It was a scenic walk through one of the hiking trails in the Haenertsburg area. Lehumo and I were bouncing ideas around as we often do when we go hiking. Haenertsburg is a village nestled along the R71 to Tzaneen. There are a few hiking routes in the area that offering varied hiking difficulties. The village work is one of my favourites.
But let me get back to the idea behind today’s post. We were discussing the value of building solid business ideas that solve local problems locally. Whether this means taking the time to train staff to desired levels of competence or thinking about issues of scale when before the business starts.
Lehumo was impressed with the breathtakingly beauty along the hike and got to a point where he highlighted that the hike we were on was only 60 kilometres east of Polokwane. We didn’t travel to Mpumalanga or some other exotic location looking for a hiking route. Instead we got a few bottles of water, a small backpack with snacks and took an hours drive east.
At this point, he highlighted something profound. It stuck with me! “Master your own backyard,” he said. The idea really got me thinking. Have I really exhausted all business growth avenues in Polokwane? Do I even know the name of the southern most town under Polokwane Municipality? Have I travelled to its eastern edge? Spent a night in the cities most northern location or even breathed the air of its western boundaries?
The thrust of his argument really was just that. Do you know what the business space is in the world that is immediately around you? Or have I been dreaming big or perceiving high level issues and concerns?
I still feel inspired and motivated to go one step further whenever I think I’ve exhausted my options. The goal is to not know about my proverbial back yard. The goal is to master my proverbial backyard.