When I purchased a private language school five years ago (along with a business partner), I thought life was sweet indeed. I kept my own hours, changed things as I felt like it and became important. Things were so good that I felt comfortably ignorant of market and business signals.

I loved systems but found it difficult to establish, measure or improve them so didn’t. I loved learning about new marketing, networking and sales techniques but didn’t proactively implement them. I loved interacting with staff and students and other business owners but not in an attempt to really understand them. In effect I became comfortable with my ignorance and it felt good.

After a year or so when the market headed South so did our business. Problems and issues started to arise. Staff started turning-up late for work, students were complaining about teachers and less students were coming. All that was buried in the depths of my ignorance began to arise and create havoc! We ended-up selling the business after protracted negotiations with the new owner and I felt relieved to get the school off my hands.

It was not until several months later that I began to gain some clarity about why things turned-out the way they did. Things that I didn’t do that I should have done became obvious. For a time I felt guilty and ‘beat myself up’ for all the things that I should have seen and should have done. That stage passed and a sense of quiet understanding overcame me - the lessons had been received and I was now able to move on.

The take-a-way is that the more you shed light on or elucidate areas of your life the more you and your business will grow. It may not happen in the way you intend and it may be uncomfortable but when you reach the other side you are thankful that you embarked on the journey. That amazing Pink-Toed Platypus that you think your business is might just lose its mates through ignorance so don’t let it happen.

Jason

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