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Inspiration can come from some unusual places. For budding entrepreneurs, one unexpected source of business inspiration is the great outdoors. Surprisingly, there are many things you can learn about business, leadership, and perseverance from nature and the great wide open. Here’s how it can be done.
Look Before You Leap
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, around 20% of new businesses fail during the first two years. To understand the reasons why, we can look to nature.
A recent study found that four of every 100,000 hikers die annually on trails, and falls were the most common cause of deaths and injuries. Falls generally happen because people aren’t paying attention or have taken an obvious risk with little chance of success. You can apply this lesson to new business ventures. In business, paying attention and assessing risk means conducting adequate research before committing to a new venture.
Face Your Fears
One recent study found that more than 12% of the population battle a phobia at some point in their lives. A phobia is an intense and often irrational fear of something specific. Several of the most common phobias are related to nature. These include:
- Arachnophobia or fear of spiders
- Ophidiophobia or fear of snakes
- Acrophobia or fear of heights
- Cynophobia or fear of dogs
With so many nature-related phobias, you’d think few people would be spending time outdoors. But this is far from true. In 2019 alone, nearly 50 million people participated in hiking.
It can be assumed that at least a small percentage of hikers battled one of the common phobias mentioned above. That means these individuals faced their fears to spend time in nature. In return, they were rewarded with many benefits. A few examples are improved mood, higher levels of vitamin D, and enhanced productivity.
This lesson can be applied to starting a business. It may be frightening to begin a new business venture, but as long as you look before you leap, facing your fears could bring you many benefits.
Use All Available Advantages
When you spend time in the great outdoors, it’s essential to use all available advantages. These might include making sure you’re adequately prepared or bringing others with you. Knowledge and instincts could also be considered advantages. This principle is equally relevant to starting a business. To succeed, you need the right tools. You need to do your research, trust your instincts, and know when (and how) to rely on a team.
If you’re planning to make your business dreams come true, forming an LLC can be an advantage you don’t want to overlook. Forming an LLC, or limited liability company, can offer multiple benefits, including reduced liability, tax advantages, less paperwork, and more flexibility. You can avoid hefty lawyer fees by either filing your LLC paperwork yourself or working with a formation service. Each state has unique regulations on forming an LLC, so it’s essential to research the rules in your state before you begin.
Look to the Great Outdoors for Business Inspiration
If a picture is worth a thousand words, then it’s all the more vital that you select the perfect image to represent your business. That can seem daunting, until you remember what the great outdoors has taught us about keeping our eyes open. Nature is brimming with lush imagery, from plants and animals to sun-washed landscapes.
The great outdoors offers a number of inspirational lessons for everyone — especially budding entrepreneurs. Some of the most important are looking before you leap, facing your fears, and using every available advantage to your benefit, both professionally and personally.