If I Was Stuck On a Desert Island...
How do you know if you could successfully start a business? How do we answer the question of “do we have what it takes?” The answer is simple, or rather the question is. The true test of an entrepreneur lies within the answer to the question “what if I was stuck on a desert island, could I survive?”
If you have ever worked for a business as an employee, then you will not be a stranger to wondering how a certain business manager or director came to hold the high office that they do.
It might have been the result of family connections, but far too often, instead of a good position being granted based on the individual’s abilities; it is awarded based on internal politics.
One of the most underrated skills around, something that should form the backbone of every business studies course up and down the country should be the importance of agreeing with everyone.
Feeding a boss’ ego by agreeing with every idea they suggest irrespective of whether it makes good commercial sense, is indeed a fine talent and one which is likely to advance a career faster than having excellent knowledge or skills.
That brings us back to the main theme of this article, in order to strip away the effects of politics and other elements which bear no resemblance to actual substance, the desert Island scenario can provide clarity by assessing people’s know behaviour of how they react in a crisis.
Starting a business for the first time can be a little like being stranded on a desert island; the unfamiliar territory, the “eat or be eaten” mentality and the stark reality that you are alone, all of a sudden.
Ask yourself the question then and try to answer honestly, would you be found alive after three or four years, having built a tree house, sorted out a pipeline to the local river for fresh water and have half a warthog cooling in a shady part of the island ready for you Sunday roast?
Conversely, would you be in the grouping of politically correct individuals who would perish after just one week because you were unable to rescue your laptop from the sinking hull of the cruise liner you were on and your entire life (and brain) was on the hard drive?
The importance and emphasis on survival can not be overstated for a business start-up and there are those who thrive and those crumble when faced with this new landscape.
If you are a doer and not so much a talker, then I suspect that your chances of success of high providing that your actions are the result of sensible planning and that action means execution.
To leave on a note of balance, communication skills are vital within the business start-up arena, but talking alone will not further the interests of the venture beyond losing the backer’s money within 18 months.
If you have the skills, then work for yourself and reap the benefits of your efforts; hire the politically correct people to talk.