“Business is about
having money in
your hands that
to get ahead you
need connections
and networks. “
businessman was willing to
listen to us and furthermore he
was willing to lead us to very
powerful people with money.
As with the case with any shark
there was the underlying request
for a little ‘incentive’. He was
making very subtle requests for a
significant stake in the business
in payment for his information
and network capital.
Weeks went by and he kept
saying he was playing his cards
to his chest. What was he
waiting for? Well simply put for
us young and naïve
entrepreneurs to bleed just a bit
so he could feed.
We had fallen nicely into the
trap of being naïve that anybody
interested in our idea is really
interested in our idea.
Something learned from this
little protracted transaction was
the importance of being secure in
what you have and knowing
when someone is really
interested in your idea.
In the case point above it was
clear that this big shark was an
opportunist just looking to bite
off a chunk of our business for
nothing.
This brings me to one of the
first of 13 principles for the
entrepreneur (Japanese
fisherman) who will
successfully (profitably)
navigate the shark infested
waters of opportunity.
Security
Security is principal in any
assault on a shark. An
entrepreneur needs to operate
from a secure position which
can also be considered a place
of confidence. As an
entrepreneur you must be
operating from a position of
confidence and security in a
number of things,
Your business acumen and
competence,
Your business idea and its
potential,
Your network of advisors.
These 3 things will serve to
ensure that you know what you
have, what you’re looking for
and what you really need to get
you business idea off the
ground.
Your business acumen
and competence (your
knowledge)
In business as with any other
sector or area of an economy
there is a need for a sizeable
quantity of relevant knowledge.
This is because,
-Your individual actions as the
owner will ultimately affect
how your business idea will
perform,
-The right behaviour
(application of knowledge
will lead to success).
So what you know and being
secure in what you know will
always play a significant role
in how you present yourself to
a potential investor who could
be a shark.
Your business idea and
its potential
As much as knowledge and
competence are important the
gaps in your skill and
competence will also be
supported by research and
details relating to you
business idea and its ability to
translate to market share.
Your network of
advisors
Your ability to assimilate all
aspects of a business and to
know everything about it are
close t o impossible and so
there’s always need for more
brains to shape and focus your
business idea as it grows.
Advisors, play the significant
role of providing plugs for
gaps in aspects like
experience, knowledge and
leverage.
A secure position means one
thing that an entrepreneur
enters the open waters of
opportunity certain of one
thing; survival is necessary
but it isn’t sufficient when
faced with the shark.
Get your copy of “The Shark and the Japanese fisherman” at shop.mazwi.co
Groove Magazine Zimbabwe
67