​

Q:  What does swimming have to do with owning a business?

​

​A:   "When it comes to swimming, there are two types of people. Some people just run and jump into the water, while others like to slowly go in as they get used to the change in their environment.  I have always been a run like crazy and jump in.  Not because I loved the feeling of the cold water, but because I thought it was worse to  take it slow.  I was not brave or fearless, I just did not want to prolong an uncomfortable moment.  The nice thing about swimming is that you get to decide how to enter the pool.  No matter what you decide, slow or fast, the end result is that you will get just as wet either way.

​

The funny thing is there was a third way to get in the water.  For me, most of the time, it was easier to "get it over with" and run to meet the water.  On a rare occasion, I would hesitate and stood on the water's edge, trying to decide.  I was not running or dipping my toes.  That was usually when somebody would push me in.  It was no longer my choice, and I still got just as wet.

 

Many businesses have been started by people who run-and-jump.  These folks usually do so because they are confident in their ideas and want to succeed sooner than later. There are also business owners who took things slow and, over time, developed their business according to their timeline.  Both approaches often result in successful businesses.

​

Q:  What does COVID-19 have to do with the business world and how does it benefit me?

 

A:  COVID-19 may be the push you have been waiting for and the benefits are limitless. The people who could run-and-jump and the those who took-it-slow have always been in the business world. Even now, if there businesses took some hits, they all know how they did it once and, if needed, how they can do it again. It is the people on the edge and unable to put their 9-to-5 job at risk, who discovered they needed something earth-shaking to push them to follow their dreams.  That is what Covid-19 did.  It has pushed people towards an obtainable dream which they never fully understood was always a part of their reality...if they stepped over the edge and outside of their comfort zone.

​

Q:  What can I do to develop an idea into a business?

 

A:  If you are now ready to take that first step and start building a business based on your terms and your time, Elite CEO Services can help you.  That is because I started this business when I had been pushed  out of the corporate world into helping others land on their feet and take off in a new direction.

​

With 20+ years of experience focusing on strategic professional development, Karen "Ren" Smalling founded Elite CEO Services (ECS) offering small businesses effective and affordable business building solutions. With its wide network of partners, ECS offers entrepreneurs, start-up companies and at-home businesses the training and developmental strategies to improve all areas of business.

​

Contact ECS today to develop a growth plan customized for your business needs and goals.  Find the strategies that work for you! 

​