Friday, July 24, 2009

What Does "Commitment" Mean In Your Business?

Readers of my blog, and of my book "Don't Let Your Dream Business Turn Into a Nightmare" know that I founded one of the first spas in the world for men.



I did that because I had a mission to help men look and feel their best through personal care services, and felt that men were more likely to enjoy these services in a facility designed with their specific needs and tastes in mind.



I believed in the mission of my business and was committed to it.



Committed to it - what does that mean?



Does being "commited" to a business mean the same as being"committed" to a marriage?



Does it mean that you will be there through good times and bad?



Isn't that the meaning of "commitment"?



Commitment doesn't mean "for now". It means "forever".



If there are hard times in a marriage, you hang in there, if you are committed to it.



We all know that people say that they are committed to their marriage, but for whatever reasons, they often fail to live up to the commitment that they made.



Or, to be more accurate, they were never really committed, if the definition of "commitment" implies dedication or devotion over time.



Can we say "I'm committed today, but ask me tomorrow and things may have changed"?



That is not a "commitment" - it may be a pretty strong feeling, but it is not a commitment. Not if it changes tomorrow.



If you think you are committed to your business - what does that mean to you? How much hardship are you willing to endure and for how long?



The ability or willingness to endure hardships is what commitment is all about.


Which is why commitments are so hard to live up to.



What if you have partners or investors in your business, as I did?



What are they committed to?



How much hardship will they endure and for how long?



Just as in a marriage, it is very hard to know - and not knowing can cause a great deal of pain.























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