This morning, I went to take a short walk outside. I've been feeling a little more flexible since this weekend, and I figured a stroll would help me keep that liquid feeling in my bones that I've missed so much.
I stopped when I came to a tree and had myself a sit-down.
Have you ever gazed at the glory of a tree? I'll spare you the poem (you know the one, "I think that I shall never see..."). But I must say that trees have been one of the chief inspirations of my life, number two behind natural bodies of water.
You can easily miss the marvel of oaks and pines in the midst of the daily bustle. They really are miracles when you think about it.
One day, years ago, the wind, or a happy world citizen like you or me, put a tiny seed in the ground, maybe smaller than a pea, or about as big as the tip of your thumb.
Each day water from heaven or from a heaven-sent caretaker would caress or massage the ground with moist blessings. Each day the sun would whisper from behind clouds at it, or scream in a blistering tone.
And for weeks, months even, it seemed as if nothing was happening.
But underground, far below where you or I could witness, molecules were bumping into each other, atoms were hopping around, electrons were spinning. Then after a time roots began to spiral out into the soil.
And long after anyone human was really giving it any daily, specific thoughts beyond routine tendering, a little sprout started pushing up through the earth.
A dozen or a few hundred years later, there I am, sitting under the tree, thinking about trees and business.
The lessons nature volunteers us are fascinating, if only we'd listen. Our businesses, big and small, are like these trees. We put $1000, $200, $3 million into the investments that form our ventures - saved, borrowed, earned from past sales.
Every day we do a little more. Sometimes we do a lot more. And we, in our human impatience, often watch the location where we buried our money, looking for signs of life the very next day, sometimes the next hour.
"I bought this computer three months ago. How come there isn't cash coming out of the DVD drive?"
Seems like a ridiculous question right now, doesn't it?
But we behave that way all the time. I'm guilty of it too. Many is the time that I've whined about how some new promotional idea I'm testing didn't return my deposit of time or money in 3 days.
Then all of a sudden, on that fourth day, I have more sales in 24 hours than I had the whole week before.
Sometimes it takes even longer. I used to look at people who would come on the Net, buy a couple of ebooks and fall bass ackwards into cash 90 days later. And I'd think "Why not me? What am I missing? What did they do that I didn't?"
And the lesson I learned from that seven year experience were two things.
(Seven years including the small time, inconsistent returns I used to have before I really started to learn to study and be patient. As I've said before, I started making advertising money about two years in, enough to feel like an extra paycheck a month)
I'll tell you my lessons learned in part two....
Tinu is a web site promotion specialist and the author of several books on search engines, blogging, and RSS. You can read more tips on branding your business with a blog at free traffic tips.
shuttle to Midway Beardstown .. Lockport Chicago limo O’HareExpanding your business requires you to take a good hard... Read More
If you've been considering incorporating your small business, you've probably... Read More
The American system of business management has been admired and... Read More
Why does a good business relationship rely on having some... Read More
How far away is the person you need to meet?We... Read More
As small business managers, we juggle limited resources in a... Read More
Am I the only one that does not have an... Read More
When is the Chamber ideal for your business?Joining a Chamber... Read More
Owning a small business in Wichita, KS might not be... Read More
Why does consistency in the message have an effect on... Read More
First, we need to define the different kinds of skip... Read More
So often small service businesses fail to exploit niches, which... Read More
What are the best methods for keeping a good business... Read More
Why give freebies?We have all seen freebies at trade shows... Read More
Starting your own e-commerce business can be quite the adventure.... Read More
Q: I really want to start my own business, but... Read More
If you are just starting your business, or if you... Read More
To have one of the popular in home daycare businesses.... Read More
The difference between rates and wages is not always clear... Read More
How a donation is different from a sponsorship and what... Read More
To get approval for your small business loan application, you... Read More
Today is a Red Letter Day! It's special because today... Read More
Researching information for a recent business plan, I came across... Read More
Why should you describe your business to others in 5... Read More
An observation while returning home from a seminar: Getting away... Read More
Green Bay Hummer H2 SUV rentals ..One of the greatest pitfalls in e-commerce is Field of... Read More
We very much like what we see in Lubbock, TX... Read More
I meet and talk to hundreds and hundreds of business... Read More
Business checks are available in many styles and varieties. They... Read More
Expanding your business requires you to take a good hard... Read More
Debt collection letters--an overview"Debt collection letter" in the singular may... Read More
A Brilliant Marketing Idea... sounds great but what is it?... Read More
You may find this Newsletter a little long winded but... Read More
Many job applicants want a job but often do not... Read More
Is this you?You dreamed of owning your own business, doing... Read More
Are the promoters and consultants destroying the market for Reverse... Read More
While driving through Pennsylvania farmland, you have probably noticed an... Read More
Most smart entrepreneurs and all large corporations have Employee Relations... Read More
Don't let your customer satisfaction research initiative collect dust on... Read More
The goals of businesses have undergone much evolution from the... Read More
Competition in the business world is often viewed as a... Read More
Here are some sound debt collection techniques that can be... Read More
Q: Is the online world the best place to sell... Read More
Someone new to business ownership recently told me, "Before I... Read More
Unfortunately for all buyers, each selling organization and their individual... Read More
Ok, so next to the taxman, your company payroll department... Read More
-- The One Pager Shortcut Series --An effective and compelling... Read More
What's your job profitability? I meet with business owners every... Read More
Are you a home or small business owner and you're... Read More
If you really want to earn more money with your... Read More
Small Business |