Do you have buried treasure in your business?
One of my favorite stories is the “Acres of Diamonds” story from Russel H. Conwell speech at what is now Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
As I remember it, a farmer in Africa heard stories of men who made their riches prospecting for diamonds. The farmer decided to sell his farm and join the others prospecting for diamonds.
The farmer spent the rest of his short life prospecting for diamonds, never with any success. With nothing to show for his years of hard work. Meanwhile, back at the farm, which the farmer once sold, there was a small stream. One day, the man who bought the farm found a stone in a stream on the property. He didn’t know exactly what it was, but it was nice looking enough that he placed it on his mantle.
Soon after placing that stone on the mantle, a visitor saw it and was in shock. Immediately, asking the man if he knew what he had found. That stone sitting on the mantle happened to be the largest diamond ever discovered. Better yet, the stream on his farm was filled with similar stones. Turns out, it was the most productive diamond mine in all of Africa.
The moral of the story is easy to see – opportunity, wealth, happiness… whatever you want might be right in your own backyard. You could be standing in your own acres of diamonds. You just need patience and persistence to keep searching your own backyard.
Have you considered what treasure you might have hidden right under your nose?
Many of us spend a great deal of time chasing the end of the rainbow instead of identifying the best in what we already have. As a business owner, if you have been searching for a competitive advantage, the answer might be just under your nose, but you have been looking past it.
I spend time working with business owners who have been constantly expecting the answer to their quest for business success to come from new products, new customers, new markets, new personnel, new technology, etc.
While these things are important for business growth, frequently business prosperity can come from making better use of what they already have.
Look at what you currently perceive as business shortcomings; then evaluate how you might get more value from these products, services, customers, and people by devoting more time and attention to them. Do this first, and then go out to find new diamonds.
If you need help uncovering the hidden opportunities within your business? Don’t hesitate to contact me to unlock the treasures that await in your own backyard.