STARTING A BUSINESS IS LIKE SEX
I know right?
Why would I even have business and sex in the same sentence?
This past weekend I got invited to attend a champagne breakfast with a group of amazing successful businesswomen. It was one of the best events I have attended this year. The dress code was peach and the theme was sex and the city.
What a beautiful way to close 2018 business year for me.
As the theme suggests, you would be correct to guess that we did a lot of the talk about sex, love and women.
A certain doctor was called on stage to talk about women’s bodies and the topic had just started getting interesting when I got a business call. As much as I preferred ignoring it, I just could not. It was an important business call. Any entrepreneur would tell you that we don’t just snap our fingers and turn in millions, we work our behinds off. Especially when you are starting out in business, Saturdays and Sundays are not days off.
And so I excused myself and rushed outside to speak to this client, in hope that they will pay us before the Christmas holidays and not give the same excuses they have been giving since September. I found a quiet place where I could answer this call but I realised I was not the only one who had left that juicy conversation going on. I noticed another lady on a business call. This I knew because she had a notebook on which she seemed to jot down notes from the call.
After about 5 minutes we were both done talking on our phones and we looked at each other.
I said, ‘hello, my name is Hannah.’ She introduced herself and said, ‘I am just starting a new business and I feel like settling on the right business partner is like choosing a sex partner and a life partner.
We laughed so hard and had a discussion for a good amount of time. You would think we had known each other forever. But you know, small business owners have the same challenges and so we understand each other.
We talked about a lot of things and we concluded that yes, Starting a business is like sex.
I know right?
But how so?
1.The Choice Of a Partner
My fellow entrepreneurs, isn’t it so difficult to find trustworthy business partners?
From my experience, partners can be the end of you. You can invest so much in your start up and just by having on board the wrong partner, everything comes crumbling down. Just like when you choose the wrong sex partner. Oh my! A lot could go wrong.
Your whole life’s investments could come crumbling down as you watch.
2.Unrealistic Expectations
I started my training business because of passion. But also because I worked for a business-training firm and they seemed to do so well. I was very sure that if I started my own firm, the clients I had brought in to this firm would all follow me and become my customers. Shock on me! When starting a business we all have expectations, some of which are very unrealistic. You think money will start flowing in immediately. No it does not. It takes whole lot of effort and work. Just like when getting into a sexual relationship. You expect romance like you see in the movies, but shock on you!
3.Limited Resources
There is never a perfect relationship; there is never a perfect business.
They both suffer the same problem of limited resources. You will have to work with what you have to achieve what you want to achieve, otherwise you will keep jumping from one partner to another, one business idea to another and that is not healthy.
4.Constant Communication is key
In a sexual relationship if you do not communicate constantly a lot of things could go wrong. In a start up, when you put together a team, they will need to get communication fro you constantly otherwise they may not know where the business is going and this can be very frustrating and confusing.
5.When do you start?
I know age is just but a number but like really, what fun is it if you wait to start a business when you are ‘too old?’
Starting business when you are young has a lot of advantages. First of all, you can afford to take risks. You have the energy to run around. You can change your mind on what you want to a lot without feeling like time is running out. You can afford to make mistakes.
Now, who wants to start having sex when their hair is greying or their energy levels are low? Too much work.
And anyway? What chances are there to get opportunities when time is too much gone?
6.Seek To Enjoy Not Endure
Love your art, love your product, love your business and enjoy. Business is not supposed to be painful, and if it is a painful affair, you need to think about doing something different. Just like sex, if you are not enjoying it, if its painful, something is definitely wrong. You may need to do something differently. Seek and ye shall find.
7.There is a risk involved
When you choose the wrong partner, wrong time, wrong strategy, wrong product, wrong market, you will get your fingers burned. Both in sex and in starting a business.
8.Passion is a necessary ingredient
I like to talk about passion when doing business. I believe that a businessperson who is not passionate about what they do will not succeed. You have to love your game. Do it like you only got one chance. If you want to succeed.
9.Be Flexible
By the way, I know that we all like the idea of having a business plan. It is great. But when you get to business, a lot of things change. You adjust a lot. You change your mind a lot. You cannot afford to be rigid and stuck to one way of doing things.
This is what makes business interesting. Flexibility and trying new ways of doing things. Also, Just like being too used to one style in bed can be boring, if you do not change the way you do business and surprise your customers, they may get bored and run.
7.Prepare, prepare, prepare!
Jumping in too fast and rushing things is not cool. You may not last long.
Prepare, Prepare, Prepare!
Start small, do your research, have a plan to guide you, understand who your market is, know yourself, and if possible, get a mentor.
Build a strong start.
One day you will get there and you will be a happy man.
Stay Awesome, Stay Tuned
Your Personal Branding Coach
Hannah Muchuki Githuki
