Last week, we talked about small business as a seed. Seeds are power packs of potential. They anxiously await opportunity to do what seeds have always done: to burst open, reach for the sun, grow deep, to bloom and become. New plants are both beautiful and vulnerable.

Starting a business is also a beautiful and vulnerable thing. Growing a business is perilous, and fraught with danger on every side. It is so treacherous that many businesses perish in the process. Good gardeners put four seeds in the same hole when we plant our gardens, knowing that three may perish. (If they all grow, we have the luxury of choosing the strongest plant!) And yet, many business owners begin with only one plan, even where the stakes are much higher.

Half of startups fail within the first five years. Half of those fail in the second five years, leaving only a quarter of the original number. With these odds, you would think that entrepreneurs would do everything in their power to foresee and eliminate as many problems as possible. But alas they do not. They are so excited to start businesses that they bolt out of the ground, growing up– but not deep. It is critical to prepare and support your business with knowledge before you begin. Every ounce of preparation returns a stronger business.

Years ago my parents and siblings decided to try their hand at wine making. Beautiful vineyards do not happen by accident. The preparation, the tending, and the nurturing can encompass many years of labor. If you know anything about growing grapes, you know you cannot plant any ol’ grape any ol’ way you like, and expect to get a terrific glass of wine. It takes what it takes. You cannot ignore the sun, the location, the soil, the trellis, the pruning, and expect to get good wine. The preparation is so essential that if you are not willing to do the work, you might as well not plant a vineyard at all.

So with the vision of a specific glass of red wine in their mind’s eye, my family planned a vineyard, well in advance of planting the actual vineyard. They chose the grape variety. They prepared the soil. They dug post holes and placed them in cement to hold the weight of the fruit. They chose the trellis method. They strung two sets of wires to create what is called a four-arm Kniffen, (which looks a bit like a letter “T” with two top strokes). Next they planted the vines, watered, weeded, and waited. They trained and pruned and corrected the vines into shape over the next few years. (If you want to encourage grape production, what you cut off the vine is just as important as what you keep.) Then they waited. And they waited some more for mature and consistent grapes. Even after all that work, they still were not happy with the wine. All this–just for a hobby.

When your livelihood depends on your small business, it is just as important to invest as much and more effort preparing your businesses to thrive. Begin with the end in mind. Know what you are creating, and why. Know who the work is for, and where you can best serve that person. Know what to cut, and what to keep. Create, train, and correct your systems to produce the perfect result for that specific person in mind. Find mentors to guide and direct. If you are not willing to do what it takes, you might as well not do it at all.

What are you hoping to make happen through your business? Who are you doing it for? Many business owners begin business with the all-encompassing goal to make a lot of money. While a business must make a profit, in all honesty, the goal of profit alone will not sustain your endeavor. If you are starting a business right now, please stop and consider how you might make a difference in the lives of the customers you serve. Give them an indisputable reason to raise their glass and toast your success. You will then find a renewable supply of work, and profit will result.

Here’s to making a difference. Clink.