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The Shoulders of Giants
No doubt you have heard this famous phrase many times before – it is used in context with both scientific application and general business principles.
I will borrow it today to talk about an important habit that I think all entrepreneurs ought to adopt and practice for the rest of their business lives.
I have mentioned many times that, in my experience, the most successful solo business owners are the ones that ride the crest of the wave of trends and technology in their niche.
One of the ways they do that is by keeping themselves informed about the environment in which they operate (their niche subject and marketplace) and the world of business both nationally and globally.
To meet that challenge, you need to begin the habit of reading and digesting the best news and thought on these and other subjects from sources online, in books, magazine articles, forums, and anywhere else you can find such information.
Today’s business environment is global, fast paced, and open to anyone that cares to learn about new trends, services, principles of success, and the pitfalls to avoid. The barriers to entry into the online business world are very minimal compared to the investment that must be made into starting a brick and mortar business. People of all ages, ethnicity, backgrounds, and skill levels are earning money online by sharing what they know, what they have learned, or what they have found and would like to share.
Sometimes small business owners “hole up” and focus so intently on running their business they overlook the value of stepping away for an hour or two on a regular basis to notice what’s happening all around them.
Isaac Newton, who has been called the “father of modern science,” wrote to his friend Robert Hooke, a fellow scientist,
“If I have seen farther than others, it is because I was standing on the shoulders of giants.” (1676)
Newton recognized that he was able to make important scientific and mathematical discoveries because he read about, studied and further developed the body of knowledge and experimentation done by others that had gone on before him.
As a solo online business owner, you don’t have the time to reinvent business systems, approaches, strategies, ideas, and resources. But you can spend a little bit of time understanding what other successful people have accomplished and what tools and methods they used to get it done.
Here’s a valuable business hint: Many successful businesses are simply “modeling” other businesses in different spaces that were already successful. They didn’t copy them or plagiarize them, but studied what they were doing in their own marketplace and transferred those principles and ideas to their specific niche business. Yes, successful and profitable businesses leave breadcrumb paths and it is fairly easy to model what they are doing with a little bit of research.
I love libraries and bookstores where I find this body of information and knowledge. Often, when I go on out-of-state business trips I spend my free time in the evenings at local libraries or book stores while my companions head out for entertainment or the local drinking establishments.
I love to read about great business people and the ideas and concepts they find successful in their businesses. I am not as smart as any of the folks I study and I rely heavily upon them to teach me what they have learned.
I am adding a new category today to this blog. It’s called “Books to Read.” I would like to share with you the reading I have found both interesting and of great value to the online information business operators.
But don’t just review what I’ve written. Adopt the habit yourself of staying in touch with the “outside” business world by reading articles and books and news about the latest trends in your niche.
Stand on the shoulders of the giants that have gone before you. It will allow you to see much farther into the distance than you can on your own!
To your online business success,
Steve Browne
www.SteveBrowneDirect.com