When you hear the word squirrel, what are the first words you think of by association? Tails and Nuts?
Googling squirrels recently, it occurred to me that there is a direct analogy between squirrels and South African Small Business Owners.
There are three types of squirrels: the ground squirrel, the flying squirrel and the tree squirrel.
Similarly there are three types of SBO’s: the struggling SBO, the high flyer (albeit temporarily) and the one who builds success with good growth, sustainability and clear vision all around him.
Let me thus introduce Sammy squirrel or should I suggest Sarel Squirrel and his counterpart Sibongile Squirrel?
Being rather typical as squirrels go, these individuals, both being SBO’s, are faced with the prospect of going about their daily lives under the harsh African sun.
Had they been in captivity (employees in a large corporation, therefore read "protected somewhat") they would have a life expectancy of approximately 20 years. Being SBO’s though, the chances are that they will not survive their first year. This is not necessarily due to predators, nor lack of food, but from the threat of being run over by a vehicle whilst in search of food. (Even if you are on the right track you will get run over if you just sit there!)
Should they develop some avoidance tactics during this period, their life expectancy immediately jumps to a six or seven year period – or longer!
As soon as Sarel and Sibongilie are liberated from their nests as juveniles, the first thing they do is to start demarcating their territory (market place), they do this by urinating on the surrounding trees (leaving calling cards, flyers, telephone calls and client visits)
Being solitary animals with no hierarchical structure and no common group name such as a “herd” a “gaggle” or other, they simply do what comes instinctively. (no team, no-one to delegate to and no-one to bounce ideas off) The size of their territory thus varies considerably and randomly (without clear outcomes) from one to seven acres.
Both Sarel and Sibongile go about their daily duties with much energy, hopping sometimes 20 meters at a time in search of food and another tree to mark! (client to service or sell to) They run very quickly for their size at speeds recorded at 20mph – being small business owners, the pace is sometimes frenetic and it is amazing how much hard work gets accomplished.
Sometimes Sarel and Sibongile get injured (take a knock, encounter obstacles) but they seldom show pain or disability – they simply learn to do what squirrels do, but in another way. As SBO’s this often means trading with no capital, finding innovative ways to simply get the job done – even though these ways are more expensive, more time consuming and cut deeply into the profit margin.
The fact is that if Sarel and Sibongile do not adapt, they are likely to die!
Do you want to know how Sarel and Sibongile can ensure that their tails are bushy? Increase their life expectancy and ensure that they remember where their nuts are at all times?
We advocate knowledge and training, creativity and systems generation, we also suggest that as a SBO you remove yourself from life threatening situations such as stress, negativity and demotivation.
Visit www.stafftraining.co.za and choose from one of twenty training workshops that will assist you, the SBO and/or your personnel with practical tools and ideas to help weather the storm (current economic climate). Be proactive!
© Debbie Engelbrecht June 2nd 2008
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