Did you DREAM?
to become a business owner…
Laura Rennie
Did you dream of playing more golf, meeting your friends for long boozy lunches, having long lies, lots of holidays, driving a fast car and having lots of money in the bank?
How is that working out for you?
According to the Office for National Statistics, roughly 50%-60% of businesses fail within the first five years. By year ten, that is sitting about 65%-70%. So, if you are still in business, well done to you, the stats are against you! Don’t worry if you haven’t made it to the golf course yet, there’s still time.
We all know that cash is king (or queen) and that you need customers/market, but the difference the right team can have in a business is monumental. Dysfunctional relationships, poor hires, lack of skills and expertise and leadership can sink a company from the inside out. However, when you have the right team to run and perform in your business, you can take the time off to do other things, the things you don’t get to do at night or at weekends because, guess what, you are still working on your 24/7 ‘project’.
If I hear one more person say, “how is your wee business?” …
My wee business is currently paying for mortgages, cars, holidays, food shopping, clothes and entertainment, but yeah, the wee business is doing fine!
Sir Tom Hunter said if you can’t step away from your business, you don’t have a business, you have a job, and that is so true. What’s the point of hiring good people to do the roles that you have asked them to do, if you end up doing them yourself? What’s the point of working every day to not be able to take a day or week off for fear of the whole thing failing all around you? Even Lord Sugar takes a day off, folks!
Build your business while building your team alongside.
For me, I feel very lucky (and hardworking) that I am now at a stage where I can take time off. I literally have a ‘Dream Team’. Since my youngest sister moved to New Zealand 17 years ago, I had a dream that I would go out and visit her. I would stay with her, and we would travel all around the islands and see what life is like there. Sixteen years ago, she came back to Scotland for a visit. I met my nephew. It was amazing.
Next month, I am flying over there myself, to meet her and her four children. Bearing in mind I have only met one of the kids already, it’s going to be an emotional trip. A trip where my team and our clients will be working when I am sleeping, literally the other side of the world. And can you guess what I will be doing? Doing my job or enjoying time away from my business? I have a team that I have 100% faith in, a team that all carry out their roles very well and clients who trust me to trust them.
So, if you are waiting for a sign to start achieving your dream – take this as it. Life goes on anyway, time goes on and one day you realise it’s been 16 years since you hugged your sister, 16 years since you hugged your nephew and probably ten years when you have fully stopped working, with no interruptions and no HR that can be delivered from the other side of the world.
Make your dream come true – all you need is resilience and a really good idea!
P.S. If you need help to create a dream team, then drop us a note or give us a call.
