Bonsai and Business

Have you ever heard it said that running a business is like growing a bonsai tree?

If you’ve ever tried to grow a bonsai, you’ll get exactly where I’m coming from. I’ve tried and failed with a bonsai twice, but thankfully, the lessons I’ve learned seem to have made me more successful with my business 🙂

Here are a few of the lessons I learned:

• Patience and Care: Running a business and cultivating a bonsai tree both take a significant amount of patience and care. In the case of a bonsai tree, it takes years of careful pruning, shaping, and nurturing to create a beautiful and healthy miniature tree. In the same way, a business is rarely successful overnight – even the businesses trumpeted as an overnight success, rarely are when you dig deeper – it takes consistent effort, resilience, and sound decision-making over time to build success.

• Long-Term Vision: When you’re cultivating a bonsai you need to be able to visualise what you want the tree to look and gradually guide its growth in that direction. Similarly, as business owners we need a clear long-term vision for our business growth and direction, and make decisions that keep us on course and allow us to adapt to changing circumstances.

• Attention to Detail: Looking after a bonsai tree requires meticulous attention to detail if you’re going to achieve your desired end result, As business owners we are often the big picture thinkers – the visionaries who aren’t too keen on getting down into the weeds to sort out the detail.  But of course managing a business requires a keen focus on every aspect of our operation, and if we aren’t a detail person, then we need to hire at least one person who is.

• Constant Pruning and Adjustment: Bonsai trees need regular pruning to maintain their shape and health. In the same way, we need to regularly evaluate our plans, our people, our customer experience and our day to day operations, and take the necessary action to resolve any issue. At times we’ll need to ‘prune’ or adjust certain elements to ensure the business continues to be efficient and competitive.

• Adaptation to Environment: Bonsai trees are influenced by their growing environment, and their carers must adjust conditions to ensure optimal growth. Similarly, our business must be adaptable to changes in the market, industry trends, and consumer preferences. Adapting to new circumstances is crucial for maintaining relevance and success.

• Cultivation of Skills: Bonsai cultivation is considered an art form that requires specific skills and techniques. Running a business demands a wide range of skills, from financial management and marketing to leadership and problem-solving. Both require continuous learning and development of the relevant and necessary skills.

• Personal Connection: Bonsai growers often develop a deep personal connection with their trees, investing time, emotion, and effort into their growth. Business owners similarly invest a significant part of themselves into their ventures, often considering their businesses as an extension of their identity.

• Deliberate Decision-Making: Just as every cut and shaping decision made in bonsai cultivation is deliberate and purposeful, business decisions must be thoughtful and well-reasoned. Impulsive or hasty choices can have negative consequences in both contexts.

Overall I think it’s fair to say that whether you’re running a business or growing a bonsai tree the 4 key qualities you need are dedication, patience, attention to detail, and creativity. In both cases, your passion and commitment to your long term vision will drive you to achieving your desired end result

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Author

Marianne Page

Marianne is the author of three books, and is currently working on her fourth, whilst regularly writing her blog, we hope you enjoy it :-)

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