When your company turns five it’s a massive day. It’s massive because the majority of businesses never see this day. Eight out of ten - yep, 80%! - of businesses fail before they get to see their ‘school days’.
Today is huge for me because today my company Brutal Pixie turns five. It’s a new, refreshing day. It’s also the first time I’ve had a company get to this point.
And so it was that as I sat at my desk, processing invoices, checking the time - we have an informal drinks ‘party’ later today - I started thinking. I realised that the startup stories you see online are nearly always success stories.
The stories and the reality may not be the same thing
They are stories of successful people who jump ship to start other successful ventures. There are stories upon stories upon stories of ‘successful’ startups.
Successful ventures apparently do survive against staggering odds.
Statistically speaking, we are the first round of survivors: The top 20%. Some argue that if you survive for 10 years, you’re part of the top 4%.
I’m not going to drill into whether or not the figures are real. They look good, let’s keep moving.
In the USA, small business accounts for about 28 million businesses; of those, 22 million don’t employ anyone else. And I’ve heard it said (because I can’t find any links to prove it) that in Australia, about 75% of the population is employed by small business.
But where are our stories? What about those of us who are not backed by venture capitalists, grants, awards, or even banks? What about those of us who started as one person and grew to a few more? What about those of us that have the courage to get out of bed and face ourselves every single day that we go to work?
What about those stories?
Welcome to the Next Five Years
The time between five years old and 10 years old is one gigantic black hole. Few people tell the stories. Few people are willing to take the time to shine a light.
Dear reader, see that lantern next to you? Pick it up. Follow me along. I don’t know where this road goes. I don’t have a map. I am making it up from one day to the next. Every single day is a battle between logic and instinct. Opinions are everywhere, and good advice hard to find. But, together, we will work it out.
The Next Five Years starts today, on my company’s fifth birthday. I am mega excited for what is ahead. I have thoughts, ideas, goals, visions, possibilities. What I don’t have is a crystal ball, or certainty of any kind, beyond when I press publish & send at the bottom of the interface into which I am writing.
Every week I am going to write an article that talks about whereabouts I’ve gotten to, what’s going on. The trials, tribulations, wins, laughter, song… the whole kit and caboodle.
And I want you to join me. What do you think? Are you in?