Blue Elevator Blog

The Journey of Business

Starting and growing a business is a lot like taking a long journey on foot.  There are many parallels:

• Every journey is different (e.g., destination).
• And, every person who undertakes a journey is different.
• As a result, every trek is different: the terrain, the seasons, the weather, etc.
• Things are always changing.
• You will encounter many challenges and obstacles along the way.
• You can’t stay in one place too long.
• It is impossible to carry everything you will need on your back.

On Destinations …

A journey is defined as going from starting point “x” to destination point “y.”  Different people have different end games in mind.  End games – or destinations – look like this:

• Grow the business to $20 million in annual revenue and sell it to the highest bidder.
• Grow the business, kick back, and put things on auto-pilot.
• Or, grow the business and hand it over to my kids.
• Maybe your desire is to grow the business and sell it to key employees.
• Or, grow the business and take it public (e.g., IPO).

Business is Not All About the Destination – It’s a Journey

Now, it is important to have an end game in mind.  But, the essence of starting and growing a business is more of a journey.   It is strategically moving along a given path towards the end goal.

Really, the start and end of a journey are just snapshots in time.  And, the majority of time is spent on the journey itself – much like a very long backpacking trip across the globe.

The journey of business is almost the polar opposite of what would be termed a traditional American vacation.  Leave your home, spend a day traveling, and enjoy two weeks kicking back at your favorite resort destination.  In this instance, the journey is short.  The destination experience is long.

Start-up entrepreneurs have a similar idea when it comes to their business.  Quit my job, start a business, and shortly thereafter, kick back and enjoy a steady stream of weekly dividend checks.  This is not a reality.

Your Venture is Unique

In business, it is really like the former: a backpacking trip, on foot, across the globe.  The reality of starting, growing, and operating a business involves a never-ending series of twists and turns, peaks and valleys, etc.

Now add this: this globe trot won’t be on established paths of travel.  Your business, by design, is something that wins only if you can differentiate yourself from competitors.  Meaning, you can’t journey on a path well-traveled.  No, you are a pioneer.  You will blazing a new path through deep and dark underbrush with all kinds of hazards.  Your very success depends upon it.  To borrow a line from Star Trek, “to boldly go where no man has gone before.”

If that doesn’t sound agreeable to you, for a very hefty sum, you could become a franchisee and buy someone else’s dream – this path is well traveled.  Now, there is nothing wrong with this.  If you have six or seven figures of disposable income, it’s not a bad way to go.

NOTE: As of the date of this article, a McDonald’s franchise sells for $1.1 million to $1.9 million.  They require an additional $500,000 in liquid working capital, and you will pay them a 12% royalty (e.g., 12 cents of every dollar you take in – in perpetuity).  You don’t have to blaze a new trail with this opportunity.  Something to think about!

But, alas, you are an adventurer, right?

Advisory – Why Not Hire a Trail Guide?

So, if you aren’t a franchisee type, you are probably looking at going on a long and arduous journey.  Who would you want to take along?  How about a skilled and trustworthy guide?

And, that’s where the case for advisory is made.  Blue Elevator® is an advisory firm.  Meaning, we don’t sell anything.  We don’t sell packages to great resort destinations.  Hence, a trail guide is not the same as a travel guide.

Travel guides walk you through resort destinations and show you all kinds of wonderful sites and amenities.  Trail guides help you blaze a trail and create the resort destination.  There is a big difference.

You could be the solo-preneur of a startup.  You could have broken into the top 4% of businesses (e.g., $1 million in annual revenue).  Or, you could be the CEO of a Fortune 500 company.  It’s never too early – or too late – to engage a skilled and trusted business advisor.  It’s about the road ahead.  And, it’s really just about getting your “business to the next level™.”

Consulting vs. Advisory

Old school, traditional consulting has involved the selling of “packages.”  And, so, at any given twist or turn along the journey of business, there might be a consulting firm at a given mile marker.  And, the consultant’s pitch is to help you navigate a certain obstacle.  His or her pitch and promise is to get you through the swamp so you don’t get bit by the resident alligators.

There are consultants for swamps, consultants for sheer cliff faces, consultants for grizzly bears, etc.  This means that you hire them for a definitive obstacle, for a definitive (short) time, and to offer a prescribed solution (e.g., a “one time” fix).  This, often, comes at a very high price.

Our Approach is Different

At Blue Elevator®, our approach is entirely different.  God willing, we will help you blaze a trail that avoids the swamp altogether.  Think about it.  If you are planning to start and/or grow a business (e.g., think, a “global journey”), being off even 1 degree on your trajectory will cause you to miss your dream destination altogether.  This is how you end up at the edge of that swamp full of alligators.  Or, at the bottom of a box canyon with no way out but the way you came.

Let’s Switch it up a Bit

Here’s another analogy.

The best and brightest business owners engage Blue Elevator® as their skilled and trusted business advisor, similar to hiring a golf pro.  We help business owners play their very best game of golf.  From club selection, to swing mechanics, etc. – a golf pro helps the golfer with the whole continuum of the game of golf.  But not only that – we are also your caddy.  We walk the course with you.  We review and reinforce what we’ve learned at the range and apply it to real life golf games.  Golf games where you continually improve, play tougher and tougher courses, and continually work at getting your “business to the next level™.”

Think about it.  Golf is all about playing the game.  It’s about putting together the best 18 holes of golf – each successive time and each outing better than the last.  It is NOT about completing the course, per se.

Here’s How We Help

We don’t swing the club for you. We don’t improve your lie.  And, we don’t sell mulligans.

God willing, we just help you do it better.  So, your ball lands in the fairway.  So, you don’t have to use the hand wedge to improve your lie.  With us, your success is measured in terms of how many strokes you are under par.

To be sure, consultants are helpful people.  They are adept at helping well-meaning golfers fish their last golf ball out of the middle of a water hazard.  They might even help you avoid some alligators.

At Blue Elevator®, we prefer to avoid hazards altogether.  So after you hire your consultant to help you get your ball back, we’d love to see how we can help you improve your game – even caddy for you.  God willing, we hope to impart a tip or two along the way – even work with you long enough to help you win the elusive “green jacket” of success, too.

In the end, it is the pro golfer that gets the credit.  The golfer – not the caddy – wins the green jacket.

See you at the range?  Contact us.