Golf & Entrepreneurship: The Unlikely Similarities

You can swing on the same hole again and again, but the result can be totally different due to external factors such as wind, green speed, flag position etc.

You can have the same strategy day in day out, but you cannot expect the same result. Assuming your marketing campaign saw good returns, do not think that repeating the same again will give you similar or better results. Remember that there are factors that can affect the outcome, seasonal cycle, customers behaviour changes, competition etc.

You can play well in 17 holes, but screwing up 1 hole can cost you the game. Especially if you miss a hole in the earlier stages, as it affects the psyche of the golfer a lot.

Doing well over the last few decades doesn't guarantee going-concern. Every day is a new day, making a mistake in business can be fatal, be alert and consistent. 

Every club is designed for a different purpose. Know your clubs, do not use a putter to tee-off.

Every employee have their own function in an organisation, make good use of them instead of pushing everything and expecting them to multitask. Use them to your advantage not to your disadvantage. 

Always work with caddie when playing in the new course, you will need the local experience and knowledge he or she has.

Working with people who have experience is always better than trying to figure everything out yourself. Especially when you are expanding to a new market, or launching new products or services… this is NOT THE TIME to learn from your mistakes, it can be very costly. Get an expert to help.

Staying calm is essential, a good drive with achieving a long distance doesn't mean a good score.

Don't be fooled by impressions or engagement in social media, focus on conversion. Many people spent lots of marketing budget in return with lots of "like", "comment" and "share”. But if that doesn’t translate to sales eventually, you need to remember your goals are to run a business and ensure sustainable revenue, not running a social media account.

Get it right. It’s about your foundation. It's about your swing speed, force, reading the line - not the fancy apparel or branded golf set

Focus on the knowledge and skillsets you need, always improve your product/services, build a team to segregate duties. These are more crucial as compared to a fancy logo, name card designs or beautiful office furniture.

No matter how good you are, practice always makes you better. 

Whether you are a new startup or an experienced business person, you need to practice on things that are fundamental to your business. Some non-negotiable skills are for example selling, reading financial numbers and people management. If you stay away for too long, you will become irrelevant to your business.

It’s a gentlemen’s game. Focus on your own score, not your opponents. 

You may get agitated when you find out that your competitors did better than you, or you might start worrying when your competitors begin to expand overseas. You start changing your plan to "follow" or to "counter" which might put your business in trouble. Focus on your "game", once you do well in your game, you will outperform your competitors.

You might hit some bad shot and land in a sand bunker, but that's is not the end of the game. Realign your game plan and you can still birdie the hole.

It is common to make bad decisions sometimes, just realign your resources and move on. Do not cry over the issue or look for a scapegoat for your bad decisions.

A hole in one needs a lot of luck, don't put that as your KPI.

Many start a business and aim to land a big contract on day one. To this, I say… don't be silly. Be practical, you need to build a track record, experience and confidence. Do it at the right pace. Sure, you might strike lucky and get a big contract but it doesn’t mean that you’re prepared for it or that will repeat again in the future. 

Play with good golfers, their tips and experiences will help you to be a better golfer. If you mix around with golfers who aren’t entirely serious or are real characters, you will be like them too

Mingle with right minded people (not like-minded people), talk to those we are focusing on their business, not those who already succeeded and now enjoying their retirement. It is not wrong to speak with people who are already successful, however, you must be wary that their focus is on much larger things that will not help you get through your day to day struggles. 

It’s a gentleman’s game. You write your won scores, but people know yours too, never cheat (everyone knows the truth)

There's no need to fake your achievement. Awards are good but get these awards with real achievement. There's no point buying awards, showing off in the media and crying over cashflow problems back in the office.