So you had that fantastic business idea, the one that's
going to be wildly successful and make you a fortune - and
even better, you actually did something about it and
started your own business. Good for you! Not everyone gets
even that far. Most people sit and day dream about what
they might do if only ....
"The world is full of dreamers, there aren't enough who
will move ahead and begin to take concrete steps to
actualize their vision" - W. Clement Stone
But you got over the biggest hurdle, you took that first
step and you actually created something.
Well done - you already did more than most. But once you've
got started and you've maybe lost that first flush of
enthusiasm with the day to day details of running your
business how do you keep going?
There are several things to look at here:
1. What are you really good at and what do you enjoy doing?
Make two lists - one of all the jobs you like and/or are
good at, and one of all the jobs you hate and/or really
don't do very well.
Take the second list and have a look at what you might
outsource or automate. Do you really love doing those
accounts or would your time be better spent in forward
planning while your accountant does the sums? Must you
personally reply to every last enquiry or could you create
a FAQ which you can post on your website and refer people
to by autoresponder?
Obviously in the early stages of your business you might
find you don't have the money to pay someone to do the jobs
you hate but you've got to think about what is best for you
and your business long term. Be creative - could you swap
skills to get the help you need?
The more routine jobs you can outsource or automate the
more time you have to plan and to market your business, and
to think about even more ways to bring in all that lovely
cash - not to mention you get to spend more of your time
doing the things you really enjoy doing.
2. Why are you doing this?
You really need to be motivated to start a business and
keep it going and the best way to do this is to know what
all that effort is for. What really moves you to get up in
the morning and do what you need to do even when you don't
really feel like it?
Write your reasons down and stick them on your wall. Even
better find pictures of that house in the country, the
Lamborghini or that 'must have' holiday and put them where
you can see them every day.
3. How do you deal with those inevitable bumps in the road?
Not everything you do will be perfect - sometimes things
you've tried will be a total disaster - but it's the way
you react to problems that matters. If you curl up in a
ball and give up at the first sign of failure you'd better
not be in business. "Patience and perseverance have a
magical effect before which difficulties disappear and
obstacles vanish." - John Quincy Adams. It's all about
attitude.
4. Have a plan and stick to it as far as possible but
always be prepared to be flexible and open minded.
Sometimes the most unexpected opportunities come up and you
need to be ready to seize them with both hands - as Joe
Vitale says 'Money likes speed'.
5. Get yourself a mentor - learn from someone who has done
it before. Having someone to bounce ideas off and someone
who can encourage you when things get tough is invaluable.
And most importantly, never let anyone put you down and
never be afraid of failure:
"It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points
out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds
could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man
who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust
and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and
comes short again and again; who knows the great
enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a
worthy cause; who at the best, knows in the end the triumph
of high achievement; and who, at worst, if he fails at
least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall
never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither
victory nor defeat" - Theodore Roosevelt.
Don't ever forget that!
----------------------------------------------------
Ken Troyer is a very passionate online business coach and
has a very high level of integrity. Ken has been involved
in online business coaching since 2005...and has been
helping people build businesses online ever since. You can
read more about Ken over at his main website:
http://KenTroyer.com
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