Thursday, October 22, 2009

There's Always Something to do

Eight years ago, I was under the mistaken impression that once one has the various components of a business in place- legal documents, website, marketing materials, business cards, company envelopes and letter head, phone service, etc., one simply runs a business and you're all done.

Nothing is further from the truth!

There are two good things about this paradigm, however. The first is that a business is a living, dynamic and ever changing entity. If a business is not changing and is not constantly asking itself, 'how can we do better?'- that business who struggles to merely stay average, will not ultimately survive. Nor should it! Consumers have too many choices in the market place to select your lackluster attempt.

Secondly, by always evolving and refining your company, one is seldom bored. I don't know about you, but I do not like being bored. Since I've owned companies, I never seem to go around saying, 'I'm bored- I have nothing to do.'

When I was a little girl, I was essentially an only child as my siblings were actually old enough to be my parents. I'd mope around the house and whine to my mother- "I'm bored."
"Go outside!"
"What's outside?"
"Well, I don't know- but when I was your age, I was outside playing and not bothering my mother constantly about being bored", she said with much disdain.

I guess she'd be proud of the fact how, as an entrepreneur, I'm never bored, even if I'm not outside.

10 comments:

  1. I just celebrated my 65th birthday in Rome with four friends, then we did a 6 day Med cruise with four nights in Barcelona at the end. Good thing I had paid for all that early on as, eight months ago, in massive budget cuts to the San Francisco Dept of Public Health ( $80 million ), I lost my forensic nursing job of 21 years ( I'm a nurse almost 45 ). With a mobility disability and out of critical care nursing over 30 years, I couldn't move to ICU or coronary care or the ER ( the only jobs open ) so I finally retired - and my income has dropped $100,000/year. I am not happy about it and I'm hoping to find work doing legal consulting. In the meantime, the days seem to be fuller than ever with blogging, the internet, etc. I don't sleep ( not good ) but part of that stems from always being on call for adult and child sexual assault cases and having one ear tuned to the pager! Oh, well, maybe in the next life.

    I like your blog!

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  2. I had a mother like that too.

    It strikes me that this advice for a business also applies to the self, and that if you're a person already inclined to constantly ask, How can I make myself better, then you'll naturally apply that to your business.

    Which makes me feel even better about my pending step into entrepreunership, because I'm always asking myself that question.

    Boredom is something I never feel these days - laziness occasionally, lack of motivation - but not boredom.

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  3. So true.

    I can't remember the last time I was bored. There's always some new idea cooking in your head, usually even before you've finished what you are working on.
    I love it!

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  4. RNSANE,

    Why, thank you! (About liking my blog.) And happy belated birthday to you!

    Barcelona? Sounds perfectly lovely. I just watched a movie last week- "Vicky Christina Barcelona" and now I'm all interested in two things:

    Barcelona and Woody Allen- which I think I will write about soon.

    Goodness- you are a woman of diverse talents!

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  5. Polly,

    When I read your post today I thought- why come up with new stuff to explore? I'll just see what Polly's doing and follow her around!

    I really love that about you; how your curious and then you DO something about it.

    Fab.

    I could work on a few things in my personal life. There is so many interesting things out there.

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  6. Becky,

    I know! As my husband likes to tell people, "You should see how many of her ideas hit the floor before the one or two that stuck."

    Your blog makes me want to eat popcorn balls because of your Halloween theme. lol Mmmm.

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  7. Sounds to me like your just the girl for the job.

    Thanks so much for reading over at my place and for the nice comments.

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  8. Erin,

    Thank you! You are going to be my great escape, I know it. (And I'm going to learn a great many things in the process.)

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  9. Chloe,

    We had rain for two days straight. I need to go outside too.

    But, for some reason, I have a craving for those little coffee beans covered in chocolate, and I wanna eat them in the sun.

    Where do I come up with this stuff?

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