Where I grew up in Zambia, there’s an old saying: “It takes a village to raise a child”. In the modern UK, without the kind of cohesive communities we had, that’s rarely possible anymore — even extended families are often too scattered to have much to do with one another.
Like much folk wisdom, though, the saying has implications beyond the original meaning — such as in business. If it takes a village to raise a child, what does it take to raise a business?
A Community of Strong Women
As you’ll see from the photo, I was brought up, first and foremost, by strong women. That’s me as a baby in the picture, sitting on my great-grandmother’s lap. My mother’s right behind, flanked by my grandmother and her sister, my great-aunt.
That’s not to say there weren’t men in my life during childhood. It was the women of the family, though, and of the wider community, who were my role models and made me what I am.
My grandmother, for instance, ran a bakery, and people came from villages for many miles around for her goods. To my grandmother, these weren’t just customers — they were part of the community, even part of the family. I lost count of the times when, rather than let them trek home through the night, she found room for them to sleep.
I grew up knowing that’s how you run a business — and that’s still the model I follow.
The Village and the Business World
In a traditional village (whether those still thriving in countries like Zambia, or those that existed in the UK until a few generations ago) everyone’s family. We all needed one another, and everyone had a hand in bringing up the children. It left us with a strong sense of a community’s importance.
In a way, the same is true of the business world. Even major companies can’t do everything themselves, but the world of micro businesses and solopreneurs where most of us operate is very much a village. It’s impossible to be isolated, and we rely on one another to help raise our own children — our businesses.
Who Is Your Team?
We all need a team. Of course, you may employ people to be your team, and obviously you need them — you wouldn’t have gone to the trouble and expense of hiring them if you didn’t.
Even if you’re a solopreneur, though, there are plenty of professionals you might outsource aspects of your business to. Perhaps you have someone to build and manage your website, someone to create the photos and videos you need to promote yourself, and someone to write the content for your marketing. Or perhaps you have a VA to see to your admin and diary management.
One thing all business owners need is to keep on top of their finances, whether that’s Bookkeeping, Payroll or Self-Assessment Tax Returns. And the best way of doing that is to outsource it to an expert Accountant.
Give me a ring to find out how Grace Certified Accountants can be part of the village that helps your business grow up healthy and well adjusted — just like that village back in Zambia.