Is Business Ownership Right For You?
Once upon a time, there were two friends that lived in the forest, Sammy the squirrel and Larry the rabbit. Childhood friends, they were now moving into middle age. Sammy was enjoying a cold beverage at their favorite watering hole, the Egret Junction, when Larry arrived on the scene.
“Hey Sammy, I hear that the orange-speckled flip-flop fish are running, are you interested in taking a walk down to the lagoon to check it out?”
“Sure, Larry, that sounds like a good idea.” And with that the two friends walked through the swinging saloon door and headed down the path to the lagoon.
After a short period of time, they came upon the boatyard where their boat, the SS Bullfrog, was laid up for the winter. Snow still partially concealed the cover and a lone seagull, perched atop it, nonchalantly observed the two furry friends as they made their way past. Soon after, they arrived at the lagoon, covered by a thin spring fog, and as they listened to the gentle waves, Sammy spoke up.
“You know Larry, I’ve been thinking. I was watching a movie last night, ‘Top Gun,’ and with that the small squirrel started prancing around and singing – ‘Take it as far as you can go…’”
“Sammy, hold tight there big guy, you’re a great friend, but the next Kenny Loggins, you’re not. What does the movie have to do with your thinking?”
“Well, it was all about having the right stuff. You know, I’ve been working at the Acme Factory for 20 years now making explosives for coyotes and other interested parties, and I’m thinking of striking out on my own – Squirrel Enterprises. You know, I’d be the big cheese or big squirrel in this case. What do you think?”
“Interesting query, my four-footed friend. Actually, I think it might be a good idea, but let’s start by looking at some basics first,” Larry replied.
“Do you know why you want to go into business for yourself? If you are just trying to escape an inept boss or crazy customer, trust me, in business for yourself, you’ll have plenty of both. Or, perhaps you can’t work with other people, or dislike the field that you are in. Both of these points are good reasons for a change, but business ownership may or may not be the answer. People go into business for a wide variety of reasons, but personally I think one of the keystones to success is a basic interest in either the ‘art of business’ or the business itself.”
“Ah, like Trump said, ‘the art of the deal,’” Sammy nodded his head in agreement, his short little ears twitching in excitement.
“Well, something like that,” Larry replied. “The important point is that it’s best if the business is created to fulfill some dream or purpose rather than to escape some situation. The two are not mutually exclusive, of course, it’s just a matter of emphasis. It doesn’t matter if it’s caring for horses, supporting the needs of children, or becoming involved in the housing field, that core interest is what will help a small business owner make it through the inevitable tight spots.”
“Yes, Larry, I know what you mean about tight spots. They’re going to happen, in spite of the best laid plans, and you need some ‘juice’ to keep you moving. Speaking of moving, are you interested in checking out the water temperature?” With that the squirrel eased his dark small toes into the water.
“Holy jumping elm tree, Larry, this water’s a bit on the nippy side. My favorite color is blue, but not when it is the hue of my toes!”
“Sammy, thanks for the news flash, but here’s another important point. Stay focused will you?”
“Take a little time to learn about yourself and your personality. There are a number of ‘tools’ that can help you in that area including: the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Test, Strong Campbell Interest Tests and exercises in Bolle’s book ‘What Color Is Your Parachute?’. These tools and others will help you understand how you might align your abilities and dreams. For example, you might be suited to the sales role in a business partnership formed to make horse treats, or you might be able to leverage your mechanical abilities to fix toy cars for children, or perhaps your path might involve using your strong analytical skills to provide home inspections. The idea is to leverage your innate talents, personality, and skills into a viable business.”
“Ah, this is all coming together, I think I’m getting a Vulcan mind meld here,” Sammy replied. “First, you should verify that you want to start a business for right reasons. Second, you build an awareness of yourself so you can move towards creating a business in tune with your personality.”
“Right on, Sammy, you’re right on top of this stuff,” Larry replied. “Hey, this fog is starting to frizz my fur a bit, what do you say we head back to the ranch for some refreshment?”
Sammy nodded and the two friends headed back up the path towards the Egret Lounge to study less worldly subjects like wrapping one’s tail around bar stool rungs to maintain balance, a technique Sammy had recently perfected.