Almost every day for the last month, my fiancée and I take a stroll in a small park beside my house. There are many wild animals running around searching for food, such as squirrels, chipmunks, giraffes and racoons (I was kidding about the giraffes). But the only animal out of this diverse group of species that got our attention and eventually food is a squirrel named Chippy.

Chippy is not an ordinary squirrel and there are many business lessons that all of us can learn from this tiny furry animal.  Follow these business lessons and you will be successful in business as Chippy is in terms of food that she eats and stores.

Five Business Lessons from a Squirrel Named Chippy

1. Approach – Unlike other squirrels that avoid humans all together, Chippy wasn’t afraid to approach, and ask for food and our attention.

Business Lesson – Never be afraid to approach potential clients and ask for business or possible leads. Let go of the fear and start approaching. As Michael Jordan recently said, “Fear is often just an illusion“.

2. Be Approachable- Chippy never runs away from us whenever we find her running around the park. Instead, she comes to us whenever we call her to come closer.

Business Lesson – Whenever clients come to you, be sure to be friendly and approachable. Don`t sabotage a potential client by being rude or not following through whenever you are contacted for business. Do your all to meet the client’s needs.

3. Trust – Many squirrels do not trust humans for the reason being that many of their ancestors have been eaten, run over, or plainly unfairly treated by us. Chippy, however, has trust towards humans and in the end wins, as she is rewarded with plenty of peanuts for being so brave and trusting.

Business Lesson – Have trust in others. Many business deals go wrong, money gets lost, and people even killed. You have to stop concentrating on all the bad things that can happen and see the positives that may turn out because of a potential business deal. (May not apply if you run an illegal business)

4. Be Unique - For most part, all squirrels look the same and act the same. They run around scared trying to avoid cars and humans. They are all either black or brown with furry tails.

Chippy is unique and stands out through her approach. She runs up real close and does a few circles around us, so that we know for sure it is her.

Business Lesson- You have to stand out from the crowd. For most part, all people approach in the same way, whether it is people sending the same old boring resume to an employer or a business sending bland pitches. Do something out of the ordinary and make it your own. What do you want people to know you for? How will they recognize you?

5. Build relationships – As time went by, Chippy worked on building the relationship with us by eating in front of us, walking along the path with us, or just sitting on the bench enjoying the company.

Business Lesson – Take the time to build relationships with your clients by giving them that extra attention they crave. Take them out for lunch or dinner, ask how you can make their experience better, and check up on them from time to time to see how they are doing. But most importantly, always listen.

Are there any other business lessons we can learn from our surroundings or our pets?