I love making soup.
So much so that in October I plan to run classes on how to make soup,
because so many people have asked me to do it.
Who knew? But I am quite excited at the opportunity.
But it struck me that making soup is a bit like starting
your business.
It takes several ingredients to be successful, and you need
to get the right blend.
Just as when you
launch your business it takes more than just having a good idea for it to work.
You have to get all the other pieces in place and have a real sense of the end
result you want to achieve.
Often when you start making soup, you begin by melting
butter or oil and adding onions and garlic.
This creates a wonderful aroma and anticipation of what is to
follow. Likewise when you start your
business, you want to stir up interest in what you are doing.
Chopping up the vegetables is an integral part of the soup
making process, and often you have to balance the flavours so that the soup has
the right taste. Celery, for example, is
a strong-flavoured vegetable and could totally change the overall result. So in your business, you want to make sure
you have balance. Balance in what you
are offering and balance in your life too.
I know, tall demand, especially when you start out, but it is important
that you pace yourself.
I love adding herbs to my soup. They’re like the little extras that make the
difference and in your business, you need to consider what you can do to go the
extra mile to make the experience special for your customers.
Living in the country, I have learned to be flexible with my
ingredients, as I can’t just drive around the corner to pick up a missing
item. Salsa, for example, makes a great
substitute for tomatoes. In working with
“newbies” I have often found that the idea they started with is not what they
end up doing. Flexibility is therefore
key, so you can move on an opportunity that arises, rather than being tied to
your plan, or in my case, the recipe.
The finishing touch is blending the stock with the cooked,
softened vegetables to create a creamy, tasty soup, with no lumps. Just as with your launch, when you’ve planned
it carefully, all goes smoothly.
But not everything always goes to plan, in the kitchen or in
the business world, and so it is important to keep this one ingredient – your
sense of humour.
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