We've all learned a lot this year ... and one of the hardest lessons, for many, is that being "average" is dangerous.If you’re average, you’re as close to the bottom as you are to the top, as the saying goes. And who wants to be there? New businesses die every day in Botswana – we are seeing it right in front of eyes – and if you’re average, you’re on the fast track to being one of them. Being average will sink you..I eat out a lot. (Not because I’m fancy – I get into the zone and forget to feed myself. Then, when I realise I'm about to pass out, I dash out the office and grab whatever I can find.) But if you ask what my favourite place to eat is, I would genuinely struggle to tell you.Why? Because nobody in the marketplace wants to sell me anything special. Everything I order turns out to be ‘just ok.’ And that’s a problem. Average means forgettable. Average means nobody tweets about you or gives you props on Facebook. Average means losing out on waves of recurring income, just because you’re average.So how do you know if you're average? If you’re struggling to get people talking about your brand, if your repeat business is only a trickle, if you hardly ever get a referral – you don’t need to look far for your problem, because I can already tell you. You’re average..The good news is that your competition is mostly average too. Many of them are either lazy, incompetent, or both. Even the best company in your industry is probably not that far ahead of you.So, this is your chance. This is your moment to help and delight some people, shock the marketplace... and make a lot of money. This is your chance to create a customer experience that inspires love and sharing and excitement. You don’t need a loan for your business. You don't need to join an incubator. You don't need to watch any more inspirational videos. You don't need even need a business plan.What you need is to promise yourself that you'll never be average again. And the rest will work itself out, sooner than you think.
We've all learned a lot this year ... and one of the hardest lessons, for many, is that being "average" is dangerous.If you’re average, you’re as close to the bottom as you are to the top, as the saying goes. And who wants to be there? New businesses die every day in Botswana – we are seeing it right in front of eyes – and if you’re average, you’re on the fast track to being one of them. Being average will sink you..I eat out a lot. (Not because I’m fancy – I get into the zone and forget to feed myself. Then, when I realise I'm about to pass out, I dash out the office and grab whatever I can find.) But if you ask what my favourite place to eat is, I would genuinely struggle to tell you.Why? Because nobody in the marketplace wants to sell me anything special. Everything I order turns out to be ‘just ok.’ And that’s a problem. Average means forgettable. Average means nobody tweets about you or gives you props on Facebook. Average means losing out on waves of recurring income, just because you’re average.So how do you know if you're average? If you’re struggling to get people talking about your brand, if your repeat business is only a trickle, if you hardly ever get a referral – you don’t need to look far for your problem, because I can already tell you. You’re average..The good news is that your competition is mostly average too. Many of them are either lazy, incompetent, or both. Even the best company in your industry is probably not that far ahead of you.So, this is your chance. This is your moment to help and delight some people, shock the marketplace... and make a lot of money. This is your chance to create a customer experience that inspires love and sharing and excitement. You don’t need a loan for your business. You don't need to join an incubator. You don't need to watch any more inspirational videos. You don't need even need a business plan.What you need is to promise yourself that you'll never be average again. And the rest will work itself out, sooner than you think.