Building a business is like building a garden. So, I am naming it the Business Garden.
Well, minus the dirt and bugs, unless, of course, your small business IS a garden. Okay, I’ll chill out.
Anyways! Yes, a business is like a garden. There are many tools you need in order to do both, there is a thing called time that is needed to grow it, and then there are the beautiful fruits of your labor once all the things have come together in harmony.
Funny thing is, I actually do have a garden in my backyard that is filled with vegetables and flowers. It’s my hobby right now, and it feels absolutely amazing. My last post touched on the importance of doing things for you first before anything else, and this is one of those things I make time for every day that brings me joy. By the time this blog post comes out, my garden will have finished growing food for the year and will be starting to die off for winter. I am extremely proud of the work I put into my garden this year.
It started as a pile of wooden beds from the previous owner of my new house, and the design was downright dumb. No shade to the gardener before me, but wtf? I took what I had, pavers, garden boxes, a tiller, and some muscle, and redid the entire thing in the spring all by myself. I planned it all out, sourced my seeds from friends, and grew some incredible vegetables. This was the first time I had ever flipped a garden and grown anything from seed, and I am still in shock that I actually did that.
The point of all of this is that building a business is literally the exact same thing. It’s trial and error. It’s taking what you have created and creating it again. It’s testing new ideas, technologies, and sales tools to see what sticks. Owning a business is a forever journey of discovery and pivots. What works for you today may not work for you next year, and that’s okay. It doesn’t mean you failed or did something stupid. It means you are learning. You are evolving. You are listening to the people around you. That’s what a good business owner does.
That is growth, and it’s so important in order to grow your brand and your business.
So, if we are thinking about a business like my garden was this spring before I revamped it, there are a few things to look at first. If you are just starting out or taking over from someone else, take inventory of what you have. What can be recycled? What can have the dust blown off and be used again? What are the tools you have nearby that are currently being used for something else but could also work here to help you get the job done?
Then, what are the things you actually need to purchase to bring it back to life and drive it forward?
Taking inventory of all of this is one of the best things you can do to get organized. Before you start buying new things, building new systems, or throwing everything out and starting over, take a good look at what you already have.
And if you are unsure where to start, sharing your findings with a professional like myself to do that work for you is a great next step. An outside perspective can be worth gold because, like a therapist (see previous post on my thoughts on therapy), they have no prior preconceived notions of your business or any of the nuances that come with it. It’s a fresh perspective that can help you build a strategic path forward.
Just like a garden, your business doesn’t need to be perfect on day one. It needs to have a person in charge willing to do the HARD work, the right tools, some patience, a little trial and error, and the willingness to keep tending to it over time. And like the winter months, off time from growing, taking a step back and analyzing the work you did, what came from it and how you can approach it differently next time. November is a fantastic time to start planning for 2027. This a slower time for most people (outside of Black Friday sales) but it’s a time to sit down take inventory and plan for the year ahead. What worked, what didn’t, what are your goals for you and for your business growth. Who should you reach out to, what are the next steps. Think big picture, and then drill down to first half goals, and using the next few months to dial it in. If you are feeling overwhelmed, ask for help! Get yourself a consultant to help you strategically plan forward and consider this a tool in your toolbox. The gardener needs the tools to build the garden, and so do you!
Welcome to The Business Garden.
-Allison Deschaine, Founder & Consultant