“It isn’t the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out; it’s the pebble in your shoe.” – the late Muhammed Ali on perseverance, paraphrasing a similar quote from the early 1900s.

Ali was the symbol of perseverance in the 1970s, coming back to recapture the heavyweight title for the 3rd time at age 36, but I think the sentiment also has a lot of meaning for small businesses.

All small businesses have mountains to climb to avoid becoming another failure statistic. The vision of the founder, like Ali’s strong vision, is what powers a company when it is small. Unlike Ali, who only had to motivate himself, the owner has the more difficult task using this vision to motivate employees as well.

The pebble in the shoe is the downfall of many small companies. A vision is not enough. There are so many necessary little that can distract an entrepreneur from his goal. These distractions aren’t just formational (like incorporating, or setting up bank accounts). They are ongoing tasks like invoicing, paying the bills, hiring the right people, and trying to motivate and train employees to execute the plan or deliver the service. It is these pebbles that can distract from the overall goals.

Sometimes the downfall is even smaller than a pebble. The original quote that Ali may have heard was attributed to poet Robert W. Service. The following was published in 1925 in Forbes Magazine: “It isn’t the mountain ahead that wears you out — it’s the grain of sand in your shoe. Be master of your petty annoyances and conserve your energies for the big worthwhile things.” It could be an issue as small as a grain of sand that consumes the energy that would be better spent achieving the vision.

Companies of less than 10 employees need to stay focused. The Stages of Growth model says that the 5 biggest challenges faced by small businesses are typically:

  1. Cash Flow,
  2. Destabilized by Chaos,
  3. Slow Getting to Market,
  4. Limited Capital, and
  5. Improve Sales.

#2 can be lumped into what I’m talking about. The others are about money, customers, and preparing the offering. That is it! Focus on those and don’t let the rest distract from the goal.

The Stages of Growth model predicts the biggest issues in each phase of a growing company. Hiring and leadership are needed in Stage 2, cultural issues arise in Stage 3 and other organizational difficulties appear in Stage 4. The model is based on 650+ companies that have come ahead of you. These can be foreseen and planning for them will make the path to achieving the vision smoother. Entrepreneurs should have a knowledgeable and experienced advisor to help guide them one-on-one, or as a mastermind group facilitator. That person will have the answers for how to avoid being distracted by the pebble in the shoe.