- A Hobby/Passion. You are doing something in which you see great potential but nobody else has recognised its value to the degree which they will part with money. Sometimes you must accept the limit of the value may just be your own fulfillment - it may not have legs to go any further than this!
- Customers/Investors. Well done - you have some customers but you don't have enough of them or they dont spend enough money possibly because your marketing and business development is adhoc?
- A Business. Congratulations you now have enough customers to make some profits every month. Plus you have a pipeline of prospects which gives you confidence in the future. What now?
- An Enterprise. Wow - now its gone beyond just you! You are growing an organisation of people and/or other businesses, possibly virtual, based on the confidence of a loyal and growing customer base.
Ken Thompson (aka The BumbleBee) blogs about bioteams, virtual collaboration and business simulation at www.bioteams.com.