Business Strategist Travis Robertson Speaking This Week (7/30/10)

I love business and I love working with entrepreneurs. To me, entrepreneurs and small business owners are some of the most fascinating people in the world. It takes a lot of heart, passion, guts and a little “crazy” to quit a job that is perceived as safe and strike out on your own. I know because I did it and I’ve worked with others who’ve done it as well.
Up until 2009, my life was spent predominantly in the technology arena as a web application developer then consultant and entrepreneur. During that time, I was a part of five startups in various capacities (along with a short stint in a Fortune 500 company) where I worked directly with entrepreneurs to grow businesses from the ground up.

As good as I may have been at technology, it was during that time I realized it wasn’t my true passion or calling in life. What I really loved – what I really thrived in doing – was helping entrepreneurs and small business owners build and grow their companies.

Sometimes, when we love to do something and we’re good at it, we take that gift for granted. That’s what happened to me. I’m great at business and strategy and I spent more time working with those business owners on their business structure than I did their technology. And I did it simply because I loved it!

Through that work, I realized that most people who go out on their own are exceedingly gifted at what they do – be it a website designer, brand developer, shop owner, or plumber. However, creating and building a business around what they do is where most people get stuck. It’s why 80% of business fail in the first 5 years and, of those that do survive, only 80% survive the next 5 years.

Many of the business owners I work with are exhausted, frustrated and just plain burnt out. Some are weeks or months away from going back to a day job. Others are working themselves to the bone because they struggle with how to expand their team. Most can’t figure out why their business isn’t working even though they’re good at what they do.

That’s where I come in. I love business. I’m a businessman – not a plumber or shopkeeper or fashion designer. It’s this fascination with business that drives me to help entrepreneurs and business owners design and create businesses that succeed.

Over the years, I’ve learned and examined principles of business that, when consistently applied to a company, cause it to thrive. I teach owners how to structure and run a business that works and grows. As a result, owners are empowered to build a life around their business they never thought possible. Their confidence and hope is regained and they find a renewed passion for their work.