Having had a fantastic weekend of sailing last weekend – screaming along in a fresh breeze on my Laser on the Saturday, then yacht racing with friends off Newcastle on Sunday… I was thinking about the differences between being an employee and a business owner. 

You see… an employee, like a train is pretty much set on a track as they:

  • Run to someone else’s agenda and not necessarily in the direction they want to go.   i.e. someone else laid the path before the train got to it
  • Need massive power and fuel to get moving;
  • Need only something small to derail it;  eg..  more people lose jobs than businesses
  • Will stop moving when you stop powering them
  • Believes they only have one path and need to hit a junction before they can change tracks and then only onto another pre-determined set of tracks, again,  laid by someone else.
  • Find it hard to get off the track if they are being paid well

 Meanwhile… a business owner is more like a sailing boat:

  • Boats have no set direction unless you give them one;
  • They get hit by waves, tides and winds that open it up to new opportunities; (when opportunity knocks on your door, open it!)
  • You can either harness the elements (winds, waves) or you can fight them and the boat will keep moving even if you don’t power it.  The best thing about having a boat is that you can use these things around you to your advantage.         
  • We shelter from the storm and pick the path.  BUT we need to set a sail and harness the stuff around us to help us get to where we are going.
  • Boats need to be managed and maintained properly, and with great teamwork can be a competitive force.
  • Many have anchors which can be holding them back, and have to let them go to move forward. 
  • Business owners need to determine where you are and where you want to go (Set your goals), and map your path (plan)

Are you a Boat or a Train…. even in a business…. following someone else will make it hard to get what you really want, so get off the train, get on your boat and set your sail for business success.

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