What Kind of Tree Did You Plant?
This morning, as I was walking around the lake near my home, during 
my daily exercise time, I began to notice the trees. There were tall, stately oaks and scrawny palms. Some of the trees had dual trunks as if two had been planted in the same hole. The palms are what caught my eye.
What I saw got me to thinking about how we grow our businesses. Not only are there palm trees that grow into from a tall, skinny trunk with thin branches, there are also those that spread into branches at the base. Then another type of palm grows a solid base and then branches out thick and full.
Just like those palms, we all have the same opportunity to grow our businesses. How we plan determines the eventual growth and success we obtain. Some business owners go it alone with no forethought or planning. These are most like the quick growing, tall, thin, sable palm producing only minimal growth at the top. These business owners continue to do all their business themselves, never even hiring an assistant or Virtual Assistant to alleviate some of the mundane tasks.
Then there are the palms that grow immediately into multiple leaves at their base. These business owners I liken to the saw palmetto with its medium growth rate, they are the most common of all palms. These owners take the time to think through their business plan and then invest just enough resources to develop a good economic and product base. Each year they repeat their successful actions, but fail to diversify. Therefore, they function on a viable, but stagnant base.
Those palms, which were planted so near to each other as to share a common trunk, are like the business owner who partners with another. While they share the workload, they too often grow in opposite directions. Often they even end up parting ways.
Finally, we have the beautiful, pineapple palm. With slow, steady growth each year, it gets fuller and stronger. It has a huge, solid healthy base with lush branches, which spread out from that support. With the passage of time, this palm begins to grow a beautiful fruit shape. Like this palm are those who create a sound business plan, learn about their business, and get the necessary financial backing in place before planning the seeds of their business.
This solid planning results in a business that seems to grow itself. Unlike the single-I have to do it all myself or it won't get done properly-business owner, they are not afraid of their competition. Not only are they not afraid, but they find ways to work together.
While developing their business they realize that in order to succeed they must be willing to work with others. They hire those that not will enhance their already healthy business. This helps them to free up their time so that they can continue to expand their business. As they diversify and form joint ventures with others who have a slightly different skill set, they experience a completely new level of success and can offer additional services to their customers and clients.
Because they took the time to develop a solid business plan and their continued commitment, the fruit of their labor is realized. However, it is because of their willingness to let go and to diversify that they flourish.
So, think about where you want your business to take you and the success you wish to achieve. When the timing is right and your business has grown as much as you can take it on your own, consider how you can reach out, and with the assistance of others, accomplish phenomenal growth.
© 2010 Ginger Marks
Ginger Marks is the author of the 2009 & 2010 Weird & Wacky Holiday Marketing Guide, your business-marketing calendar of ideas available at http://www.HolidayMarketingGuide.com in eBook and quarterly re-brandable booklets. To find out more about the WINning Sisters visit our website at http://www.WINningSisters.org. Feel free to join us for the weekly chats hosted on Skype on Wednesdays 12:30-1:30 p.m. EST. To learn more about Ginger and her businesses visit http://www.DocUmeant.net or http://www.DocUmeantDesigns.com.