Why business is like the story ‘We’re going on a bear hunt’

Any parents or grandparents reading will be familiar with the story of ‘We’re going on a bear hunt’. In this blog DICE Co-Founder Kate Cousens shares why she thinks running a business is like that story and her top tips for going the distance as a business owner.

There are many differences between running a business and being employed but perhaps one of the key contrasts is that you have to be in it for the long haul and go the distance. As a reformed job hopper, this is something I have found personally challenging in the last five years since working for myself. When I say job hopper, I mean that I was always getting itchy feet after a 18 months or a couple of years and would look to move roles. In the early part of my career that looked like changing organisations….reading job ad’s was a hobby and my CV was always polished and ready to go!

When I became a parent this looked like staying in one organisation but moving roles – sideways and then eventually upwards. None of this did me any harm – in fact I have always felt like it was a major benefit to both myself in terms of keeping me motivated, and also to the organisations I worked for, as I always brought fresh enthusiasm and energy to my work.

This mindset stayed with me in the early years of my business journey too, and it took me a very long time to get comfortable being uncomfortable, which you have to do when you work for yourself. There are no guarantees of success – you have to be visible; you have to sell yourself; you have to pitch for business and run the risk of losing. Like the words in the story: “I’m not scared” became a mantra for me (even when I really was!).

Since forming DICE with Steve Lloyd, the bear hunt, I mean business, has felt less scary as it’s great to have other people on your team to generate ideas, to develop content and to work with clients, but you still have to go the distance. Like in the story, there are still plenty of moments where you reach a muddy patch, or a snowstorm, or a deep dark forest which you can’t go over or under, you just have to go through. You have to trust your wellies and go the distance to catch that bear. So analogy over, here are my 3 top tips for going the distance in business…

Know thyself and prosper – I know that keeping things fresh and feeling like I am always moving ahead is important for me, so with that in mind I prioritise me own personal development. I have gone from being a job-ad junkie to a course junkie! Every year I seek out different courses so that I can learn and add more strings to my bow, which also benefits the DICE business too, as I can bring that learning back to share with clients and franchisees. Everyone is different but it really helps to understand what makes you tick and weave that into your business.
Prioritise self-care: Self-care means something different to each of us – for me it means getting a good night’s sleep and booking regular breaks in the year where I can switch off from running the business. Running a business always feels like I have homework due – there’s always something I could be doing to make the business better but I also know that when those feelings start to overwhelm me, it is a sure sign that I need a week off from the noise!
Ask for help: This is something I struggle with but really want to work on! I am a perpetual ‘do-er’ and have a strong ‘hurry up’ drive (one of the five drivers of Transactional Analysis recognised by Kahler, 1975), which results in me often pushing myself to work harder and do more. Asking for help, either at home or with Steve in the business, doesn’t come naturally to me but I am getting better at it. This year I have even taken the plunge and started to outsource some things that I would
usually do myself….that is a big step forward for me. Asking for help can look like many different things – getting a cleaner to free up more time at home, moving a meeting time to help give you space to think beforehand, outsourcing things in your business that take up your time which could be better used to help the business go faster, or hiring a business mentor or coach to help you (we know some good ones!).

Unlike ‘We’re going on a bear hunt’, the story of business doesn’t end in going back to bed and hiding under the covers – as much as we might sometimes want to do that! But it is also extremely rewarding, working for yourself means that you are in charge of your own destiny, and you reap what you sow.
If you’re interested in finding out more about what support we offer at DICE, please get in touch – we’d love to meet and find out more about your business and how we can help.

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