Business advice

I am not a business guru (well at least not yet) but in the past few months I have learnt, from experience, lessons in business that I will  share with you today and carry with me forever…

If you read my first business venture you will know that I was in the process of trying out another business venture… my babies, the Piggies….

What I have learnt in ten months is:

1.       JUST DO IT

It would be embarrassing to tell you how long it actually took me to start the project. I did my homework, raised the capital, did more homework, visited other people’s farms, did even more homework and spoke to experts in the field before going back to do homework again…

I just couldn’t bring myself to take the plunge and JUST DO IT. I would give myself 100 reasons to go ahead and then turn around and give myself 10 reasons why not. And base my decision on the measly 10.

Finally I told the one person in the world who challenges me the most about my idea and he simply looked at me and asked “So what are you waiting for”… stutter stutter stutter… I had no answer worth saying out loud.

A good friend of mine came up with a brilliant business idea, she paid someone to design her website, (this was last year) and to date nothing else has happened and nothing else will happen (except lost revenue) until she decides to JUST DO IT.

I reckon if you have a solid idea and you have done your research and are convicted that you can run with it JUST DO IT

2.       WALK AROUND

Two months ago the piggies were ready for the market, I made a couple of calls to people around town trying to find a market for them. I didn’t get a market; all I got were a lot of pessimistic responses and negative perceptions.

PANICK ATTACK!!!!

 I decided to hold on to them for a little while longer. My reason to the world was that I wanted to increase their weight. But I knew the truth….

Two months later. They had reached the increased weight and I couldn’t hide anymore. But this time I changed the approach -  instead of making calls I took a drive.

I introduced myself to store owners and farmers around. I visited butcheries and sniffed around. In one afternoon, one Sunday afternoon I had realised a huge market which I didn’t even know existed.

WHOOP WHOOP…

3.       PLAN AHEAD

Sound obvious but is it really?

All my sows went on heat simultaneously, and at the time it made sense that they be serviced by the boar simultaneously. I did not consider staggering the services to ensure a constant supply. Instead the sows gave birth within days of each other. The growers all grew together and unfortunately had to be sold together, leaving me with a huge market (as previously mentioned) and no more product.

I will have to wait for the next lot to right my wrongs….

Like I said I am not a business guru but I certainly am learning a thing or two from trying out a thing or two

That’s all folks