My berry picking secrets to business success

In business, like in berry picking, it’s all about finding the sweet spots before someone else beats you to them

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Businesses are facing increasing pressures, rising costs, labour shortages and competition from both local and international players. Whether you’re running a small business in a tight-knit community or managing a larger operation, the challenge remains the same: how do you thrive in an environment full of uncertainty and change?

For me, the answer often lies in a simple summer tradition: berry picking. Over the years, I’ve realized that berry picking isn’t just about fruit—it’s a quiet lesson in business strategy.

I’m not sure I was always a good berry picker, but I remember doing it as a child, filling both my belly and my bucket. As a teenager, I picked berries for pay and outlasted my brothers, who seemed to lose interest once they’d eaten their fill.

Berry picking is a lot like business. You need to be mentally prepared to keep going despite the conditions. You need the right tools, usually just a bucket, though I’ve seen some fancy new gadgets lately. You have to push through the thorns, steer clear of bears and pick where others haven’t.

Most of all, you need to work when you find the sweet spots.

Too often, I see businesses, like my brothers, satisfied after a little success and content to relax once their immediate needs are met. If the bills are paid, they stop pushing for growth.

That’s fine if it works for you. But if we only work until we’re comfortable, we don’t store anything for the future.

Like bears, businesses need to fatten up when the feeding is good to survive the lean seasons.

Finding your business’s sweet spot isn’t always easy. One thing I learned from my mother while berry picking was to look where others don’t. I call it the sweet spot because there are often so many berries that filling your bucket becomes easy. I look high, where others can’t reach, and low, lifting branches to find hidden fruit others miss because they’re focused on what’s right in front of them.

In business, we should do the same—look for customers and opportunities our competitors overlook. The obvious markets might seem easiest but they’re crowded. When we search beyond what’s visible, we often find an untapped bounty.

I once worked with a company that wholesaled its products, believing larger orders meant fuller buckets. But despite being busy, their bank account wasn’t growing.

We explored how the obvious berries, those wholesale clients, were thin, while the retail customers they’d overlooked were actually more profitable. By shifting their focus, the company began to thrive.

Then there’s the construction firm that took on the jobs no one else wanted and became the go-to expert in their region. Or the manufacturer that carved out a niche creating custom formulas others couldn’t. Or the engineer who specializes in facility layouts for a single industry, sought after and well paid because there’s little competition.

When I was in retail, others cut back on customer service—we doubled down. We hired more staff, trained them well and focused on exclusive products. As a result, we were seen as the experts and built new profit centres inside the business.

When looking for sweet spots, you should:

• Build on your strengths;
• Capitalize on what sets you apart;
• Identify gaps others have missed.

Establishing ourselves as experts in these overlooked areas allows us to charge premium prices and deliver premium service.

If we want to fill our buckets for the tough times, we need to find those fat berries—and go where the competition isn’t picking.

David Fuller is a Commercial and Business Realtor with a strong reputation as an award-winning business coach and author. He has extensive experience helping businesses grow and succeed, providing guidance on various aspects of business management, strategy, and development. His work as a business coach and author has earned him recognition in the industry, making him a respected figure in both real estate and business coaching.