I don't remember when and where I first heard the following story but I use it in many of my initial meetings with people who want to start a business or want to grow their business:

" Image that you are standing in a forest of giant pine trees. This is your land and you believe that if you can grow corn in this area that there is and will be an ongoing market for the corn. First one has to realize what is involved in growing corn on this land; let's review what needs to be done.

1. All the pine trees have to be cut and hauled away
2. The tree stumps have to be dug or blasted out
3. The tree stumps  now have to hauled away
4. You now get a plow but find that there are a lot of rocks in the area
5. You haul the rocks away
6. Now the plowing begins
7. Next, the sees are planted
8. Fertilizer is now needed for the seeds to grow
9. Of course, an irrigation or watering system of some kind has to installed
10. Now the weeds start coming and you have to cultivate
    
11. The corn stalks finally start coming out of the ground
12. Continued, watering, cultivating and soon you will have your corn crop to take to market
13. You harvest the corn
14. You go back to item six and start again...."

Growing a business is a process that takes time and patience. It also takes a plan that has to be followed step by step in the proper sequence. Like the corn fields, once the first hard obstacles are overcome, it will feed you forever.

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The work will teach you how to do it.