Let’s face it, business is one big game. There is a beginning, the battle, the players, the score and at some point in time, the end. You can decide whether you have won or not. It doesn’t always have to end because a very small percentage of businesses go on to be long standing ones. But, very few do that. Statistics often bandied about talk about 37% of businesses failing in the first year. 81% failing by the 5th year. That’s right, only 19% are still going beyond the 5th year. I am in my 20th year in this business and I wonder how many businesses are still around that started in 1999. I’d guess there would probably be only about 5%. I am very proud of that achievement.
So, if business is a game and losing it should not be an option, what can we do to ensure that we survive for as long as we can. First of all, we should change our language, because surviving is doing just enough to avoid failure. Let’s turn it around and call it “succeed in business”. The game needs metrics. Dollars invested in the business, time invested in the business and people it takes to deliver your service are just some. Something harder to measure is how the business makes you feel. Are you proud of what you do? Can you see yourself doing it for as long as you’re capable? Does it provide you with the lifestyle you have planned? And that is really the game within the game. That is, does it provide for you the whole experience. If you need help with clarifying this for yourself, don’t be shy, I’m just a phone call away.
