Feature Story
Tomato Paste Leadership Part Two: Are you Ready to Build your Business? by Domenic Chiarella, 7 of 7 BEST Business and Life Strategies, LLC
“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?” “That depends a good deal on where you want to get to.” “I don’t much care where –“ “Then it doesn’t matter which way you go.” -Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland
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tarting and knowing you are going in the right direction are the most difficult parts of any project or business. In the Italian world: How do you prepare tomato jars and cappuccinos? In the business world: How do you start growing your company? And make more profit? Many moons ago, my partner and I were searching for a way to take our company from a mom/pop company to a fullfledged business. We would go to all the associations and talk to so many business owners. But I would see the same problem; not enough time, not enough of me to go around, and certainly not enough money for 7 days a weekday and night “career”. For ten long years our sales didn’t go above $750K. We needed so many more days every week. We were working our tails off – fine when you’re starting out - but it was becoming very frustrating and extremely chaotic. It was a business, where we were doing everything, managing everyone, starting very early in the morning, going all day, and then (if I was lucky) I’d catch a quick dinner with my family, say "I love you", and then straight back in to the office for a night of work. I didn’t believe that this was what I’d signed on for. This frustration made me have an “enough” moment – I tell you; I was a wreck. I wasn’t prepared to take it anymore. I was going to find the solutions. We knew the owner of one of the largest landscape companies in Connecticut and we asked him out of the kindness of his heart to meet with us for breakfast. So here we are, two hard working Italian men, in our green garbage men outfits, construction boots, driving in our Datsun 1-ton pickup truck, meeting the owner of one of the biggest companies around. We were dazzled as he drove up, got out of his Cadillac, in a suit and tie, and sat down with us. "Holy shit" was all I could think. He gave us the gospel of business according to Ed. And he parted with a recommendation: Read the book The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It.
This book led me to the E-Myth program: Business Vocational Masters. It taught me not just the how and the what of business, but the WHY. Why is one of the most important parts for me of the program. It was finding out who I am and how I live as a man, father, and business owner. These were called the primary aims. You learned about them in Tomato Paste Leadership Part One. The E-Myth also helped me understand and translate these primary aims into the values / culture of the company. And these values turned in a document that help me lead a business from a $750K company to a $15M company. And it all started with: Strategic Objective A Strategic Objective is the first step for your business to make your vision and your dreams become reality. A Strategic Objective is the clear written statement of what your organization will look, taste, smell and sound like, and how everyone acts in the FUTURE. Speaking to over 3,000 people and coaching over 15 business owners, there is one question that every entrepreneur / creative has asked. The question? “Why do we need a strategic objective?” The answer is that a written strategic objective will provide your organization a sense of direction and a way for the organization to act, a way to think, and a way to achieve your goals for the future. I am talking about a written statement, not a verbal strategy to your organization. It is the start of all good to great businesses, because one, unless your employees, your vendors, your associates, and your clients read your mind, they will not understand or know what your vision is for the future. These owners would say, “everyone should see what I am doing, how I am acting, what I say to clients / employees”. Yeah, just ask someone in the organization and see what they say... A Strategic Objective comes from you and your primary aims. It is THE starting point for your decision-making, planning, and what systems your organization develops. It is a written document for the owners to lead with, and for the organization to be able to work towards.
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