It was shortly after 1 p.m. on June 10, 2005, when I gathered the staff of my small business - one of the first spas in the world for men - together for a brief meeting. The press had all left by then - about 40 had attended the official press launch between 10 and 12:30 - and the private party for friends, relatives and business associates was called for 6 p.m. - so the timing seemed right for a little motivational speech to the staff - the 7 fresh-faced and eager young gals who had been hired as service providers.
I said a few words, then yielded the floor to the business consultant with whom I had worked in very close tandem from mid-January through to the official launch on June 10, and upon whom I had relied for advice and support throughout the process.
"This business cannot fail", he assured the staff. "This business cannot fail."
It was a comforting message, and one which he had repeated many times during the previous six months. "This business cannot fail."
And why would it? Attractive young professional women providing personal care services designed to help men look and feel their best, in a comfortable, masculine environment.
How could a business like that fail?
If you are thinking of starting your own small business, should you go into it thinking that your business cannot fail?
If you have read anything about the Law of Attraction, then you may believe that thinking that your business is going to fail can attract the energy that will make it fail.
Whereas believing that your business is going to be a great success attracts the energy that will make it a success.
Throughout the process of developing my small business - and for the two and half years that I ran it -I firmly believed that my business could not fail.
The concept, the product, the execution - were all too good for the business to fail.
But I was wrong.
Any business can fail. Whether you wish to believe it or not.
I don't believe that an awareness that a business can fail necessarily attracts the energy that will make it fail
But I do believe that a refusal to accept that it can fail could lead to decisions that will make it fail.
I shall have more to say about this in future posts.
Stay tuned.
Monday, July 20, 2009
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I've been trying to get a business off the ground for the last year. I am fully aware that my business may fail in the future. I've started to tinkering with the idea for an exit strategy. Maybe certian milestones or times when I need to throw in the towel before more money gets thrown into what later may be a deep, dark pit.
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