Why riding 500km is great for business owners
https://youtu.be/li0vZ-R7Frk
Last week I rode 500km in the scorching heat of Thailand. It was long, hard, and left me out of contact with my business for a week.
And every business owner should do it.
Read on to find out why you should…
It would take an exceptional reason to justify travelling 9 hours to a pre-monsoonal Thailand to then spend a week to ride 500km in extreme heat, on roads where road rules are more “guidelines” than “rules”, and where the dogs are just as likely to be sleeping on the road as chasing you.
So here are 3 compelling reasons why you should sign up for the experience.
1. It helps those who need it most
For me, the ride supported orphans in Thailand.
Hands Across The Water was founded shortly after the Boxing Day Tsunami. Since then it has expanded the number of orphanages it supports. 100% of the money we raised goes to the orphans, and we had to pay all of our expenses.
The ride started with a visit to the slums to experience some of the issues first hand. We also visited a boys home and finished at an orphanage.
Having completed the ride, I now have no doubt that we should be using our skills and resources to help make a real difference in the world.
If you own a business, then how are you using your skills to make a difference in the world?
2. It helps you
Commiting to riding 500km means that you are also committed to training. For many business owners, it is too easy to spend 16 hours at work and forget about your own fitness.
Then there is the actual challenge of riding 500km. The personal struggle, the perseverance, and finally the sense of achievement is huge. It reminds you how much you can achieve if you set your heart and mind to it.
You are pushed out of your comfort zone in so many ways. Fund raising, training, travel, riding, squatting, and caring will all push you that little bit harder.
And then there’s the personal reward of seeing what a difference you are making.
I suspect that many of us sign up, at least partially, for the ride because of the benefits to us. It really is one of the most rewarding and life changing things you can do.
3. It helps your business
I don’t mean you will make more business, though there were some business deals done on the ride.
I mean your business will be better of because of it.
Just to go on the ride you need to have the business no longer primarily reliant on you. You need to have processes in place. You need to have your staff properly trained. You need to have the cash flow to allow you to be away.
You need to have your business running as a business.
That’s not just great news for you, but is great for your customers and employees. It’s about being more stable, reliable, and able to deliver.