The cactus plant – you know, your average cactus you might find in a desert photo like the one above – may not be very impressive compared to other plants. An apple tree bears many fruits, for example. What’s so special about a cactus?

What makes a cactus special is the environment around it. In a complete desert, the cactus is a miraculous oasis nurturing anyone who passes by.

I bring this little story about cacti to your attention because it wraps up nicely with my main point, which is that every small business is just a desert if it doesn’t have that one thing that every small business needs and what every professional does.

Someone passing through the desert would die of thirst if not for the cactus he finds full of water along the way. So, what does every small business need?

Every small business needs work being done. Of course there are the thousands of nuances to also consider like having good ideas and marketing, but it’s really simple! Sure, every business could use other things, but what every business absolutely needs is work constantly getting done. From a business owned by one young woman who works on it when she can, to a business operated by hundreds of people out of skyscrapers, it’s all the same. They really need to make sure work is getting done, even if they could be working more efficiently some other way that’s no excuse to not work.

I like to remember this when I sometimes have those doubtful thoughts that my own business needs help. All businesses need help! And all I need to do is keep working.

Depending on the case, it could be a few hours of work a day or hundreds of hours a month, thoughtful innovation or mindless button-mashing, but work needs to get done!