Money is not the most important resource in running your business.  Money allows you latitude to make mistakes until you figure out the right path.  The longer you stay in business, the more likely you are to move toward your vision.

The most important resource is wisdom.  That is a team of people guiding you away from lingering business issues and mistakes.  This team includes your employees, partners, investors,  mentors, and professionals.  Being open to advice is key to fast growth.

I was told by one of my investor colleagues of an incredibly quick-study entrepreneuer who was shopping around for funding.  At one point, he met a would-be investor and made his pitch.   The investor declined, saying that the business was not ready to be funded for five reasons.  The investor also gave the golden nugget advice of how to solve each one of those five issues.

A year later, the man had a meeting with the same investor.  The investor was curious why, this quickly, he was being pitched agian.  The entrepreneur shocked the investor by saying that in the past year he performed every solution the investor recommended.  On the spot, the investor agreed  to substantially fund the entrepreneur.

An open entrepreneur willing to learn and grow is rare.  The single most important resource you have is your willingness to acquire wisdom to grow exponentially.

What do planes, trains and automobiles teach us about business?  As a business consultant these vehicles teach me that fast is good, comfort is important, and beautiful designs make the ride even better.  The same is true for business.

Having an environment in which you and your employees enjoy working in that drive productivity and collaboration help enhance the bottom line.  Your environment affects everything including how people treat each other, whether their is coffee or fresh fruit in the afternoons to boost energy.

Just like you feel enthusiastic when you enter a fabulous vehicle so should you feel when you enter the place you have built and want to work in.

I remember sitting in heated traffic 10 years ago while the AirTran at Kennedy Airport was being started, where what was being built was one tall supporting pillar at a time. Train riding along that expanse of space – it seemed that would never happen.  Many years later, I had the opportunity to ride the train for the first time.  Ever so smooth and fast…with the agony, cost, and time spent all forgotten.  Those who didn’t witness the construction assume these tracks have been around at all times and cannot imagine what life had been like before those pillars, the tracks and eventually the train got put into place.

The same thing happens when building a great company.

To prepare for a great game Mr. Woods is known to rehearse his swing for 4 1/2 hours in front of a mirror.  This commitment to excellence by preparing for a great game is similar to myself preparing for a big speech or prepping a client for a major company change.  It can be the same for you, as CEO, preparing and rehearsing how your business will improve and expand.

Every misstep or failure is an opportunity for Tiger Woods to learn and improve.  Each swing that didn’t get the ball to where he wanted it is revised and new swing motions put into place.

In your business, every setback should have you heading to put new “swing” motions into place.

When excellence is concerned, the constant urge to improve is the key to success.

The same is true in your business.  At times things change and you end up not dealing with it.  You have that employee who isn’t pulling his or her weight.  Then comes the final change, the employee quits.   You might  smile and marvel out how that miraculous event cleaned up a mess faster than you would have dealt with it.

And then, I questioned myself.  Why didn’t I remove the handle before it finally fell off with clang?  Or, better yet, try to secure it in place before it was so completely disattached from the freezer body?

There are leaders who lead and constantly bring on change and as they grow some employees do not grow with there companies.  There are also some leaders that constantly brace themselves and try not to change because it feels too risky.  Like me, they see the dangling handle and look the other way.  They feel it is too hard to fire people, and so they leave hanging ends all over the place.

I prefer to seek out change and steer my own company because then I choose the long term destination.  The next time you notice something that is not aligned or secured properly to your company vision, deal with it right away.  If it can be fixed, so much the better.  And, if not, no need to have loose ends waiting to unravel on its own.  Deal with it right away.

As a business consultant I wonder what type of boat I would compare a great business too – a sailboat or a speedboat?

I would prefer a sailboat.  It does not run out of fuel.  It  requires much more wit and planning.  A sailboat also does not have motor parts that wear out, engines that need to be overhauled, or parts that need to be replaced.  A sailboat can cross the Atlantic Ocean just by natural winds.  Sure the speedboat looks cool, speeding through the waves.  Yet, it must dock quite soon to get refueled and will never be able to plow through ocean storms.

As a business owner having a self propelling business that you streer is ideal.  This looks like a constantly cash flow positive business with minimal overhead that can live on for years.  With a strong leader guiding the sails and the beams obeying your every direction.

Is this what your business looks like?

In the streets of Manhattan the construction workers seal the holes of the asphalt continuously.  See a hole, fill it.  See a hole, fill it.  Just like an entrepreneur who sees a hole in the market and fills it repeatly towards growth.  With growth, seeing the hole and filling it is fine.

However, when it comes to patching up things like roads, the scoop up some tar and put it in the pothole approach is not always advisable.  For at times, structural damage will ensure that the pothole keeps lurking an open pit and swallowing patch after patch to no avail.  At times, it is important for the road to be torn up and redesigned to ensure a smooth ride.

As a business consultant there are times to perform short term repairs on company issues and times to stop and think what the root issue is and permanently solve it.  Knowing the difference is key to the health of your business.

At times, you must engage in strategic planning to ensure the road to success is without gaping holes.

Even as the crowd teemed with ostentation, Billy gave a shout-out to everyone that he gets the anguish of the stagnant economy.  Billy has the power to captivate audiences young and old, rich and poor, and make them feel included.  And just in case the younger 24 and younger set would not relate to Billy Crystal, the Oscars had Justin Bieber, he of teen fan fame, join in.

As the leader of your company communicating to everyone is essential to empower and motivate the team. Think about all the generations that might need to hear your busines message — whether it is Generation Y or the Baby Boomers.  Steve Jobs, the grand marketer, was able to captivate everyone including the techies, businessmen and teenagers.

Learn from the Oscars.  Make sure to engage all audiences with your marketing message.

Business leaders take your cue from fashion models.  Lead, then step back and let someone step forward.  The natural flow of movement is one of stepping back to allow steps forward, and stepping forward when those we lead step back.

Today I visited Fashion Week, where such is standard modus operandi.  Fashion designers and jewelry companies ensure their pieces are seen on the right model or actress.  They make sure the right celebrities are there in their line of fashion.  It creates that buzz for their brand.

In medicine, it is also true.  There are the “in” doctors, the ones who celebrities use for their sculpting, which catapult their trajectory of popularity with the masses.

As you plan your marketing campaign, don’t overlook connecting your brand with the right people.  Figure out how to work in a few influential people into your marketing mix.

For an in-depth understanding of what creates trends and popularity for a brand, I recommend you pick up a copy of The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell.

Are the right people spotted using your products and services?