What Small Business Owners Can Learn from an Octopus
- Anna Steinfest
- Jan 12
- 3 min read
Running a small business often feels like navigating unpredictable waters. One day things are calm, the next day you’re facing competition, cash flow challenges, staffing issues, or sudden market changes.
This week’s Monday Morning Motivation on the Small Business Survival Conversations podcast takes inspiration from an unlikely teacher: the octopus.
Why an octopus?
Because few creatures adapt, problem-solve, and survive under pressure better than this intelligent marine master.
Why the Octopus Is a Powerful Business Metaphor
An octopus isn’t the biggest or strongest creature in the ocean — but it thrives anyway.
Here’s how:
It has no rigid structure (boneless), allowing it to squeeze through tight spaces
It uses camouflage to adapt instantly to its environment
It has three hearts and blue blood, built for endurance under pressure
It solves problems, uses tools, and even cooperates with other species
It turns challenges into advantages — even using drifting jellyfish as tools for defense and hunting
For small business owners, this is a powerful reminder:
You don’t survive by being the biggest. You survive by being the smartest and most adaptable.
The Business Lesson: Intelligence Beats Force
Too many entrepreneurs believe growth requires:
More money
More people
More systems
But the octopus shows us something different.
It uses what it already has — creativity, awareness, adaptability — to win.
In business, this looks like:
Repurposing existing skills instead of hiring too fast
Turning market changes into new offers
Partnering creatively instead of competing head-on
Staying flexible while others stay rigid
The octopus doesn’t panic when conditions change. It changes with them.
🎧 Listen to the Podcast Episode
In this week’s Monday Morning Motivation, we break down:
How the octopus thinks strategically
Why flexibility is a competitive advantage
How small business owners can stop reacting and start adapting
Three practical actions you can take this week
👉 Listen to the full episode here:[Insert Podcast Player or Episode Link Here]
The 3 Action Steps for Small Business Owners
To make this practical, we distilled the lesson into three clear action steps you can apply immediately.
1️⃣ Adapt Quickly
Stop waiting for perfect conditions. When something changes in your business, ask:
What’s the opportunity here?
How can I respond faster than my competitors?
Speed beats perfection.
2️⃣ Use What You Already Have
The octopus doesn’t wish for new arms — it maximizes the ones it has.
Audit your business:
Existing customers
Skills on your team
Processes you can improve
Offers you can refine
Growth often comes from optimization, not expansion.
3️⃣ Stay Flexible & Observant
Rigid businesses break. Flexible ones bend and survive.
Pay attention to:
Customer behavior changes
Market signals
Feedback you’ve been ignoring
Your awareness is your edge.
📄 Download the Octopus Strategy Worksheet
To help you put these ideas into action, we created a one-page printable worksheet you can use during your weekly planning or leadership meetings.
The worksheet helps you:
Identify where you need to adapt
Spot underused assets in your business
Create one clear action for the week
👉 Download the worksheet here:
Final Thought
The ocean doesn’t reward the loudest or the strongest — it rewards the most adaptable.
As a small business owner, you don’t need to outspend or outmuscle your competition.
You need to outthink, out-adapt, and outlast them.
Be the octopus. Smart. Flexible. Strategic.
We’ll see you next Monday for another Monday Morning Motivation on Small Business Survival Conversations.
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