My partner-in-crime always give me trouble to no end, "If your business-type is doing so well, won't you try to expand it and do really big business from it. Once it achieves big business status, you can now retire towards the rainbow."
Remembering always: Story - A Banker and a Fisherman
I am like the fisherman buying up all kinds of land for my future generations.
Sigh ... Truth is I am at a real loss of words.
When I was younger, I dreamed about the day that my business-type can grow quickly and reach big business status. Along the way, the businesses went up and down, down and then up again. Roller-coaster ride all the time. Sometimes when I thought I have reached the point of tipping towards big-time, I was rewarded with a played-out. Sometimes when I thought I was dead on the track, I was surprised by the last minute come-back with a pocket ace pair. Up and down and down and up. I have lost counts on all the successes and failures.
So many failures, so few successes. My heart had grown tired. In the end, whenever I had any successes, I would cling on to them with my dear life. What I didn't see is that my heart has grown weaker. I have grown to be risk-adverse, rather than risk-preferred.
This question from my partner-in-crime really woke me out.
I have grown weak.
The analysis that followed was in order to reach big business, one has no choice but to take risk. If you don't take risk, then there is no way to make it big. If you don't take risk, the business has to be fully constricted. No doubt, you wouldn't lose big and hence, will never die. But, you can never grow comfortably. Every day is applying the nose nearest to the grindstone. There is no escape but grim work. There is no longer any joy in doing business. It was nothing more than working on a job that no one can sack me.
To do big business, one has to take risk. How much risk to take is truly an art. I was even fearful of one small container order. My partner-in-crime suggested we should be able to handle 2 full containers. In container dimensions, there are also the smaller 20-footers and the bigger 40-footers. To fully filled up those containers, the materials and effort supplied are so huge that if the purchaser don't settle the final bill, there would be many heart-ache nights to follow. Although we didn't have to borrow, to earn back what's lost takes great many future orders. We don't just lose the profit margin, we would lose even its material and effort principal. The risk involved is truly scary.
My partner-in-crime agreed that we must always be careful with the customers. I then told him about the those cunning baiters who will fulfill all smaller orders, but give a really big order later to do that scoot.
I really have no real answer to this question about doing big business as yet.
This is still work-in-progress. I used to think I need to make it real big to achieve. Now, my feeling is a little off. I don't really need lots to get by. My needs are so simple nowadays. I am still able to jet around. Eat the best food whenever I am with loved ones.
As I don't use so much, I realize I do achieve savings. Every bit of savings is now towards buying land. After buying, what's next?
My partner-in-crime and co-worker always ask me to deploy them. I am a little too lazy. I only think of building little wall around them and play with the foxes.
Since this is work-in-progress, I owe it to the bloodied relations a fuller answer. Let the sands of time wear some of my rough edges.
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