“Don’t Fall Out of the Boat Here” And Other Business Advice

When I was in my 20's I went river rafting for the first time. I didn't go on just any-old river for my first time, but instead went on a river that had from Class III to Class V rapids in the Pacific Northwest.

It was such a crazy trip, even our guide fell into the rapids! You know that is bad when your leader is down. I was scared. She was our leader, and the rest of us were strangers - and none of us had any experience at all. What a trip that was.

At one point, when our guide was back in the boat, we went through a particularly rocky part of the trip.

"OK, you guys - nobody fall in here!!" she exclaimed, as we all wrapped our suddenly stronger legs under the inflated sides of the boat. I don't think I ever held on tighter to anything in life.

Some folks I'm talking to these days have been on a very rocky ride keeping their small business afloat - restaurants and retailers have changed up how they are doing business. Higher end products have had big sale offerings, and lower priced lines of clothing and other "nice to have" products have been rolled out to keep dollars rolling in.

Now is not the time to fall out of this boat - wrap your feet around the sides - get good guidance, and you will find a way to make it.

Lori Richardson is on a "Small Business Innovation" tour around the U.S. and parts of Canada. If you know of a town she should visit, or a local expert she can co-present with, drop her a note. Set your big audacious goals and post them for the world to see - then take action on them. More on Lori and the tour at Small Biz Innovators.

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