Amish Business Secrets to Success: What Makes Amish Businesses 95 Percent Successful

When you think of savvy business sense and successful entrepreneurship you most likely think of a New York business person is a designer suit and a high profile business. However, the reality is that the average American business upstart has a high likelihood of failing within the first five years. This trend seems to impact nearly every entrepreneur group in the country, accept for one, the Amish. Amish businesses have a 95 percent success rate, far above the national average. So what is their secret?

Focused Businesses

One of the key elements of Amish business success is that the businesses operated by Amish entrepreneurs are very focused. The businesses are not trying to be everything for everybody. They instead are focused on very specific skills sets and services. Each Amish entrepreneur selects a business based on what they already know how to do, or on something that they are very skilled at, such as baking, woodworking or sewing. They do not reach outside of their box of Amish expertise and this seems to work for their businesses as it takes advantage of word of mouth advertising that has existed for generations.

Quality Work

Another element of Amish business success is that products and services offered by this entrepreneur group is known for its high quality. There are no shortcuts taken in the products sold by the Amish. Everything is build or constructed based on quality demands and not cost savings demands. Consumers know that they are purchasing a quality item that is handcrafted and that has been produced in this country. All of these qualities are highly attractive and unique in a market that is overpopulated with foreign imports that are mass produced by machines and low quality and longevity standards.

Teamwork and Networking

Teamwork is another quality of Amish businesses that make them more likely to succeed than other types of business start ups. The Amish have a culture that is built around community and teamwork, as opposed to singularity. This means that they have people to turn to if they need help and they help when they see someone that needs assistance. This give and take relationship forms a community which fosters loyalty to Amish businesses. This is a far more effective method of networking than digital methods such as using Facebook, MySpace and Twitter.

Incorporating Amish Business Practices into Your Business

All of these qualities can be incorporated into your own business practices. However, you can modify them to make them more practical. For example, you can utilize both community building and digital network strategies to establish your business locally and to provide a door for global expansions and applications. The key here is to see how Amish business practices work and how they impact the business, and then to apply that knowledge to your business.

Reference

http://money.cnn.com/2010/05/04/smallbusiness/amish_business_success/index.htm