In August, my wife and I participated in the 25 mile “Bike the Bay” ride in San Diego. The course crosses the Coronado Bay Bridge and circles around the San Diego Bay. Thinking back I learned some lessons to apply to business. The primary attraction for the event is the ride over the bridge, a stretch requiring strength and endurance.
Similarly there will be difficult times during business. The key is to keep pushing forward while doing your best to maintain a steady pace. The top will be reached and you will head down the other side. But this sudden gain of momentum in business and on the bike course also has risks. You must keep under control. On the bike it’s easy to get tangled up with cars, signs or other riders. In business sudden uncontrolled growth can lead to excess spending, hiring and poor quality to keep up with demand. It’s important to manage the ups and downs. Farther along there are times of smooth scenic riding.
These moments are appreciated but take care not to lose pace and get left behind. Same goes for business. Your store may be drawing in traffic and sales but beware of complacency that will allow your competition to pass you by. Keep focused on your goals. Other stretches of the ride weren’t physically challenging but the view was less desirable. This included industrial parts of San Diego. While biking one must pay attention and watch for hazards like rail crossings, large trucks or pot holes in the road. In the same way, nothing can bring your business down faster than ignoring perils such as taxes, security or substandard inventory. Falling on one of these can be as painful and difficult to recover from as a crash on asphalt. As you progress be sure to know the distance to the goal by tracking financials and reviewing business plan milestones.
On the ride my handy fitness mapper app kept me from quitting early by telling exactly how many miles to the finish line. Finally take care of yourself along the journey. The event provides rest stops and it’s wise to take advantage of them. Take time for vacation and rest from your business. It will energize and prepare you for the next leg of your expedition whether on bike or running a business.
Photo: Bike the Bay
