I read many great blogs and websites as well as listen to several podcasts on a daily basis. Last year, the subject of comparing success to the bamboo plant caught my attention and really stayed with me. Bamboo are very unique plants that are the fastest-growing plants with some species being able to grow up to 3 ft within a 24-hour period. That growth appears to be an overnight success; however, you must consider that it can take years for a planted bamboo to sprout. For this reason, successful bamboo farmers must exercise patience. Even though growth is invisible to the eye, they must continue to tend and take care of their bamboo.
Much like bamboo, a business functions in the same way. A business may appear to have overnight success, but those associated with business may have been putting in months and even years of work before seeing any success. To those on the outside, the business may appear to be an overnight success. On another note, business owners must also be prepared for the potential growth their business may see once they “sprout.”
I Am Black Business is no exception to the bamboo comparison. We have only recently launched after almost two years of research, development, and testing. At this time, I still consider our plant to be in the ground with no sprout yet as we still have a long way to go to reach our goals. Every day, our team puts in the work necessary to grow our business and empower the black community.
Bamboo provides a two-fold lesson in business. The first is to continue the hard work of developing a viable business even when you haven’t seen huge success yet. Being prepared for growth is the second lesson.