What do you think of when you read the word "business"? Do you think of a brick and mortar place, filled with racks of products, multiple computers in a back office, endless bills, attorneys, accountants, headaches and tears? If you're like most people, you probably think something along those lines. For so long, this is what my perception of business was, until one day, when it all became so clear.
I realized we, as a society, had complicated something that is so beautiful and simple in its natural form. We had taken the idea of something organic and raw and turned it into an automated machine, too complex for the average mind to grasp.
When we think about business, we shouldn't instinctively think about what society has told us business is. Instead, we should see business for what it truly is.
Want to know what business really is? I'll tell you...
You have something to offer...some sort of skill, idea, trade, etc. If you currently work for an employer, you should know exactly what I mean. You are currently getting paid to do something they either don't have the time or ability to do. THAT IS BUSINESS! You are offering your skill & someone is paying you for this. Tell me how that is any different from what any other "business" does. They simply provide some sort of product or service that you do not have the resources to handle yourself.
This is in no way me saying that business shouldn't be what I described at the beginning of this section. What I am saying though is that we should in no way let that description of business be the only definition of business. In other words, we need to see that there are many different forms of business, & not all businesses have to include a website, social media team, finance guru's, & board meetings.
So, let's begin to entertain the idea that business does not HAVE to be as complex as we make it out to be! Business in its simplest form is actually quite...well...simple.
Let me define what I believe business to truly be:
Business is providing someone with something they want or need, in exchange for something you want or need.
Let's say you make the best hand soap in town, & one day I walk up to you & say, "Hey, this is awesome soap! You should start a business." Most people would have a minor anxiety attack, thinking of all the depictions of a business I explained at the beginning of this section. The thought "incorporate" would most likely come to mind, along with "mass-production", maybe even "infomercial". These are the thoughts I want to eradicate, not that I think these are bad things to associate with business, but I don't think that they should be the ONLY things we associate with business.
I want to give people the permission to not incorporate yet. I want people to know that they don't have to be blowing up social media at this very moment. Take a deep breath & relax about the fact that you don't have a logo completed with the perfect slogan, & chill about how the packaging isn't perfect yet. I've got one question for you...at what point will you feel like you are running a business?
Will it be when you make your first million? I'd rather you feel like you run a legitimate business the moment you make your first sale. That's what business is, isn't it? Isn't business simply selling something?
Start selling whatever it is you have to offer...whether it be wooden spoons, in-home massages, counseling services, personal training, refurbished furniture, swimming lessons, interior design, hand-made clocks, or croche'd socks, no matter what it is, just know that you, my friend, are further along than you realize. Whether or not you have the iconic "inc" following your business name, you are nevertheless, running a successful business.
So, the next time someone says to you, "Hey, you've got something awesome going. You should start a business." You should be able to say back to them "Thank you" & "I already am."
Joel Widman