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Saturday Business Solutions . Do you have business problems? Write to us at: j

Saturday Business Solutions The Daily Star, 19 Karwan Bazar, Dhaka, Bangladesh, E-mail: dsbusins@gononet.com
The Daily Star runs a business solution column which appears on Saturdays. While running your business, you come across problems and wish someone would help. This column will provide you with insights to solve your problems. Write to us or to Sarwar Ahmed, MBA (sarwar@asia.com) who hosts this column.
Law of the Seed
Take a look at a mango tree. There might be five hundred mangoes on the tree, each with a seed. That is a lot of seeds! We might ask, "Why would you need so many seeds...to grow just a few more trees?" Nature has something to teach us here. It is telling us: "Most seeds will never grow. So if you really want to make something happen, you had better be prepared to try more than once." (Thank you FN for this mail).
In business too, how many times have we tried to get a product to succeed in the market and failed? I am sure, it is rare that you have struck gold every time you have launched a new product. More often than not, we 'fail' to get the customer buy the first time we try to sell. And if you give up because of that first 'failure' that is the end of the line for you too.
I recall a new venture we began several years ago. I think we paid more compensation for product failure to the users of this new business than we sold each year! Disheartened, the person incharge would nearly give up. I would reassure him saying, you need to 'burn your fingers' for several years before you will see results. And that is what is happening now the sales are flowing in smoothly, and no further need for compensation.
So, if you are new to a business, you need quite often to burn your fingers, to find that one seed in several that will grow and give you the revenue stream you seek.
When you are new to something, there is also what I call the 'cost of learning'. After our son bought a bicycle one day I found a tire flat. Taking the bike to a shop, I asked the boy to pump up the tire. He did, and the tire would deflate instantly. So I asked the boy to check on what was the problem. He fiddled with the air inlet valve, hemmed and hawed, feeling the tire and announced, 'It is a major problem it will cost Tk15 to repair.'
With a lot of bargaining we settled for Tk10. He got to work and I noticed he replaced something and with a great air of craftsmanship got the bike up and running. I parted with the Taka ten note, greatly relieved and rode back the bike. A couple of weeks later, the bike again had a flat. I remembered the young fellow to have changed something.
This time I stopped by a way side rickshaw repair stand and explained that I need to change something which looked like a piece of rubber tube which is attached to the metal piece. 'You mean, the valve,' replied the mechanic and showed me one. 'How much?' I asked. 'One taka.' It took one taka for replacing the valve and I wryly mused at my last experience of been literally taken for a ten taka ride! This is what I call the cost of learning.
When you are new and gaining experience, you will make mistakes. It is a wise and patient manager who allows his associates to make mistakes at this stage of learning. This is the only way we learn and helps people to be more risk taking in doing business. We all know the adage, no risk no gain. You need to grow this trait too - taking calculated risks to take the business forward. One of the requirements is to remember the law of the seed. Out of the hundreds, one will grow into the plant, which will bear fruits for you. Be patient as you sow your seeds for your future.