One Saturday morning, a Saturday like all other Saturdays, two boys were sent out by their respective fathers to sell apples at the market. And, like all other Saturdays, both fathers gave their boys the same instruction, "I want you to go to the market today, my son, and sell as many apples as you can. The apples you sell today," they explained, "will provide for the family for the whole week." And, like all other Saturdays, the boys looked up to their fathers and replied, "I will not let you down, papa."
Both boys stood on the same street, the same street they both stood on like all other Saturdays, and sold their apples. Both offered the ripest, juiciest apples at the same price. And, like all other Saturdays, both boys sold about a third of the apples on their carts, just enough money to provide for their respective families for the week.
But this Saturday would not be like all other Saturdays. On this Saturday, one boy looked over to the other and said, "every Saturday we come to market to sell our apples. And, like all other Saturdays, we both sell about a third of our ripe, juicy apples. I think we should try something different today - lets take our carts to a different street."
The other boy looked over and replied, "I promised my father I would not let him down and if I take my cart across the cobble stones in search of a better street that we may or may not find, apples will surely fall off my cart. I don't want to risk losing any of my apples. I'm going to stay here."
He was right, there was a risk that apples would fall off the cart - apples which could not then be sold. The first boy thought for a moment. He looked at his cart, then he looked at the cobbled street, then he looked to the other boy and said, "I'm going." And unlike all other Saturdays, off he went in search of a different street.
That evening, the two boys were reunited on the walk home. The boy who stayed put for fear of losing some of his apples looked over to his friend and said, "I had a good day today, like all other Saturdays, I sold about a third of my apples, enough to provide for my family until next week."
The other boy reported on his day, "I spent some time looking for a busier street. My cart bounced around on the cobble stones and a few of my apples fell off the cart. But I did find a busier street and then sold all the rest of my apples and made enough money to provide for my family for three weeks. Next Saturday, "he went on, "will not be like all other Saturdays. Next Saturday I'm going to risk losing some apples again."
How are you building your business? Are you willing to upset the apple cart?






