Sometimes people will buy a house because they were so impressed with the landscaping and the gardens around the house.

But till they moved into the house, they really didn’t realize how much time and effort it takes to make a garden lush and beautiful. So the garden isn’t attended to in any particular way. Nor is it weeded, watered, or fertilized on a regular basis.

In no time at all, instead of having the most beautiful house on the block, it quickly becomes just another average house or worse yet, a house that has everyone in the neighborhood talking about how run-down it looks.

There is a great comparison here with business.

If you don’t weed, water and fertilize your business (symbolically, of coarse), your business will wither and die.

There is a philosophy that people should stay “in the now”. In business, not only do we need to be “in the now” but we also must be paying attention to every single detail.

Just because we are making a fine living today and the business is prosperous, it doesn’t mean that it will be prosperous and you will be making a fine living tomorrow. Sit down with a blank piece of paper and think about what problems you have in the business. Be realistic about what is and is not happening in your business. Work on solutions to those business problems. Do not ignore the smallest problem thinking it will go away. If you do, that small business problem can grow into the 800 lb gorilla that ultimately causes the business serious life threatening issues.

So when you are done reading this, get into action. Today. Take on those tough issues with determination and solve them.

Then tomorrow morning, think about your business again, and what issues the business has. Repeat the process. Every business day.

Looking for the problems in the business is not negative thinking. It’s actually quite positive to deal with the bad – so it doesn’t affect the good.

Then see what your garden – and your business – can grow.