Sometimes you have to make a mess

I was feeding my toddler son when he spilled the cup of water he was attempting to drink from. He’s been learning to drink from an open cup, so I said to him, “Sometimes you have to make a mess when you’re learning.” I then realized how that statement could also apply to small business. When a small business is starting out, there is so much to learn. And yes, sometimes you make a “mess.” It might be a billing or estimating mistake, tax oversight or a goof on a client project. But if you are able to treat these “messes” as learning experiences as my son does (well, usually), then you can be much more successful in the long run. For one, when you make a mistake, you are less likely to repeat it. Second, after thinking about the situation, you can draw insight to use in future situations. (read more about this topic in my post “What can I learn from this?”)

How do you “learn from your messes?”