6 Vital Lessons Small Business Owners Can Learn from the World Cup

The FIFA World Cup has again taken the globe by storm. Every day, there are new stories, new dynamics, and new lessons for small business owners to learn from the triumphs and tribulations of their favorite (and least favorite) soccer teams.

Here are some of the top lessons that we’ve learned from watching the World Cup so far this year. Share these with the non-sports fans in your life when they ask why you’ve been watching so many games!

Lesson 1: It takes years of prep before you play the big game.

Much like the Olympics, the FIFA World Cup happens only once every four years. In the meantime, teams compete in regional, national, and smaller international tournaments. During the course of these games, the teams and players hone their strategy in order to complete on a global level.

As a small business owner, you should view every client, connection, and project as an opportunity to practice for the next tier. Unlike soccer players, you might not know when the big game will happen. The important thing is that when it does, you’ll be ready.

Lesson 2: When you exude excellence, supporters will travel to see you.

We’ve gotten a kick hearing about the super fans who sold their cars and got second mortgages to afford the trip to Russia to see their teams play. While we can’t assure you that selling your car for sports is a good financial move (spoiler alert: it’s probably not), it does go to show that excellent performance yields loyal fans. Successful small business owners know that stellar performance results in loyal clients.

Lesson 3: Use your head.

Some of the wildest plays during a soccer game are when players head the ball. Teams have regained the ball from the other team and even made goals by using their heads—literally!

What can small business owners learn from this? We may be used to using our regular tools and processes, but certain situations provide us with opportunities to think outside the box, use our heads (albeit maybe not literally), and achieve a goal through an unusual procedure.

Lesson 4: Supporters reside in unlikely places.

Our globalized world gives us opportunities to root for our favorite teams from wherever we reside. With Peru fans in Miami, Croatia fans in Newark, and Nigeria fans in Des Moines, national teams enjoy supporters spread around the globe.

As small business owners, it benefits us to think beyond our usual industry partners and local list of stakeholders. There may be a lot of value in seeking out an unusual partner in a unique location or position. You never know where your most avid fans might reside.

Lesson 5: Challenges are not permanent.

There are several stories about countries who haven’t placed in the World Cup for decades due to civil war, unfriendly leaders, nationalized poverty, and other significant challenges. In a single generation, though, things can turn around, with a previously underdog country producing some of the best soccer players in the world.

The best business owners stick it out for the long game, knowing that financial and business climates change over time. If you stay ready, your time will come.

Lesson 6: Stay in shape.

The average professional soccer player runs seven miles in the course of a game. And that’s just the running! The mental aptitude, sheer muscular stamina, and gameplay strategy are all key tools in a World Cup athlete’s toolbox of skills.

Healthy body, healthy mind. That’s something any business professional can learn from. When you are wearing many hats and running around a lot to make sure your business is running smoothly, it’s important to invest some time in self-care so you can always be at your best (and so you don’t jeopardize your future health).

As a small business owner, the opportunities to think about how to improve your business abound, even as your watch your team play on the soccer field. The health and vitality of your company is important to us at InsureYourCompany.com. We work with a wide variety of small businesses like yours to provide great cost, coverage, and customer service. Contact us today to begin the conversation about how to grow and protect your company.