Over the course of the past year I watched one of my businesses develop several different possible paths of travel and while staying true to the concept of viral thinking I am not necessarily opposed to this. I do believe that each path does in some way lead toward the overall vision that I set forth when creating this business. However what I have failed to realize is any true financial growth, and when it comes down to it financial growth is necessary to keep a business afloat. Starting a new business is a struggle and very rarely does it become an overnight success story, however there comes a point were you need to question whether or not it make sense to keep it alive from a financial, mental and physical standpoint. I love what I am doing and what I have created and do not want to see it fail, but is it good for either of us to keep it running as a business? So as the new year unfolded before me I set out to analyze the problem. I started to realize that in some ways I had allowed my creation to get away from me slightly. I was not remaining completely true to my original vision or myself.
I was allowing outside influence to become to much of a factor in my daily decision making and ultimately in shaping the future of the company. I was conforming, allowing the company to become to much like the other companies out there. I liken the image of a new business to that of a fish swimming through an aquarium, your fish is unlike any other fish because in this particular aquarium, your fish has slightly different colored spots. Those spots are what set your fish apart from the others. They make your fish unique and therefore catching the eye of passers by. Your businesses spots are what set it apart from other businesses in the early stages of the game, they are what make it unique and necessary. I had allowed my spots to begin changing to blend with the other fish in this big aquarium and in this particular industry, without the big name endorsers or huge financial backing, those spots are all I had. I was therefore failing to stay true to my unique vision. I was failing to stay true to myself.
I can’t proclaim that simply getting back on track will allow my fish to grow or even survive but at least I know that my fish will be easier to recognize as you pass by the aquarium.
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