Recently I was talking with a friend about his business and couldn’t help asking him why his expectations for it were so low. It made me realize how important it is for us to set our sights high and not put limits on what we expect to accomplish, because, quite frankly, if you can’t visualize your particular enterprise being on top, getting there is going to be that much more difficult.
In the course of my career, one of the things that has always characterized my business philosophy is determination to align my endeavors with the biggest and the best. When my partners and I created Pet Promise, for example,and decided we’d be much better off with the backing of big company, we began by approaching Nestle Purina with the idea. The upshot was that they wouldn’t let us leave until we had worked out a deal, which led to it’s becoming the number one brand of natural pet food on the market. And when it came to our recycling business Code Blue/Greenopolis, the very first company to which we took the idea was Waste Management, which ended up buying it six months later and developing it into the highly promising operation it’s since become.
That’s why if you’re an entrepreneur with what you think is a great idea, my advice to you would be the same as it was to my friend: make your expectations for it great as well. Whatever the potential you have in mind, think bigger – even globally. Include the fast developing BRIC (Brazil/Russia/India/China) market in all your projections, as well as the idea of approaching the biggest and best known companies as prospective partners. Remember; entrepreneurs with new ideas represent new opportunities for established businesses to expand, create jobs and enhance their reputations for innovation. So rather than setting modest goals for whatever you’ve created – which you might consider more “realistic” – think of it as your special gift to the world, and raise the bar far higher. You might just be amazed to discover how much it’s possible to exceed your original expectations and goals.
