Did you know a relaxing trip to the movies might also be a valuable learning experience?
Beloved classics and recent releases can shed light on many of the issues small business owners face every day. Who knew your favorite flick could provide a valuable lesson or two about running a successful business.
Check out these four small business lessons taught by some of our favorite movies:
1. Don’t complain about your work
According to Small Business Trends, it’s not uncommon for a small business owner to sometimes be tempted to complain when times are tough or they face a particularly difficult challenge. However, if Tom Hanks from “A League of Their Own” happens to be on your team, he’d say you should never complain. Remember the famous line, “There is no crying in baseball”? That sentiment applies in business too.
2. Don’t make excuses
Complaining is bad, but you definitely don’t want to make excuses for what happens in your small business. The movie “Goodfellas” taught viewers that excuses are never acceptable. Most small business owners I know take a “no obstacles” approach to facing challenges—they try to find a way over, under, around, or through them.
3. Don’t make it hard for your employees to do good work
Bureaucracy just doesn’t work in business. The employee-employer relationships in the movie “Office Space” are great examples. Smallbusiness.com suggests the level of bureaucracy in that movie drove the workers crazy, and made it impossible for them to do good work. Focus on removing the roadblocks to peak performance, not creating them with extensive and unnecessary rules and bureaucracy.
4. Never give up
The path to small business success is often rocky and unpredictable. Just watch the film “The Pursuit of Happiness.” As the main character, played by Will Smith, an unemployed salesman tried to provide for his family, there were times when it seemed hopeless. However, perseverance and hard work won out in the end. The lesson? Never give up on your dreams and goals.
Four great movies and four great lessons—what are some of the movies that have inspired or taught you an important lesson?