In a Business of my Own

I have often asked myself,
“What do I really want to do
When I grow up?”
I figured out
A long time ago
That I need to be
In business for myself,
That I am ill-suited
For life in the corporate world.
Being in a business
Of my own a few times
Has taught me
A thing or two
About business,
But even more
About myself.
I saw how easy it is
To have the business own me
Versus me owning it.
I discovered I could be
The worst boss I ever had.
I learned to think of each employee
As a potential liability.
I began to hate overhead
And be absolutely miserly
In the way I spend money.
I found I have to be
Very focused
And on purpose
In order for a business
To succeed.
I have to know
What I am out to accomplish,
And the business
Must be aligned with my intent,
Or it won’t work.
I have learned that trust
Is essential,
But can easily be abused.
I learned that
Customer support is critical.
I learned
To seek out a niche
Where my business
And the services I offer
Can readily be distinguished
From the competition.
I figured out
It is one-thousand times easier
To be the leader in my field
Than a follower.
It is essential that the word
About my services
Gets out to potential clients,
But advertising costs
Can doom a business
Before it even begins.
I found for every
Ten customers I served well,
One additional person
Would hear about the services I offer,
But ten people
Will hear about
Each person I serve poorly.
I learned the value
Of having a mentor
Or a business coach,
Someone who could view things
From a different perspective
Than me,
And give me honest feedback
On what they see.
I also learned
That no coach could help me
If I am not willing
To help myself.
It seems most companies
Start out undercapitalized,
But that is seldom
What stops the action.
The real challenge
Is clarity of vision.
If the business plan is viable
And carefully thought out,
Then the money is available
To do what needs to be done.