Image by Felix Francis

In the 21st century, we’re somewhat spoiled for choice when it comes to travelling to the four corners of planet Earth. Some of the greatest travellers in history had no such fortune and subjected themselves to months, if not years, of uncomfortable travel conditions and unknown dangers.

We can, and obviously have learned a great deal from many of the world’s greatest travellers and not only about the journeys they took and the lands they discovered. Many of their endeavors, the challenges they faced and how they overcame them can be applied to your entrepreneurial ventures.

Here are 6 entrepreneurial lessons you can learn from 3 of the world’s greatest travellers…

Christopher Columbus

Accurate Planning (And Calculations) Can Make Or Break Your Venture

Despite grossly miscalculating the circumference of the Earth (by about 15,000km), it clearly didn’t stop Christopher Columbus from achieving what he achieved.

However, before undertaking his first voyage he had his work cut out getting funding and support for his plans – one reason that he was initially turned down was a suspicion about his (mis)calculations.

Lesson: The obvious lesson for entrepreneurs here is to to make sure that any plans, projections and proposals you make are based on as solid figures as you can calculate. Whether you need funding from outside investors or you’re simply doing your own financial forecasting, the figures are what matter.

One important calculation to make (and get right) before you leave, is forecasting your predicted income; there are a number of simple ways to do this, just make sure your calculations are as accurate as possible.

Persistence Pays Off

It took Columbus over 2 years of lobbying and negotiations at the Spanish court to get his plans for his voyage approved. Had he not persevered, who knows who would now hold the mantle of having discovered America.

Lesson: If you have a strong conviction in your business idea and you’ve done the due research and planning that backs up how you can implement this idea successfully, then no matter how much resistance you meet with and how many people say it can’t be done, keep going and have the courage of your convictions.

Ibn Batutta

You Can’t Do It Alone

Ibn Batutta, Moroccan Muslim Berber scholar and traveller is known for the account of his travels and excursions called the Rihla (Voyage). For many of his journeys, Ibn Batutta chose to travel as part of a caravan. This helped ensure he reached his destinations safely on what were often perilous routes.

Lesson: As an entrepreneur, there is nothing more important than reaching out to people who can help you; whilst you may well be able to achieve your goals alone and feel that you’d rather do this, you will probably get there much faster and much more efficiently with the support of the right people on your team.

Do The Paperwork

The second lesson we can learn from Ibn Batutta is something he failed to do. There’s apparently very little evidence that he made any notes of his journey throughout his almost 30 years of travel so his account was made largely from memory & manuscripts produced by other travellers.

Lesson: As an entrepreneur – and especially one who is location independent – making sure you do the necessary paperwork and keep the right records (whether on paper or paperless) is something you can’t get away from.

Most of you (in the US, UK or elsewhere) will probably know the pain that is a tax return submission deadline. You can make this period so much easier on yourself if you keep good records along the way, rather than wait till the very end of the year to try and gather everything together in time for the deadline.

Captain James Cook

Hone Your Core Skills

Before he started travelling, as part of a 3 year apprenticeship Cook diligently studied algebra, geometry, trigonometry, navigation and astronomy – all vital skills he’d need one day as captain of his own ship – and it was his well-honed surveying skills which really set him apart from many of his peers and brought him to the attention of the Admiralty & Royal Society.

Lesson: As I’ve written many times before, as an entrepreneur – and especially as a location independent one – skilling up is one of the most vital things you can do. As captain of your own ship, when you’re halfway round the world in unknown lands, not having the skills you need to operate or troubleshoot your business can be a deal breaker.

One thing I always recommend to anyone creating their own location independent business is to do a “skills audit” and ensure you fill any skill gaps your business may need when you’re on the road.

Look After Your Resources

One of the lesser known achievements that Cook is celebrated for is the fact that he set new standards in terms of health on board his ships. Unlike most voyages before him, there were no recorded deaths from scurvy on any of his voyages and his attention to detail when it came to cleanliness, diet and ventilation for his crews meant that deaths of his crew were at lower levels than ever before.

Lesson: A good entrepreneur and business owner knows that taking care of their most valued resources is one vital key to business success. This means not only paying your resources well (or at least fairly), but also equipping them with the tools, resources and training they need to do the job to the best of their abilities.

The great travellers of our time have taught us many things about the world we live in today – as an entrepreneur, you can learn a lot by studying their endeavours and how they achieved each of their great discoveries and applying them to your business ventures.