When you are young and inexperienced, you think you can conquer the world. At least, that is how I feel right now. I think, though, that even the not-so-young and far-more-experienced ones face much the same problem when starting up a new business.
When I look at it that way, I start to think it has less to do with thinking you can conquer the world, and more to do with that common human fault so many of us have: deafness to good advice. We have a hard time listening to others tear apart our plans when we just know in our gut that our idea is the best. What I have learned today is this: as soon as you think you are right and have achieved that good startup idea, you have set yourself up for a world of hurt.
Having finished the business plan for the cafe idea only a couple days ago, today, I met up with some friends who know a lot more about both business and coffee than I do. As we taste-tested some coffees, I received some unexpected, but welcome, advice about the cafe startup timeline.
The more we can eat our pride in our own plans and talk through the strengths and weaknesses with more experienced business people, the better that business plan becomes. I have a couple of choices. I can listen and continue to alter my ideas or I can not listen and run a greater risk of becoming a business failure statistic. Business is risk, but hopefully not that kind of risk.
I hate to say that my grand business plan needs a revision only days after completion, but in the end, the improvement that can be made through this process will be well worth the time spent.
