Growing up in a farming community gave me a solid background in all things “common sense”. From the “battle of the winds” to the “best days for planting”, the Farmers Almanac was consulted with regularity. One thing every sensible farmer understood was, to grow healthy crops, you can’t overwork the soil. Small business entrepreneurs can learn a lot from this age-old practice.
Overworked soil, created by numerous conditions, produced poor crops and lackluster results. For instance, you never planted the same crops in the same fields for two consecutive growing seasons. Wise farmers would farrow fields to ensure nutrients weren’t stripped unnecessarily. For plots planted with regularity, the soil was tilled and amended in between growing seasons to ensure a healthy crop with a high yield during the next field planting.
Consider the yield you wish to produce in your business. How well do you tend to and amend the very things needed to harvest an abundant crop?
Consider your clients and potential clients — do you sprinkle just the right amount of soil conditioner at properly spaced intervals or do you exhaust their sustenance with frequent requests?
How about your employees? Do they have the necessary time between production cycles to renew and rejuvenate or are they continually engaged in their work after hours draining them of the proper fuel needed to perform?
Have you checked your systems lately? Is there room for more growth or are your systems root bound and stunted?
Finally, how are you doing? Do you allow periods for planting and seasons for harvesting including time for complete rest and rejuvenation to secure a high-yield return or do you continue to plow your fields day-in and day-out with no time for revitalization?
With advancements in technology, today’s farmer no longer needs to rely on the Farmers Almanac to forecast a high return on production. However, there is still no substitute for “common sense” and the importance of not overworking your “soil”.
Stay alert to the requirements needed to yield a high return for your business. What would you add to the “small business owners almanac” to ensure a good crop?
