Many small business owners, and those in the planning stages, are interested in business models that are proven successes. They want to see what kind of things the business did that led to its success. One small success story that usually gets overlooked is AA or Alcoholics Anonymous. One reason is that part of being a member of AA is that you don’t talk about meetings. However, the story of AA is amazing and the kind of success that any business owner would love to have.
AA was started in Akron, Ohio, by two men talking about their addiction and supporting each other. Within a few years there were 100 members, and as members moved to new cities they started new groups. Today there are two million members and more people join everyday. It has worldwide recognition even though it does not advertise or use celebrity endorsements. Its annual revenue is about $100 million, all collected from dollar bills at the end of the meetings. There are no fundraisers and no donation drives. The group is based on a 12 step program, which has been copied by other groups and is known by many people who never attended an AA meeting.
Imagine if your business had that kind of revenue and recognition. There are 8 of the 12 steps that any business owner can learn from, and maybe tap into that level of success.
- You don’t have to invent something new to be successful. Just like the AA 12 step program has been working since 1935 and was successfully copied by other support groups, you can find success with something that has been around for a time.
- Do something that helps the world. When you do good things for others, and treat them well, it has a way of coming back to you.
- Don’t over hype your product. If you promise too much people will expect it and get disappointed when it doesn’t come through. Be honest and people won’t expect perfection and may stay with your product.
- Make a product that works. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but if it does a good job people may stick with it.
- Trust good word of mouth to get around. The best advertisement you can ever get is a satisfied customer telling someone else.
- Turn you customers into members, and members into leaders. Bring your customers in to the company, and give them a sense of ownership.
- Stay sober. Translated to business, this means figure out what your weaknesses are and find ways to work around them.
- Be anonymous, or at least be humble. Braggarts and big talkers can get tiresome real fast, and many people would rather see these people fail. Be the quiet leader that others want to see succeed.
Another part of the AA model is taking it one day at a time. Try incorporating these steps into your daily business life, and you may soon reach new heights of success yourself.