Do you want to get there faster?

Robert Gerrish

It seems to me that everywhere I look someone is trying to persuade us to accomplish things more quickly. Doubtless there are strategies and products that can help us be more efficient, but is faster always better?

These days I’m big into walking. Most days I’m off pounding the pavements babbling into my little digital notetaker.

Typically, I prefer to walk at a fair pace. Now and again, though, I can be a little low on energy and it’s on these days that the voice in my head implores me to take a shortcut – “Come on! Go left here and we’ll avoid the hill.”

No way José. I know why I’m doing this and it’s not to get anywhere quicker; it’s to benefit my health.

Clearly, there’s a parallel here with business. According to my observations, some of the technologies and initiatives that profess to make us more efficient, promote cutting corners in the hope of reaching a destination more quickly.

I’m not saying that meandering is always better than sprinting, but it certainly is when it comes to ensuring the right foundations underpin growth.

Tearing ahead without adequate behind-the-scenes structures or throwing money at marketing without determining the correct strategies is pretty well guaranteed to fail.

You’ll look impressive for a while, but your knees will give in sooner than you think.

In much the same way as most so-called overnight sensations in the entertainment industry have spent years doing it tough before the guy with the spotlight showed up, so most successful solo businesses are very familiar with the stages of planning and testing.

What say you? Post a comment and let us know what you observe.

Until next week.

Love your work,

Robert Gerrish is Flying Solo’s managing director and founder and works as a business coach, professional speaker, business commentator and consultant. He’s the co-author of Flying Solo – How to go it alone in business.

11 comments | Add your own 1 2 | Next» View all»

This is so true, and one realises this usually when going solo and 'learning the hard way'. But on the other hand, is there a need to make the same mistakes others have made? It's funny how experience is something you get when you no longer need it. I have learnt that there is no substitute for a solid foundation. And perhaps for us soloists, this is the bedrock upon which we build our businesses. What else do we have other than our talents or skills? Grant McDuling from Brisbane
Thank you so much for these words of wisdom. In these days of speed where a year feels like a month, we forget that we need time to develop ideas and foundations. Even God took a days rest after six days of work. In my recent experience of starting up an organisation, I have had some people hinting that I am going too slow and they want to see results. I can understand their impatience but I have been trying to stick to my original plan of allowing myself this year to develop the foundations so that any success will be long lived. As we all know, too many business failures are caused by not taking this time and when crises occur (as they always do) there is nothing to fall back on. I can see that the principles you speak of apply to all parts of life. Thanks again for raising this issue. Sofia Gerandt - Joshua's Trumpet from Frankston Victoria
Hi Robert,
I haveto agree that being in the entertainment sector myself, I found it hard to find sponsors or if i did they wanted to much when it came to producing my Comedy shows in Brisbane. After touting several ideas of getting customers in, after a while I came across the idea of giving free fuel with every ticket purchase, so for every 15 dollars a patron spends they get $5 worth of f fuel( or equivelent to 10c a litre off based on a 50 litre tank) so if a person has 4 vouchers that is 40c a litre off fuel, even if they own a 100 litre tank that is still 5c - 20c a litre off fuel.
Like you say it took a while to get there, as it is almost been 18 months of testing and sourcing venues, but found something that is really going to kick off and think i may of timed it really well because fuel prices are about to go up and there is talk that Shell Australia might be aquiring Mobil Australia. My deal is with an independant and that are really backing me in providing me with what i want.
So sometimes it pays to wait, In the meantime my casting business has slowed down for the year, so it timed really well. Darrell Dower- Starflex Entertainment Group from Brisbane
Robert, sound advice for all about building things slowly and being prepared for success. In my specialty of websites, working gradually on improving and promoting websites has a much higher success rate of throwing something together and going on an orgy of promotion and ad spending, which typically generates a spike of interest that quickly subsides. Website success is rarely overnight unless you have millions behind you. Bruce Chapman from www.iFinity.com.au
Faster is only better when the initial process is tried and true. I am in my first week of Blackberry ownership and it has already paid for itself - until now I didnt even have Bluetooth because there were previously no benefits. The bottom line? get it right and then go for it!! Grant Hyman from Sydney | Read my articles
You don't need to do everything alone, lot's of help are available for soloist. Have a business plan is most important . The Office Witch's tip , have a business coach. Judit Nagy www.theofficewitch.com.au from Sydney

11 comments | Add your own 1 2 | Next» View all»

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