THE SMALL BUSINESS COLUMN: Kehlan Kirwin
The mind of a child is simple. They don’t take part in explanations which deal in annotations.
In their eyes the world is black and white, pure and simple. It is only when you grow older that you develop a sense that the world is grey. Things overlap on one another so much so that they seem to merge together to provide you with a logic that complicated is the norm and simplicity is too good to be true.
This week I tucked my son into bed and sat down beside him to read a book he got from the library.
He is three years old (sorry three and a quarter years old!) and so you really don’t expect much from his books. Gingerbread men, dogs who love the rain and a book about how great tickles are, is the summation of the general night time reads.
However little did I know that I was about to pick up one of the best business books I have ever read and it was written for kids.
If you have never read ‘Oh, The Places You’ll Go’ by Dr Seuss, I urge you to do so. Go into your local book shop, buy it, go get a coffee and read. It will be like reading over the journey of you. From the moment you decided to start your own business to where you are now. When you read it will take you back to beginning and remind you of a time when starting up was black and white. You took that idea to the next stage and your starting your own business. You’re the master of your fate now and nobody will take that away from you.
“…You can steer yourself any direction you choose.
You’re on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.”
As we all know things are never straightforward in business and things will go wrong. It’s the nature of what we do. Things will get you down and get in your head, mistakes will be made and you’ll wonder if you’re really cut out for this kind of thing.
“…I’m afraid that some times you’ll play lonely games too.
Games you can’t win ‘cause you’ll play against you…”
However you shouldn’t panic because in the end you’ll get it right. It will take time and it usually takes more time than you wanted. But keep calm and pivot as the poster goes. Diversify and find new ways to take your business in the right direction, it will stand you in good stead. The more mobile you keep your business, the easier it will be to turn out of the way of oncoming trouble.
“…Step with care and great tact and remember that Life’s a Great Balancing Act. Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.
And never mix up your right foot with your left.”
When the success comes it will the best feeling you ever had. All those long days and nights will all seem worthwhile. You put everything on the line and it paid off. If it didn’t pay off then you’ve learned from your mistake. There is success in failure too, which means most of time you’re still winning.
“And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed! (98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)
KID, YOU’LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!”
My wife tells me that in the US parents and family relations give this book as part of graduation day at university. It’s easy to see why. It is a simple undimmed view of what happens when we lose track of ourselves and our business. When we stifle life and business with unnecessary complications. So perhaps it’s time to stop seeing things through the eyes of grown up you and ask what little startup you would do. Maybe you can find your inspiration in the pages of this book. What you’re looking for is right in front of you, in black and white.
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