If you read the literature for the Temple of Dendur at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, it might inspire you to think of your small business as a sort of Egyptian temple, and of yourself as a designer, architect and builder of said temple. As you read about the Temple of Dendur, you will learn that “Egyptian temples were not simply houses for a cult image but also represented, in their design and decoration, a variety of religious and mythological concepts.”
When constructing a small business, from its microscopic DNA to its macrobiotic evolution as a successful and profitable enterprise, it might be useful to keep in mind that what you are trying to build is not necessarily the next Google, or some other entity of mythic renown, but something that incorporates your own sense of values, your worldview and honor code. Structurally, your company should reflect, in its design and “décor” those concepts, issues and qualities that will shape your brand image for years to come.
In reading about the Temple of Dendur during one of my recent visits to the MET, I was intrigued to learn that “one important symbolic aspect was based on the understanding of the temple as an image of the natural world as the Egyptians knew it.” The Egyptians understood about following the trends of their times; they knew that in constructing the Temple, it would be more relatable to their audience if they incorporated images and concepts into the infrastructure that are readily identifiable. Thus, in constructing a small business and building up, and building up your “Temple of business” it is important to consider who your target market is, and what and how they identify in and to their environment.
The Egyptians, in building the Temple of Dendur, “lined the temple base with carvings of papyrus and lotus plants that seem to grow from water, symbolized by figures of the Nile god Hapy.” As a small business person, you may have no idea who the Nile god Hapy is and what he stood for. And that is fine. But it is important that as a small business owner you know what your clients and customers value and you find ways to build a company that reflects what your customers want, and who and what they hold sacrosanct.
It is not just the customers’ needs that you have to consider when defining your mission and setting your strategies. The Egyptians were concerned with more than just their gods and friends. “Above the gate and temple entrance are images of the sun disk flanked by the outspread wings of Horus, the sky god. The sky is also represented by the vultures, wings outspread, that appear on the ceiling of the entrance porch.” As a small business owner, you have to keep in mind that your competitors, too, are a part of the calculus and must be factored into the blueprints you draw up for the construction of a successful company. As they say on the street, keep your friends close and your enemies closer.
