I wasn’t allowed to watch SpongeBob as a child.
Maybe it was because SpongeBob’s hometown is called Bikini Bottom. Maybe it was because one of his best friends is named Sandy Cheeks. Or, maybe it was simply because the show is laced with subtle (and sometimes not-so-subtle) adult humor.
But guess what? Now I’m an adult, so I can watch it whenever I want…
Take that, Mom!
Needless to say, when I found out that “The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water” was coming out this year, I rushed to get tickets. I couldn’t wait to watch the misadventures of the lovable sponge and his group of friends.
And the movie didn’t disappoint. It was hilarious.
Not only that – it made me stop and think about something…
SpongeBob Squarepants provides some interesting business lessons for entrepreneurs.
Here are a few of my favorite business lessons:
Focus on Originality and Innovation
Think about the way that Plankton runs his business.
Instead of creating his own recipes, working on his marketing (The name of his restaurant is the Chum Bucket… really?!), or hiring some talented help, he focuses all of his energy on stealing the Krabby Patty formula from Mr. Krabbs.
He isn’t doing anything to innovate. He’s not investing time and effort into building his own brand. He’s not researching new ways to improve his strategy.
…Nope. He’s simply trying to steal someone else’s.
I’d be willing to bet that if Plankton focused on creating an innovative business plan for his own company instead of stealing someone else’s successful formula, the Chum Bucket would be in much better shape.
He might even give Mr. Krabbs a run for his money!
Hire Loyal Employees
Mr. Krabbs isn’t the greatest boss – he’s money-hungry, and he doesn’t always have others’ best interests in mind when he makes decisions.
However, he made a great decision when he hired SpongeBob. SpongeBob is completely loyal to Mr. Krabbs, and he has a great work ethic. Not only that – he wakes up excited to go to work every day, he’s an expert at what he does, and he has a great attitude about his job.
Make similar hiring decisions when you’re bringing on new employees, and your business will thank you.
Work Hard and Don’t Compromise Your Integrity
SpongeBob is goofy and emotional. And he’s downright annoying sometimes. But he has one major redeeming quality – he doesn’t compromise his integrity.
Not only is he incredibly hard-working at his job and loyal to his boss, Mr. Krabbs – he’s also incredibly loyal to and supportive of his friends. SpongeBob just isn’t a selfish guy, and it shows.
Be like SpongeBob and keep your integrity and your work ethic intact. It may be tempting, as your business grows, to adopt some less-than-ethical workplace practices because it seems like the easy way out. But trust me – it isn’t.
…Can you think of any other business lessons that can be learned from SpongeBob? Let us know in the comments below!