Growing a Business is Like Growing a Garden

2012 has been a wonderful year to grow a garden in Northern Nevada.  The weather has cooperated with one of the longest growing seasons on record.. It almost seemed that I could put a stick in the ground and it would grow and produce food.My garden produced record amounts of food. The plants were strong and healthy. Bug and pest damage was a minimum. I weighed over a ton of food from our small gardens this year.

I have grown gardens in Norther Nevada in past years and it was a struggle: late and early frosts, hail,  bugs, and weak plants.  What made this year so different?

In retrospect, it was a discussion with my wife, Bobbie, at the end of the growing season that had a lot to do with this year’s success. The discussion went something like this, “Not going to grow a garden again!” Bobbie replied,” It’s your own damn fault. You go out wherever there is an open spot, turn it over and stick some seeds in. Once in a while you think to water and if I remind you you might remove the weeds. Then you expect some kind of wonderful crop. You didn’t develop and run businesses that way. Why would you expect the garden to grow with any less thought and work than you put into your business?” Reply,” Yes Dear”.

Well Bobbie doesn’t cut me much slack but it made me think.  She’s right. Growing a garden requires the same skill sets as developing a business which I have done successfully many times.

I will explain what I did to contribute to the success of the garden this year and I’d like to explore the similarities and discuss the perceived differences of growing a garden vs growing a business in future discussions.  Please share your thoughts