Inquiry International

I’ve mentored small business owners for over 20 years, formally and informally. And as a CEO I’ve been mentored and I’m still mentored. My son is a trusted mentor.

This is a deeply individual issue. Are you interested in this or committed to it? If you aren’t committed don’t do either. Businesses are easier to start and buy than they are to unstart or unbuy. The upside is great, but so is the downside.

Leads have value. This value can be calculated by the hard and soft costs required to generate the lead. Indeed, most good organizations know exactly how much each warm lead costs. But the lead value is only relevant when looked at in the context of the client acquisition process.

Entrepreneurship is often a rush to success. Where success is the food of one’s purpose and meaning and Life. And of course, there is a big menu and lots to eat. The natural temptation is, upon finding bread, to try to eat the whole loaf. And of course, the next step is to get sick and then get more sick when you see the bill.

It’s the sound of the Entrepreneur on the often awkward and frenetic path of entrepreneurship. And if you are successful, you get to do it in public, a lot. The sound is quieter when you are in the early stages of entrepreneurship, not because you aren’t dancing like crazy, but because there are less people around you to hear your act. The real fun starts when you begin to grow your organization and everyone can see and hear you tap dancing and farting. It’s an acquired skill, and it takes stamina.