Not by the hair of my chinny chin chin.

A friend recently opened a business. He was so excited. There was a gleam in his eye. The same gleam when a proud father talks about the birth of a child. He opened to very strong sales as people "test drove" his offering for the first time. This is what is called the honeymoon period.

Just like a relationship, nothing goes wrong on a honeymoon. And even if it did, you just shake it off and continue to enjoy the ride.

Business was so good, he exclaimed the business had surpassed his wildest dreams. It was such an exciting time.

There were holes in his business model. Ignorant me, by pointing out some of the flaws in his assumptions, I upset him more than helped him. I thought his business could benefit from my input. Leaving that day, my main concern was how to improve my coaching skills. 

It's his business. He has the final say on all things. That's why owning a business is so great. You don't have to listen to anyone except your customer. Ultimately, the only boss that matters is the one putting money in the cash register. Business owners can take objective, outside advice or they can discount it. My friend chose the latter, stating consumers were quite happy with his product offering. 

Three months later, sales started to decline. When sales start to lag, I see too many business owners who point the finger at some external force. It's someone else's fault whether it be the economy, increased competition, government regulations, landlord demands, employee problems or some other black force killing sales. People don't like to look internally at themselves.

How can I be be the problem? What can I do differently? Where are my blind spots? What are my limiting beliefs? Is there an assumption I'm making that may not be true?

This is not only true of business people.

We look to place blame on the big bad wolf that is trying to huff and puff to blow the house down.

I want you to remember the children's story of "The Three Little Pigs". The moral of the story has nothing to do with the wolf. It has to do with preparation for the wolf. Just build the business/yourself out of bricks - solid, stable and sturdy enough to withhold the wolf's breath. 

One day there will be a wolf. Know your flaws. Learn your blindspots. If a wolf blows your house down, it was your fault. You should have known he was coming, because he is relentless.