Sowing the Seeds of Business Growth

What does business growth have to do with gardening?

This summer my garden was spectacular.

Everyone said so, even the delivery guy who claims to not like flowers.

I’m a novice gardener, and started most of the flowers from seed. They were mere sprouts when I planted them out, then as they grew I had to keep rearranging things because it became so crowded.

Although it was crowded the whole display was also incredibly beautiful. Our flower beds create a border to our patio, so when we enjoyed a meal out there we enjoyed the experience with more than just our taste buds. It was a whole sensory experience – as if we were surrounded by an explosion of color and textures.

Suffice it to say that we thoroughly enjoyed our little garden experiment, and now we’re looking forward to next year, excited by what we now know we can create.

But when you’re starting out it’s hard to see that potential, and to imagine the joy it can bring.

I was thinking about this as I was planting bulbs the other day. I live in the northeast and the temperatures are dropping and days are getting shorter.

Spring seems VERY far away, and planting these weird little bulby things in the soil feels like a huge leap of faith.

Kind of like starting a business.

Or growing a business.

The Seasons of Business: Tending to Your Garden

Business growth doesn’t happen overnight, of course. And much like the garden, many of our most important actions take place long before we ever see any results.

Seasoned business owners learn to take this in stride, but when you’re new it can feel like you’re doing a whole lot of work for very few rewards. The truth of the matter is, the rewards will come eventually, as long as you keep showing up and doing the work, day in and day out.

Showing up every day may not feel productive, much like weeding, watering and tending my garden – especially in the early days when most of it was bare soil. But eventually traction begins to take hold until one day – BOOM – you’ve got something really special that you can sit back and enjoy.

Faith in the Future

In the heady days of summer my garden was breathtaking – much like a business that’s experiencing rapid growth.

But if there’s one thing I know for sure it’s this.

Enjoy the blessings while you have them, and prepare for rougher roads ahead. Nothing lasts forever.

And if you’re in a more challenging time, prepare for brighter days ahead. Nothing lasts forever.

Part of the art of being in business for the long haul is the ability to show up and tend to your business on the days when it feels like a chore, when nothing seems to be going right.

If you can find a way to keep at it, to keep sowing new ideas and opportunities, then eventually you’ll begin to see new growth again.

And before you know it your proverbial garden will be as lush as my real one was this summer.

Just keep showing up and putting one foot in front of the other, especially in the days when that’s the last thing you want to do.