At Freedom Consulting, we do our best to pave the way for you in your business.
We bring you business-building tips and tricks…
Mindset hacks…
And helpful marketing tools…
But we can’t do the most essential part of business for you:
Building organic business growth.
Sure, there are strategies for increasing your business growth and success ASAP…
And you should certainly implement those strategies…
But no one can rush organic, lasting growth.
All we can do as business owners is advertise our goods or services to the world…
Show up when we say we will show up…
And deliver on our promises to ourselves and our clients.
A business can’t get anywhere without customer involvement…
And no business can expect growth without holding up its end of the bargain.
That said, even with solid business practices, organic growth takes time.
Sometimes, you simply need to wait to see the results you’re working to achieve.
And there’s no better example of this necessary patience than one of our favorite spring and summer activities…
Gardening!
Running a business is a lot like gardening, when you think about it.
The main point here:
You can only reap the rewards of your labor in both business and gardening when the time is right!
Prepare the Conditions for Growth
Gardens can’t grow efficiently if they aren’t planned well and planted accordingly.
Just like in business, you can’t expect something to grow in a garden if you don’t prepare space and the right conditions for growth!
For a garden to produce fruit, you must purchase seeds or plants you want to grow…
Find a good spot in your garden for each type of plant you choose….
And provide the nutrients and spacing each plant needs to thrive!
In short, you must create the right conditions for any growth to occur.
The same is true for business!
If you don’t put in the effort of planning and preparing for your business growth, you likely won’t get far.
Much like growing a garden, starting a business is taking an active role in creating a future you want.
Achieving your goals in either field requires a solid plan of action.
Aim For the Future You Want!
At Freedom Consulting, we highly recommend aiming for the future you want!
Be it in business or in life, if you are willing to put in the work and employ patience, we believe you have what it takes to get where you want to go!
Part of true freedom is deciding what needs to change in your current reality…
Determining the steps necessary to create a better future…
And then taking them.
A business – like a garden – relies on many factors outside of our control…
But diligent work to create the necessary conditions for business growth is likely to generate that growth over time!
Some seeds may not sprout…
And growth may happen in unexpected ways…
But that’s part of the fun!
Recognize and care for the growth you see…
And you’ll be surprised where it can lead you.
Care for Your Business Like A Gardener
Business growth may look very different than you expect at the beginning of the journey…
But surprises help make the process interesting!
If you aren’t seeing the growth you hoped for, strategy adjustment may be necessary.
Learning more about what your customers need can help…
And so can marketing…
But the needs of your business might be more specific than that.
Maybe you need to create more efficiency in your work day…
Or delegate the tasks that aren’t a match for your skills to someone else.
The actions that keep you and your business afloat don’t necessarily need to be difficult ones.
What your business needs for sustainable growth may be as simple as setting, communicating, and sticking to regular business hours.
Whatever the case is for you and your business, the focus for every business owner seeking sustainable growth is essentially the same:
To identify and consistently create the conditions needed for growth…
Just like you would in a garden.
Those strategies will differ depending on the type and scope of your business…
But they will all require tending.
What conditions does your business need to thrive?
(Hint: it may be what YOU need to thrive in life! What drives you?)
Continue to Create Conditions for Growth
Even if it sprouts, a plant will never reach maturity if it stops receiving the water and sunlight necessary to sustain its life.
Young plants – and young businesses – are very vulnerable. They both require extra care in the beginning that may not be necessary later…
But that care and patience applied at the right time can make all the difference.
There will be unknown battles to fight in your business, just like you’d find in a garden…
Weeds will inevitably threaten to take over…
Pests will try to invade…
You may even discover and need to correct mistakes in your original plan…
But don’t worry.
Where there’s a will, there’s a way!
Show Up & Do The Work
Growth strategies differ from business to business…
But the most important action you can take to help your business is to show up and do the work!
When you’re consistently present with your business, you can spot issues before they get out of hand…
And nip those problems in the bud!
Even if you don’t recognize a weed as a weed the first time around, you’ll certainly know it next time…
As long as you’re paying attention.
Diligently showing up for the work you do is the backbone of any successful venture.
After a while, you will begin to see the results of your efforts…
But you cannot rush growth, or your efforts won’t bear fruit.
Patience is required for lasting growth!
Patience is a Virtue (Dang it.)
You can’t expect to force a pepper plant to grow apples…
Or rush a tomato into ripening before it’s time.
The same is true for business growth.
Sustainable, long-term growth strategies are very good practice, but they all have one thing in common:
They take time.
At Freedom Consulting, we know how hard that can be to hear.
When your livelihood depends on your business growing quickly, time being a factor is not welcome news.
That’s why we believe it’s a good idea to implement varying growth strategies…
Some of which aim at delivering short-term results…
And others that focus on long-term growth.
Vary Growth Strategies for Sustainable Results
Not all short-term goals will serve you in the “long game”…
But you don’t need every goal to last forever!
Instead, focus on implementing good business practices…
And sow a “business garden” of differing harvest times.
Short-term business growth – like beans in a garden – will help sustain you while you wait for the long-term processes to reach maturity.
Organic growth, like potato plants, can take months or years to produce fruit…
But they may need a head start over the short-term strategies to reach the finish line in time!
If you don’t plant potatoes in your garden early enough, they won’t fulfill their potential before the season changes…
But they are well worth the wait, if you plant them at the right time!
Harvest Days Are Precious – And They Will Come
If you’re paying attention, you’re sure to recognize harvest time in your business when it shows up…
Just like you would in your garden!
One day, you’ll stroll into your office, thinking it is just like any other day…
Until you receive word that your business has finally reached that goal you’ve been working toward for months!
What a day that will be!
Harvest moments are rare, but they do come – and when they do, they are precious.
In business, picturing the “harvest day” can be very motivating on the days that feel like perpetual drought.
Having trouble picturing what a harvest day will look like for your business?
Think about it like a garden harvest day!
Picture A Garden Harvest Day To Connect With Your Business Goals
Straw hat and gardening gloves at the ready, you open your garden gate, intending to prune the cucumbers…
And then you see it!
A tomato nearly glowing in its red, ripened glory!
With a shaking hand, you pick it…
Raise it to your mouth…
And sink your teeth into the luscious morsel.
The tang of summer sun greets your tongue…
And you realize with joy that it was all worth it!
(There’s just nothing like home-grown tomatoes!)
The journey was long, and the work was hard…
But you’ve finally reached the harvest day you’ve been waiting for.
If that’s not a reason to celebrate, we don’t know what is!
Now, look at that tomato in your hand again, and imagine it is a fruit of your business, rather than a product of your garden.
What does that stellar piece of fruit look like for your business?
Is it reaching a financial goal?
Or a certain number of buildings you’ve sprayed with foam insulation?
Or a dream petroleum company hiring you to consult for them?
If reaching your business goals wouldn’t feel like biting into a ripe tomato (or a different piece of fruit – don’t limit yourself!), then maybe it’s time to shift those goals.
Pivoting is part of the process…
But when you land on a goal that feels fulfilling to you, your harvest days will take on a whole new meaning.
Enjoy them!
That’s what it’s all about.
Conclusion
At Freedom Consulting, we have decades of experience with business.
We know what it feels like to fail…
And we know the steps to take to succeed.
If you’re struggling to find your way in the business world…
Or struggling to figure out what a “harvest day” would feel like for you…
Call Freedom Consulting today!
We look forward to watching you grow!
