What have skiing and business got in common?
Not a lot?
Well in truth more than first meets the eye.
Whilst on a holiday to the French Alps, I got thinking that a lot of the same disciplines are required when you run a successful business.
Let me explain what I mean…
There are several keys steps that are the same:-
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- Planning
- Setting realistic targets and goals
- Getting in training
- Having the right equipment
- Enjoying the moment
- Reviewing and implementing corrective action
1 Planning
You wouldn’t just turn up at the airport and decide to go skiing in July for example; you would plan when and where to go, you need to ensure there is snow. You would think carefully about the right resort for you and the rest of your party, no point choosing somewhere that is not suitable for the level of skiers in the group.
2 Target setting
You would decide, how long to ski for, a week, 10 days, two weeks maybe, dependent on your fitness. The length of time each day you would ski. What type of difficulty of run you would attempt on day one and the end of your holiday. No point setting yourself a goal of doing a black run on day one if you have never been on ski’s before. It just isn’t realistic!
3 Getting in training
If you really want to get the most out of your holiday in terms of maximising skiing and enjoyment, you need to be really fit, however if you just want to pootle about and enjoy yourself you don’t need to train to the same standard that an Olympic skier does.
It’s down to personal choice and business is a little like this, the more effort coupled with training and development you put in, the more successful a business is likely to be.
4 Having the right equipment
Having the right equipment is of paramount importance when you’re skiing. If you are not dressed properly you will be cold and if you don’t have the right boots and ski’s you won’t be able to ski properly if at all.
It’s the same in business. If you don’t have the right information, like budgets and management information you won’t be able to achieve those goals, quickly, if at all. More importantly, you may not even stay in business if you run out of cash because you didn’t plan and get the right tools in place first.
Either way it will be one major headache that you can really do without!
5 Enjoying the moment
When your skiing, you have a really short time span for enjoying your holiday, that particular day and even that particular ski run regardless if it’s a red, black or blue run. So you need to savour every moment, every view, the fresh air and hopefully the sunshine and mountain views.
The same is true of business.
You may have a short time frame to get your product or service to market, so you need to enjoy your success and have your eyes on the targets in front, be it to roll out the next product and grow the sales revenues before you move on to the next challenge.
6 Reviewing and implementing corrective action.
In skiing unless you’re an expert, you need to work really hard on mastering the basics. In order to improve, go in one direction and not fall over, the same can be said about a business.
You have to put a huge effort in to perfecting your product or service.
There will be many hiccups on the way, you’ll continually have setbacks, but you need to pick yourself up, dust yourself down and get right back on track trying even harder than before.
However when it all comes together you will be soaring on cloud 9 literally. You will reap the rewards of all that hard work and determination.
Work hard and play hard and you will win in the end!!
If you’d like help increasing your profitability why not call us on 0161 410 0020 or email [email protected] for a free no obligation chat.
After all, “Not all accountants are the same!”
