Fishbowl CEO Dave Williams sat down with five other business leaders recently to discuss how small businesses can succeed. You can read the whole article in the Utah Valley BusinessQ article “Roundtable – Growing Pains and Gains.”
Entrepreneurship Isn’t for the Faint of Heart
Dave Williams says that to be a successful entrepreneur, “You need the willingness to lay it all on the line.” Going into business for yourself is a risk that you must carefully calculate. In addition to managing risk, entrepreneurs must have an infectiously positive attitude. “We have to be a provider of hope to our people, even if we’re scared and don’t know if there’s hope,” Williams explains. “That separates the managers from the leaders. Leaders create hope and provide that for other people.” This reminds me of what Richard Donner said when he was directing Superman: The Movie. He said that everyone on the set, from the actors to the camera operators, had to feed off his excitement every day. Even though he was sometimes discouraged and didn’t get much sleep, he had to stay excited for their sakes. If he didn’t have energy, he had to fake it until he did. That kind of dedication and leadership makes a big difference.Now Is the Time to Grow
It’s not easy to tell exactly when is the right moment to start a company or take bold moves to grow. Sometimes it’s just a matter of holding your breath and jumping in. Williams says, “Not only startups but also mature companies need to make smart decisions during this type of economy. There’s less competition, so it’s a great time to capture market share.”
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