Survive anywhere by changing the rules
I just got back from the National Aquarium, where (among tons of other great attractions) I came face to face with some "creatures of the abyss" -- animals that exist in a frigid, sunless environment at the bottom of the ocean's deepest crevices.
At first glance, it seems like they shouldn't be able to exist: without sun, there's no life. Without light, how do they get around? With minimal food, how do they survive? But there's a great lesson to learn from the fact that these crazy, beautiful underwater critters thrive in the place where there should be no life at all: you can survive anywhere if you just change the rules.
As small business owners and entrepreneurs, we can do the same. If your start-up budget is low, skip the useless expenses like brand new computers and fancy business cards. If your cash flow can't support a big office and dozens of employees, scale down and save tons of money by working from home. If your high-maintenance clients are cramping your style, ditch them and focus on the ones that will make you happier and help you build a better lifestyle.
In doing so, you'll also learn something that all our friends in nature know well: you can't do everything, and you can't survive everywhere. Thriving in one environment means you'll have to eliminate some others -- which means building and perfecting your niche. In the same sense that a creature's adaptations to the ocean abyss make it unsuitable for life around a coral reef, my choice of a niche means I say no to a lot of projects that aren't up my alley. It also means that I excel in my chosen environment, and live a successful and happy lifestyle as a result.
How have you adapted your business to your environment and lifestyle -- and what rules would you like to change?
About the Author
Rob Howard is the web developer who speaks your language. As the founder of Howard Development & Consulting, he works exclusively with designers and creative firms to deliver top-notch HTML/CSS, JavaScript, Wordpress and ExpressionEngine content management system development. He's built sites for Harvard, MIT and the Holocaust Museum, and his start-ups have been praised in BusinessWeek, Entertainment Weekly and PC Magazine.
