How to Be Brave in Small Business
With #Seth Godin currently in Melbourne painting the town ‘purple’ – I have sought inspiration from him once again.
It starts with the uncomfortable realisation that if you have a ‘remarkable’ business or business idea – not everyone is going to like it and not everyone is going to like you!
That’s part of the definition of remarkable. Nobody gets unanimous praise – ever. Criticism comes to those who stand out. As Anita Roddick said “Every time you put your head above the parapet it’s going to get knocked down”. That’s what happens to risk takers. But developing a tough skin is an important business skill. You can’t; take things personally.
Sometimes it’s this fear of being rejected that can make you keep your cards close to your chest and go about try pleasing as many people as possible rather the niche you know you can satisfy the most.
“If you go about trying to be all things to all people you end up being nothing to no-one!”
As mentioned in the blog about Seth Godin’s book the Purple Cow, being remarkable should be your goal. That means“Find things that are “just not done” in your industry”, and then go ahead and do them. Playing it safe and following the rules can seem like the best way to avoid failure. However in a crowded marketplace, fitting in can lead to failing. In a busy marketplace, not standing out can be the same as being invisible and rather than being ‘safe’, becomes the riskiest strategy.
So it seems there two choices in building your businesses: 1) be invisible, anonymous, and remain un-criticized, or 2) take a chance at being the Purple Cow that stands out from the crowd. At any stage in your business you have the chance to reinvent who you are and what you do. It’s easy to be good but harder to be remarkable. Are you brave enough to take on the challenge?