Your business is like the woman's fabled goose. It can produce for you, but only if you treat it right. Don't expect your business to produce results that it is not capable of producing. For example, if you have a very small budget, no employees or contractors, no credit, no bank loan and very little time to manufacture the products you sell, don't start your business by offering tons of products. Instead, start by offering a small but cohesive and attractive line of products and grow from there.

My friend Ellie Trinowski of Moonshine Soap in Cleveland, Georgia is a good example of slow cooking her goose so it can continue to lay golden eggs. Ellie is married with a teen daughter. She started her business a few years ago with a few dollars, offering handmade soap in a few different fragrances. Even though other self-employed soap makers offered soap and other products like lotion, lip balm, bath salts and others, Ellie knew that one small goose cannot feed an entire consumer market. So she stuck to her soap, and she made it the best soap she could. She used molds that no one else was using so her soaps were shaped differently than everyone else's. She used high quality essential oils and no fragrance oils. Each bar was made with a high proportion of nutrient-rich shea butter and then wrapped by hand in a beautiful silk organza drawstring bag. She offers a special soap to celebrate each season of the year. Celebrating the current season is her "Indian Summer" bar made with made with lime, sandalwood, clove, nutmeg, ginger and patchouli oils.

As she grew her business, the popularity of Moonshine Soap increased. People wanted her soap not only because it cleaned their skin but also because it moisturized their skin. Moonshine Soap became the soap of choice for a growing number of people and eventually, the revenues climbed to the point where Ellie was able to make more soap in the same amount of time. This additional time made it possible for her to begin offering handmade soy candles and bathing accessories like pumice stones. More recently, Ellie began making her soaps using a higher quantity of certified organic ingredients. She has added a popular online newsletter, freelance magazine writing (which helps spread the word about her soaps) and speaking at small business events. Had Ellie tried to offer too many body care products at once as a small start up with little money and no help, her goose would have been cooked indeed!

So while going about the business of building your own corporate ladder, treat your goose well and your goose will treat you well. Don't cook your goose!