I’ve been working with both small business owners and wanna-be entrepreneurs for over a decade.
And my main concern is this- That not enough people want their own business enough, to take drastic action.
I’ll just summarise my experiences into a few pointers. If you have been thinking about starting your own gig, but have still not, then find yourself in the list below
Problem 1) This person blames lack of funding for their grand, big idea.
Solution 1) He/She just has to get over the idea of getting funding without showing some results first. This person needs to bootstrap (we all think we need X dollars while in fact we need much less)
This person also has to realise that there are many ideas worth pursuing that does not require the dollars they think they need.
Problem 2) This person thinks that they cannot compete with the big guys who are already in the market.
Solution 2) If you are this person, realise that there are many things that a big company cannot, or would not do. Find these gaps in service delivery, and connect with those who want these things that the big guns will not/cannot provide. Also, keep in mind that in the 2013 era, most consumers prefer doing business with a small company that can provide the personalised feel and face to face interaction.
Problem 3) This person thinks that they have no time, or technical expertise to create a business
Solution 3) Well, he/she just has to know that they can outsource many things to freelancers online, like odesk.com and freelancer.com etc. These guys can create a website in just days, for less than $100. Seriously.
Problem 4) “Oh, I will launch my business when it’s perfect”
Solution 4) First slap yourself, (hard) for being stupid. Next,realise that there can never be a PERFECT time to launch anything worthy. Good, is good enough. Fine tune along the way, but just get out there, launch it, and tweak it to success. Only your customer reaction to your products and services will serve as feedback as to what changes you need to make in your quest to create a “perfect” business.
5) The intellectually-lazy ones
Solution 5) Its true! Far more people will prefer to sweat, and shed blood in their quest to success, then to actually sit, brainstorm, and implement their ideas. Many people are physically hardworking. They just need to use their brains more often, more intensely. Conceptualise the idea, think about the pros and cons of each action, and just go ahead and execute the plan!
6) The ADHD guys
Solution 6) Too many people jump from one idea to the other. They become what i call the butterfly failures, flitting from flower to flower in search of the best idea. I’ll make a debatable point here. ANY business industry is a good one, if you can find customers who will pay you to deliver those offers to them. There are people making money in the funeral business, the waste collection business, and other unsavoury businesses. You need to realise that only 3 things matter, no matter what your business is.
A) You can attract customers
B) These customers pay you a good enough amount for your goals
C) You can continually serve these customers.
That’s is! Any business is a good business, if you master marketing and sales.