Yesterday, we talked about a very specific subject: why starting your own watchmaking business in 2026 may be a bad idea.
But the reasons given by someone who has spent a lifetime self-employed
go beyond horology. Out of seven, the one that will crush your hopes and
investment harder than any other is dream misalignment.
Your dream is to make, repair, create, and ultimately build a successful
small business. To create a workshop environment to be proud of, to
advance your skills - but above all, to provide a valuable service to
customers.
A noble dream, a life worth living.
Unfortunately, the watch industry is fragmented and dominated by
mega-brands. The dream of a mega-brand is vertical integration -
complete in-house control and the elimination of competition - leading
to just one outcome: maximum profit.
Clearly, these are two different dreams. Two unresolvable propositions. A core misalignment.
A misalignment that will have profound and limiting consequences on your
ability to run a business - to the point where you will either struggle
for decades, be forced to diversify, or quit altogether.
The bottom line is this: before venturing into the unknown, make sure that dream alignment exists.
Here is an example of perfect symbiosis: Kern makes some of the best,
most accurate machines. We invest in them and learn how to produce the
most precise components. On the other side of the globe, there is a
high-tech customer desperate for those exact parts to be installed in
their advanced instruments.
A perfect alignment of dreams.
An alignment where each party works together and advances together for
mutual benefit. An environment which, like a powerful magnet, attracts
smart, hardworking people with a desire to do better and go further.
Now, as a watch enthusiast and owner, you may wonder: why does the
watchmaking industry go against common sense and the basic principles of
commerce and cooperation? To that, I have no answer.
But if you are to start your own business, then the most important question on your mind should be: Who am I dreaming with?
|
|
No comments:
Post a Comment