My mother used to affectionately refer to me as a turtle
because at swim lessons, while the other kids eagerly
jumped right into the pool ready to start, I stood near the
edge, waiting. I wasn’t afraid of the water. Rather, I
was taking time to prepare for the event. Then, when I was
good and ready, I jumped right in and swam.
Thus began my relationship with the fable “The Tortoise and
the Hare” found in the much beloved bedside collection The
Fables of Aesop. “The Tortoise and the Hare” is perfect
for illustrating sound start up practices.
Aesop’s The Tortoise and the Hare
Once upon a time, there was a hare who, boasting that he
could run faster than anyone else, was forever teasing
tortoise about his slowness. Then one day, the irate
tortoise accepted the challenge when the hare boasted that
“there was no one in the world who could beat him in a
race.”
The next day the race began, and the hare yawned sleepily
as the meek tortoise trudged slowly off. When the hare saw
how painfully slow his rival was, he decided, half-asleep
on his feet, to have breakfast and a quick nap. “Take your
time!” he said. “I’ll have forty winks and catch up with
you in a minute.”
The sun started to sink below the horizon. The tortoise,
who had been plodding towards the winning post since
morning, was less than a yard away from the finish when the
hare awoke with a jolt. Away he dashed! Though he leapt
and bounded with great effort and speed toward the finish
line, he was too late. The tortoise had beaten him. Tired
and in disgrace, he slumped down beside the tortoise who
said, with a knowing smile, “Slowly does it every time!”
The Tortoise and the Hare Start Up Model
From the very start of this fable, it seems absurd that the
slow, prodigious tortoise would even consider pitting
himself against the swift and built-for-speed hare. Though
everyone can appreciate the tortoise’s desire to quiet the
hare’s bragging and silence his teasing, to the tortoise,
the race was never about speed or silencing a bully. It
was about following through on his word. It was walking
the talk, doing what he said he would do–something the
hare never saw coming. The tortoise was all about the long
game while the hare was about the short. Both approaches
are important for a successful small business start up.
The Tortoise Speaks
Do you have an overall plan for start up success and
becoming a leader in your industry?
• Do you have a viable niche market?
• Do you have a purple cow product/service?
• Is your profit margin adequate to support your income
goals?
• Do you have cohesive branding that effectively
communicates what you do?
• Do you have a business coach or mentor? Â
• Do you have lots of time?
• Do you have the courage and commitment to see it
through?
• Do you have sustained financial recourses?
The Hare Chimes In
Are you able to easily adapt and maneuver within the
overall plan?
• Are you computer savvy?
• Do you have a reliable computer with high-speed Internet
service?
• Does a reputable Internet company host your domain?
• Do you have the tools and skills to create a web site
and edit web pages?
• Do you have a variety of ways to drive visitors to your
web site?
• Do you have an Internet merchant account and shopping
cart?
• Do you have a list serve or another way to send
thousands of emails out to customers/clients?
The Tortoise and the Hare Share Thoughts
Realistically, it takes the winning combination of tortoise
and hare characteristics to successfully start up and
launch a new small business. It really isn’t a matter of
one being better than another, nor is it about choice.
It’s a combination of preparation, flexibility, strategy,
ability, sustainability and maneuverability in today’s
business world that makes the difference between a success
start up success and failure.
Moral of the Story
Getting out to an early start may seem like the thing to
do, yet, the moral of The Tortoise and the Hare is that
slow and steady wins the race. Follow the example of the
tortoise:Â focus on the task, pay close attention to the
tried-and-true business start up fundamentals, and see
things through. Then follow the example of the hare by
being nimble and quick to adapt and maneuver when
necessary. Taking the best from both the tortoise and the
hare ensures that slow and steady will win the race, while
high-octane speed and adaptability will set the pace.
—————————————————-
Susan L Reid, MS, DMA, Small Business Start Up Coach &
Accidental Pren-herâ„¢ is the soon-to-be author of The
Accidental Preneur: Discovering Your Inner Samurai.
Transforming start up woes into start up goes, she provides
value, inspiration and direction to entrepreneurial women
starting up small businesses. For ideas and start up tips,
subscribe at http://SuccessfulSmallBizOwners.com Add your
pren-her story at http://susanreid.typepad.com
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