ARROWFINGER: Make like a Tree and... Don't Leave!

Business can be an experiment in endurance. Finding your "money tree" can be a long process figuring out what works and what painfully does not.

Bristlecone Pine trees are the longest-living known organism. These trees succeed in harsh conditions for hundreds and thousands of years. One of the oldest was discovered on Wheeler Peak in the mountains of Nevada. Named after the mythical Greek-god Prometheus, this tree is estimated to have been over 4,800 years old! Taking clues from this long-living species, here are some encouragements in finding your place in the "business forest".

Rule your niche
As noted in a Nova article, the Bristlecone Pines live "where practically nothing else can". There is "little competition...for water and nutrients". Have you found your niche that has little competition? Niche players command a premium for their expertise. They are sought out and relied upon. Focusing on your target laser-beams your energy and resources, building a reputation of strength.

Survive drought
These amazing trees that live at 9,500 feet in the White Mountains of California, receive scarcely 12 inches of water. When drought happens, the trees slow their growth incredibly. For a business to do this one must plan and store away reserves.

Resists disease
"Rust never sleeps" I heard a wise man once say. Rust or disease in a business can be negative morale, complacency or a clinging to what "worked in the past". The Bristlecone Pine resists this through it's incredibly dense wood. Build on solid, sound principles; offer your customers value, treat staff members with care and responsibility. Growing up in a small town I realize the people I work with may meet me in the grocery aisle. Build relationships and a business you can be proud of and are respected for, not one that makes you want to run and hide in the baking aisle.

Bigger is not always better
At about 60 feet tall at most, Bristlecone Pines pail in the shadow of the famous California redwood trees over 300 feet. What the Bristlecone Pine has however is an innate ability to be flexible in a harsh environment. Utilizing reserves it can survive season long droughts and be no worse for it. I knew a landscaper that grew his fleet to several trucks and many laborers but traded the enjoyment of landscaping and client connections for the frustration of managing a larger business. As my smart brother-in-law often quotes, "What you can do and what you want to do are sometimes two different things". Don't get lulled by our growth-focused society to grow past a great ROI and a lifestyle that adds value to those around you.

Let it go!
When roots die on a Bristlecone, the tree allows the part of the trunk fed by that root to die. Have you a part of your business that needs to "die"? For emotional reasons sometimes we cling to old markets or ideas. Do you have areas in your business that really need to be left to die? Maybe there is a new idea seedling just waiting for the resources that are being wasted on an old, stagnant idea? Grab a coffee, sit quietly and consider the frustrating, low return areas of your business. Then grab a pen and create a "Stop Doing" list and act!

You don't have to be pretty to be good
In the kindest sense of tree-loving, Bristlecone Pines are homely. They don't have beautiful cherry tree blossoms in spring. They aren't waving green, shady willow branches on a hot summer day. It isn't tradition to cut and plant them in a corner to show off their beautiful winter green under tiny lights. A Bristlecone's branches can be weathered and gnarled. They stand bare often looking unlively and boring. In "Good to Great", Jim Collins introduces us to the business success of long-term successful companies in otherwise boring businesses; toilet paper, steel production and grocery retailing among others. Are you in a business that to others seems a boring necessity? How can you profit from that? How can you take on the niche and in turn get paid good money for providing value in a "value-less" niche?

Do you need some help considering how you can grow your business in a sustainable way? I am available to brainstorm and plan your growth strategy. Call my "branch" office!