Starting a Small Business is Like Raising a Small Child
A Home Business Article Contributed by Elizabeth Fox-Wise
Starting a Small Business is Much Like Having a Child
When you are starting a small business, just like when you are raising a small baby, be prepared for hard work, sleepless nights, and new demands placed on your life.
Starting a small business and raising a child are two of the most challenging thing that you can choose to take on. Just like the infant child, the small business in its infancy will be almost exclusively dependent on you - the parent or the small business owner.
Starting a Small Business Requires Nurturing
To believe that starting a small business means coming up with a business idea, opening your doors and then sitting back and waiting for the millions to roll in is an unrealistic as to think raising a child means giving birth to the baby and then sitting back and waiting for it to be time to send your young adult off to college.
Any parent will tell you that there are a lot of bumps, hurdles, frustrations, set backs and discouragements which come with child bearing during those years between birth and "flying the coop". As a parent it is their job to be there for their child ever step of the way. Holding the child's hand when needed, providing guidance and giving the child what is necessary to survive in the world.
Any successful small business owner will tell a similar story. That there are a lot of bumps, hurdles, frustrations, set backs and discouragements along the way. As a small business owner it is your job to be there for your small business every step of the way. Holding the business' hand when needed, providing guidance and giving the small business the building blocks it will need to survive in the business world.
A Small Business Just Starting, Like a Child, Can Suffer from Failure to Thrive Syndrome
There have been many psychological studies with infants that are not given the things that they need from their caregivers and the effects that this neglect has on them. In these studies the infants were, of course, given the basic necessities of life such as food and shelter. But they were not given the extras such as being held, talked to and other forms of external stimulations.
The results of these studies showed hands down that a baby not given all that it needs will suffer from Failure to Thrive Syndrome. Simply put, this means that the baby will stay alive but will not thrive (grow, develop all of the necessary cognitive skills, etc)
Like a baby, a small business that is not given what it needs from the small business owner will suffer from a similar Failure to Thrive Syndrome. As long as the business owner is giving the small business what it absolutely must have - it wills stay alive. However, if the small business owner does not give the business all of the extra attention and effort that is required when starting, the small business will also fail to thrive. It will not grow, prosper and develop into all that it can be.
