Russ Fye

I’ve been involved in online business for more than twenty years.

During that time, I’ve explored a lot of different opportunities. Some worked out reasonably well. Others didn’t. I’ve learned something from just about all of them.

But lately, I’ve been thinking quite a bit about the value of focusing on one thing.

Not because I’ve suddenly figured everything out.

Far from it.

But because I’m beginning to see what can happen when you stop looking for the next opportunity and put more of your energy into the business you already have.

The Temptation of Something New

If you’ve spent much time around entrepreneurship, you know there’s never a shortage of opportunities.

There’s always another business model, another program, another platform, or another person telling you about something that’s working incredibly well.

And sometimes those opportunities are legitimate.

I’ve participated in various online business and affiliate marketing programs over the years. I’ve met interesting people, learned valuable lessons, and made some money along the way.

I don’t regret those experiences.

But there’s a downside to constantly having your attention divided between different things.

Every opportunity requires something from you, whether it’s money, time, attention, or all three.

And there’s only so much of each to go around.

The Business Right in Front of Me

In 2018, my wife, Tina, my mother, and I purchased a small Maine soap company that had been around since 1984.

Today, that business is Maine Island Soap.

Tina and I have spent more than eight years working to build it into something larger. We’ve completely rebranded the company, expanded our products, developed our online presence, and worked to reach customers beyond Maine.

It hasn’t always been easy.

There have been slow periods, unexpected expenses, difficult decisions, and plenty of days when things didn’t go according to plan.

But we’ve kept going.

And recently, something interesting has been happening.

Our wholesale business has been growing, particularly through Faire, a marketplace that connects brands with retailers.

We’re reaching stores in places we might never have reached otherwise. New customers are discovering our products, and we’re seeing encouraging signs that the work we’ve put into the business is beginning to create new opportunities.

That doesn’t mean we’ve suddenly made it.

We still have bills to pay, products to manufacture, orders to ship, and a long list of things we need to improve.

But the potential is becoming easier to see.

And that’s made me think differently about where I should be spending my time.

Learning to Say No

One thing I’m learning is that being interested in an opportunity doesn’t mean I need to pursue it.

That sounds simple enough.

But when you’re entrepreneurial by nature, it can be surprisingly difficult.

I enjoy learning about businesses. I like hearing how people make money, how companies grow, and how different business models work.

That curiosity isn’t going away.

What is changing is my willingness to get involved in every interesting opportunity that comes along.

I recently decided to stop actively pursuing the affiliate marketing programs I’ve been involved with.

Some of those programs still generate a little income from work I did in the past, and I’m happy to continue receiving it while it makes financial sense.

But I don’t want to spend my days trying to build several different businesses anymore.

I already have one that needs my attention.

And more importantly, it’s one I believe has considerable room to grow.

Focus Doesn’t Guarantee Success

I think it’s important to acknowledge something here.

Concentrating on one business doesn’t automatically make it successful.

You can work incredibly hard, make all kinds of sacrifices, and still encounter problems you never anticipated.

I’ve experienced enough of those over the years to know better than to suggest otherwise.

But dividing your attention among several businesses creates challenges of its own.

Every hour spent working on something unrelated is an hour that could have gone toward improving operations, reaching customers, developing products, or strengthening relationships in your primary business.

That doesn’t mean you should never have other interests or sources of income.

I still paint. I enjoy reading and collecting books. I maintain this website because I like having a place to share what I’m doing and learning.

Those things are part of who I am.

But they’re not competing with Maine Island Soap for my attention in the same way another business venture would.

There’s a difference between having interests outside your work and trying to build several businesses at once.

I’m becoming much more conscious of that difference.

Seeing How Far We Can Take It

I have some pretty ambitious ideas about what Maine Island Soap could become.

We’re nowhere near those goals today.

We’re still a small business, with a small team, operating out of our shop in Ellsworth, Maine.

Most days involve ordinary work. Making soap, filling orders, answering emails, managing inventory, and figuring out what needs to happen next.

It’s not particularly glamorous.

But it’s real.

And there’s something satisfying about putting your energy into a business where you can actually see the results of your decisions and hard work.

I don’t know exactly where Maine Island Soap will be five or ten years from now.

What I do know is that I want to give it my best effort.

I want to find out what we’re capable of building.

And I don’t want to look back someday wondering how much further we might have gone if I hadn’t been distracted by everything else.

One Business. A Lot of Possibilities.

I’m not suggesting that everyone should focus on one business.

There are plenty of successful entrepreneurs who own and operate several companies.

Maybe someday I’ll be in a position to do that too.

But right now, I know where my attention belongs.

It’s with Maine Island Soap.

After more than eight years of ownership, I still believe there’s an enormous amount of work ahead of us.

And for the first time in a while, I’m not particularly interested in finding the next big opportunity.

I’m more interested in seeing how far I can take the one I already have.