Business Monday: Running a Business is No Vacation – Bob Salvas

by Bob Salvas, contributing writer

Starting and running a business requires a LOT of work… it is NOT a vacation.  But did you know that there are similarities between the two and perhaps some lessons to be learned from both?

My wife and I were fortunate enough to take a recent European vacation that included a Mediterranean cruise and some stays on land in foreign countries.  It was an epic trip but traveling (especially to a foreign country) can be a big undertaking – in some ways like starting and running a small business.

Here are the 3 lessons from our trip and how those lessons might also apply to the world of business:

1. PLANNING – Some people plan a little and like the spontaneity of travel. Others plan every detail down to the minute.  Everyone is different. But the fact remains that SOME planning is still required.  In our case, we had to book the flights, book the cruise line, book a hotel for land stays, make sure our passports were up to date, figure out what to take with us, and a myriad of other details. We felt comfortable with our level of planning and preparation for our trip… but it turns out we could have done more.

Business is similar.  Heck, it is even called a “business plan”!  Some may just have the plan in their head (or on the proverbial ‘back of a napkin’) while others do a completely detailed business plan (often one that is presented to a bank or investors).  Some people plan for days and others plan for years… but PLANNING is an IMPORTANT requirement in business just like in planning a big trip.

“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” – Benjamin Franklin

2. PROBLEM SOLVING – The old TV character John “Hannibal” Smith used to frequently say “I love it when a plan comes together.” Don’t we all?  The truth is that no matter how good or bad your plan is and no matter how short or detailed it is, things are likely to go wrong, and you will have to adapt and solve the problems.  One of the things that went wrong for us on our trip was we ended up booking a TERRIBLE hotel in a bad section of Rome (we had never been to Rome before).  When we got there, we knew we could not spend 3 hours in this “hotel”, much less 3 days.  We cancelled our reservation and left the hotel and had to figure out what to do next.  Honestly it was a little scary given that we were on foreign soil and understanding both the landscape and the language added extra obstacles.  But we did what we had to do and got a different place to stay.

This, of course, happens ALL the time in business.  We think something will happen and something ELSE happens.  Things change over time and all the time.  Being in business requires you to be nimble and adjust on the fly.  Max McKeown once said, “All failure is failure to adapt, all success is successful adaptation.”  Change and your ability to problem-solve and adapt to a new situation WILL make or break your business.

“Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.” – Mike Tyson

3. PEOPLE – A big part of problem solving and achieving success is tapping into your network – the people you know and the people you meet. While my wife and I were on our cruise, we met several people on the ship including this one couple from Philadelphia who, like us, were spending an extra three days on land in Rome.  We exchanged contact information with the idea that we would meet up for dinner once or twice during our Rome stay.  When we ended up in that desperate situation after cancelling our hotel, we had a hard time getting onto the internet to look for another option.  We called our friends (who were already checked into their Airbnb and they had Wi-Fi).  They looked for a place near them (they were in a good section) and gave us the information we needed.  We booked the new place, and it ended up being beautiful and right in the heart of where we wanted to be.  They basically saved our vacation.

Of course, in business we call this NETWORKING and I can honestly say that not only did networking save my recent vacation, but it also saved my business and the businesses of countless people that I know.  As a small business, networking can give you information you cannot find on your own, hidden opportunities, referrals, and (especially for the solopreneur) tremendous camaraderie and support.  I am convinced that it is a cornerstone to small business success.

“Everyone should build their network before they need it.” – Dave Delaney

So do your PLANNING, then adapt to what doesn’t work or what goes wrong by PROBLEM SOLVING and whether you are on vacation or running a business, seek out PEOPLE.  Not only do people help you to win and overcome the negatives, but they also are there to share your victories with- and that is what real success and happiness is all about.

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Bob Salvas is a Professional Development Manager for the RI Builders Assn, a marketing consultant, the founder of Momentum Networking, and the co-founder of THE MARKETING CAMP, a yearly conference to help small businesses achieve success.  For more information about THE MARKETING CAMP, go to themarketingcamp.com.  Bob can be reached at 401-359-1602 or at [email protected].