Over the Easter weekend I spent a few days at the beach. On one walk back to our cabin, loaded up with bags and beach chair, I was struggling to walk on the soft sand. Then I remembered that it is much easier to walk in the steps that others have made before me. The sand is a little more stable and it's easier to get a foothold in the indents their steps have made. I still had to make an effort, but the walk was made a bit better.
How true this is for us in business too! It is important not to be a 'lone ranger' in business, but rather to seek out people who have gone before us. Having a mentor who has been through startup, cash flow issues, staffing and recruitment challenges, and other problems common to many businesses, is invaluable.
This doesn't mean you are meant to copy ‘step for step’ what someone else has done. Most of us are striving to create a unique business, or at least a business that reflects our own uniqueness. And that's a good goal! But that doesn't mean we shouldn't learn from the mistakes and triumphs of someone who is further down the business track than we are, and follow some of their steps to help us on our way.
If you don't already have mentors or colleagues around you, get involved in a local business group where you can meet others. Most business people I know are happy to share their experience and the pitfalls to avoid. So don't be afraid to ask questions and learn from those who have gone before you. It might just save you from a great deal of unnecessary effort.
And by doing so, you can prove wrong this quote by Douglas Adams: "Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so."
Michelle Grice writes a weekly column for business women in The Western Weekender
