Many years ago, two salesmen were sent by a British shoe manufacturer to Africa to investigate and report back on market potential.
The first salesman reported back, “There is no potential here – nobody wears shoes.”
The second salesman reported back, “There is massive potential here – nobody wears shoes.”
This simple story provides one of the best examples of how a single situation may be viewed in two different ways.
We could also explain this in terms of seeing business situations as opportunities instead of problems.

You have an amazing idea. But you don’t know a whole lot about business. How in the world do you begin to see if it is a money making venture? Where do you possibly start? Do you approach a bank for a loan? Do you spend money you have saved for emergencies? What are the first steps to take if you think you have the best idea, but no one will listen?

1. Trying to do it all, because no one does it as good as you do.
2. Not outsourcing lower cost jobs, because you think it costs more than doing it yourself. For example, instead of hiring a cleaning crew, you find yourself trying to keep the place clean. Instead of hiring a bookkeeper, you find yourself trying to do the books….
3. Not delegating the “little things” to your staff, because you think it is quicker to do it yourself than to teach one of your employees how to do it.