You know the old story of Tortoise and Hare, right? Rambunctious Hare was always tormenting Tortoise. Then one day, tired of Hare’s boastful ways, Tortoise challenges him to a race. Hare, believing that he had no worries about winning, takes a nap midway through, only to wake and find out that sure and steady Tortoise wins the race.
Why would I bring up Tortoise and Hare? I believe there is a lesson to be learned here for growing a strong business. Building a foundation of consistency is important.
With all the tasks that must be done in running a business, far too many business owners, are much like Hare. They expend so much time and energy trying to get sales, do the job, then get more sales. They are all over the place with no real focus. They don’t seem have any real consistency in marketing, billing, or any process, for that matter. When business is slow, they hope that one advertisement, or one letter will move everyone to rush out and want their product or service. Then they are sorely disappointed when they wake up and have found they’ve lost the race.
Other business owners, who think more like Tortoise, know that as they get busier with sales, they cannot forget the fundamentals. They must keep their website current. They must continue to send messages to current and prospective customers. They must consistently send out their billing for good cash flow. They must stay consistent in order to keep the trust of their current customers and earn the business of future customers.
The underlying theme here is consistency.
They know they must get it all done, but instead of having the mindset of I must do everything myself,they seek ways make sure they keep up with consistency. They shift their mindset to How will I accomplish everything? They find ways to get it all done. They ask for help. They implement tools. They hire out projects. They know the investment is well worth it, so they will focus on other aspects of growing their business.
There’s a lot that goes into building a long-lasting business, but what I’ve learned from Tortoise and Hare is that focusing and consistency will allow you to win the race.
