Hmmm,  as I started to write this article today a few times I quit, then I got going again.  I was asked the question.  “What is it like owning your own business in the cycling industry?”  But then as it usually does I had an Ah Ha moment when I was riding my bike and now I have tried to put my thoughts on paper for you the esteemed reader.  Just follow me for a moment here and you will hopefully understand.

Most of the time I do my best thinking while riding.  I dont know why, maybe its that I can finally get away from the daily clutter of what happens in our lives.  All the filler that happens from the time that we wake from the time that we go to sleep.  If we do get to sleep.  As cyclists we get to learn some pretty valuable lessons that carry over to business.  One of the best things about cycling is you cant really fake it.  You can for a little while but if the race is either long enough or hard enough you cant make it to the end with out doing the training.  Same goes for running a business, if at the end of the day you dont have anything to show for it your the only one to blame. We are the ones at the end of the day that have to look in the mirror and say “did I do everything I could to make this company succeed today?”  Second is that you have to work hard.  Really hard.  I think for the most part people do work hard at their jobs.  But how hard would you work when its your own?  Think about it, in cycling we push ourselves to the limit a couple of times per week.  (or at least you should be!)  In business its the same.  If you dont then your business is not going to make it.  You have to push in order for it to succeed.  Third, you have to belive in what your doing.  If you dont have confidence in yourself then its not going to work out in the long run.  Usually cyclists gain the self confidence that they need to sucseed through their training.  At the end of a training block (which includes rest!)  a cyclist should look back and smile. They should be proud of how they rode and how the training went.  Same goes for business, at the end of the month or quarter the owner should be able to look back and see that yes they are making it and yes they will continue to make it.  Fourth there are no shortcuts.  In both cycling and business there are no easy way outs or easy wins.  They all come through hard work, some rest,  a little luck, and a will to succeed.

JR

www.athleteoctane.com