Business plan: 53.2,4,5,6 > 32

[ben_s]

I'm working with my partner on a business plan. We have our first small customers and are still trying to figure out what direction we want to take with this new business. We have done the work before, but as employees in big organizations. We think we'll be happier with a freelance/startup life, but there is a lot to learn!

I asked the Yi, "What is the best way for us to rapidly build our profits?"
Answer 53.2,4,5,6 > 32

I always start by looking at the stories in the Yi and their morals.

53 development over a long term duration, like the tree growing on the mountain
53.2 there is a place of safety, like a goose that finds a safe nook on shore; call to invite others
53.4 improvise if needed until we can find our own place, like a goose making a temporary home in a tree even though geese don't live in trees
53.5 overcome isolation in order to succeed, and don't bother climbing a ladder or hierarchy that isn't really our own path
53.6 when it's time to move on, do so in a way that inspires others who stay behind, like people who have a spiritual ritual with the feathers left behind by the goose that flew away
32 long term union, successful motion towards a long term goal

To me this reading means:

At first, look for a "safe haven" that is easy to reach. Be opportunistic as long as there is some value we can provide right away and get paid. Take whatever clients are easy to reach and easy to work with right now. Invite other people to join our team. Spread the word. Seek out alliances and advisers. It's OK if we change direction later, as long as we are friendly and supportive of those who helped us get started. By acting in this way, we will build a financial foundation for long term plans.

I'd welcome any other points of view.

 

[willowfox]

"What is the best way for us to rapidly build our profits?"
Answer 53.2,4,5,6 > 32

This suggests that after the initial successes things are going to get tough for you, you will need to be flexible here and have some other work or money to see you through the difficult days. So, for a while it is going to be hard on you and your partner but give it a bit of time and then you will see a change in your fortunes, business will increase.

So, it appears that there is no best way, it would advise you to becareful of lean times ahead and prepare for those times now. Surviving this period is important as success will come later but you must allow development to take its own course.

 

[hilary]

Mm. Hexagram 53 in general and its fifth line in particular seem to challenge the whole idea that your start-up can build profits rapidly. Build them, yes, absolutely, but gradually.

I like your summary of the lines. I'd be inclined to take them in sequence, and work on line 2 first: enjoying having enough, sharing, maybe networking more actively.

Line 4 suggests being willing to do work that isn't quite in your niche, doesn't quite suit you, but gives you a foothold - perhaps this is the only way to advance beyond line 2 and get the chance to use more of your potential.

Line 5... not panicking and changing course if/when the profits don't grow rapidly, knowing you're still laying good foundations.

Line 6 - always mysterious, a development beyond anything the geese had in mind. I wonder whether you might sell your business, in the end, in support of something bigger. This is a long way from the honking and feasting at line 2.

 

[ben_s]

Thanks, Willowfox and Hilary.

We don't have other work or money to fall back on. Long story but it's true. But I do see two ways to get through lean times of line 5. We can use temporary subcontractors on individual projects, rather than adding staff. And we can offer a broader range of secondary services. These are not what we'd really most like to focus on eventually (which will take a larger investment to set up properly). Instead it's a short-term opportunistic focus on what clients are ready to buy now and what's easy for us to sell and deliver now.

I really like the idea of line 2 representing our opportunity build our professional network. This will help us find our subcontractors, and also to find our clients. Honk honk, there's a nice cozy cliff niche over here, honk honk!

I had thought of line 6 in terms of our leaving behind our initial niche. The early customers help us get the business off the ground. Later on, when we can afford to focus on our longer term goals, we might need to leave behind our early customers - especially if we were hustling to provide what is really secondary to the core of our business, just to have some money coming in. It's OK to shift our focus once we are financially stable, as long as we give plenty of notice and help the transition go smoothly.

Hilary, your bigger view of line 6 is very insightful! We actually do hope, within a few years, to sell off the business, or at least to bring in other full time management. This business involves things we learned about from previous jobs. We've become experts in these subjects, from years of experience. And we think that with a larger investment, we could make a company that will offer a significantly better way of doing things in the field, and with a proven operations system. This would mean a company we could sell off, or at least not have to operate day to day. We definitely want to be inventive entrepreneurs, rather than routine caretakers.

But the years of experience came about mostly by accidentally falling into our past jobs. Now we are looking to move into new careers based on heartfelt passion, feeding the spirit. We do genuinely want to help and serve people using what we already know, but for us, the new business is mostly about using what we happen to be great at to provide funds for a new chapter in life.

Perhaps I should ask a follow up question, "How do we grow our business steadily."

 

[hilary]

Perhaps... or perhaps that's the question Yi's actually answered for you already?

We can use temporary subcontractors on individual projects, rather than adding staff. And we can offer a broader range of secondary services. These are not what we'd really most like to focus on eventually (which will take a larger investment to set up properly). Instead it's a short-term opportunistic focus on what clients are ready to buy now and what's easy for us to sell and deliver now.

That sounds line 4-ish, flat-branch-ish to me. Line 4 (yin) in support of (yang) line 5's aspirations - makes sense.