I have searched for a teacher far and wide
read countless books
and listened to countless men
Talk about starting a business!
But I am yet to meet a man
Who’s done it all
Ran some successfully
Sold some successfully,
Lost money in some
And willing to share his wisdom!
Introduction
One day, a friend of mine
told me about an old man
Who had started a number of businesses
Some highly successful & some barely so
Some utterly failing & some marginally so
Some he sold for a killing
& some to stay afloat
He was open and willing to share his wisdom
With anyone who was willing to probe
So, with not much expectation
I ask for an audience
Anytime that suits you
Comes back the reply!
The meeting:
So, with a pen and a paper
And an open mind
Armed with a lot of questions
I head out to his office
To meet him, to greet him
To learn from him!
With admiration & affection
Doubt and temptation,
I introduce myself & say
I want to know about
starting and running a business
What to do & what not to
When to start & when to stop
I have a lot of questions
For which I seek answers
So that I and my friends
Can start and run businesses
With more success than failure
Spreading more joy than sadness!
Purpose
He looks at me
His eyes so kind
With a voice so soft
He asks:
“But why do you want tostart a business?”
I say:
“How does it matter?
Is it important to know the answer?
What difference does it make
If I want to make more money or name
or if I want to create more jobs or go after fame
or if I want to “Make a dent in the universe”
what difference does it make?
He says:
It makes as much difference
As it makes to plant the rightseed
If you want apples, you needto plant an apple seed
You need to plough yourfield for an apple tree
Sow the seeds of an appletree
Apply the right manure andprepare the field
So that you can grow anapple tree!
If you want to harvestwithin the year
Apple tree is not for you mydear!
Timing
This I understand sir
Now that this is clear
Can you tell me sir
When is the right time to start a business
Is it when I am young, fresh out-of-college
With a fresh mind and no responsibilities
Or is it better to work for someone else
To Learn on the job
To make your share of mistakes
On someone else’s cost
Though it may mean you spend some years
And end with more Responsibilities in life
Or is it when my hair is grey and
My heir is turning young
When is the right time to start a business sir?
He says:
Just like there is no age tolearn
No age to die
There is no age to start abusiness
Some start young
Some not so young
If you do all it takes,
It’s never too soon
It’s never too late
Hmm, now I understand sir
As with everything else inlife
It doesn’t matter when youstart, where you start
What matters is what youstart, how you start
And whether you finish,whatever you start!
What you need to start
Now that I know, it doesn’t matter when you start
Please tell me what do I need to start
Do I need money or ideas?
Do I need a team or should I do it alone?
What should I know and what should I do?
He says:
To start a business my dear
You don’t need money or idea
You don’t need team or anysuch thing
To start a business my dear
All you need is a“Will-to-win” & an “open
mind”
With a will-to-win and anopen mind
Everything else is a matterof time
Cometh the hour, cometh themoney
Cometh the hour, cometh theidea
Cometh the hour, cometh theteam
This is so good sir,
Once I have an openmind
And a will-to-win
What do I do next sir?
He says:
Let’s get back to myquestion
Sit back and think about thereason
Why do you want to start abusiness?
Now, write that down on apiece of paper
Fold it & keep it inyour wallet
Now, don’t you ever forgetthat piece of paper
Take it out, read it aloud
At every step of the way
When the options are clear
And the choice not so clear
This piece of paper is yourguiding light
This will take your ship toyour port all right!
Now that you have yourguiding light
With an open mind, startthinking all night
Come up with ideas aboutbusiness you
want to start
And then write them all
Keep up the thinking with anopen mind
And Don’t bother with all that you write
Take a few days, take a fewweeks
Till you hit an idea andthat hits you
One that is impossible to do
One that doesn’t leave you
That my dear is the business
You need to do!
Hmm, Now I understand
The business idea comes from the knowledge
Of what I want
And is not based on logic or thought
But based on the feeling of my gut!
I am not sure if that is the way
As I am not sure if my gut will show me the way
How do I get over this doubt
Help me sir, with your thought!
He says:
The thing you call your gut,
Is not just your gut
It’s your connection to yourinner-self
It’s your connection toyourself
The more you trust your gut
The more you trust yourself
The more you trust yourself
The more calm and happy youget
That’s that state that ourGod wants for us.
So my dear, throw yourdoubts aside
And think with an open mind
The one thought that sticksto your mind
Could be the one thatunlocks your soul
Treat it with respect &so it shall treat you
Once decided, have a will towin
And get started on the wayto win!
Hmm, now I understand
With an open mind,
A will to win and a
Business close to you
Theres only one thing
That could stop you
And that is YOU!
He says:
That’s right! Nicely said!
With a fire in the belly
An open mind, a will to win
And a cause that’s close toheart
All the Gods are with you
And the only thing that canstop you
IsOnly YOU!
