby. I go to bed at 11:00 PM and at midnight, I wake up screaming my head off.” Need I say more?

Welcome to the world of entrepreneurship - and, of course, babies. What other similarities can you think of?

I think I am in a bit of a soup now as my wife discovers me by my computer instead of focusing on getting the baby to sleep. Adios.

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This post was featured in the following carnival/s:

• 5th edition of Doing it Differently Carnival
• 9th edition of Carnival of Leadership Growth
• Carnival of Entrepreneurs #25
• Working at Home on the Internet - 36th Edition
• Anecdotes and Stories for Business at The Engaging Brand blog
• Carnival of Bootstrapping entrepreneurs Edition #1

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