Written By: MrJackBrickhouse (@GotMyShades)
Website: mrjackbrickhouse.org brickhousecares.org brickhousepros.com
Having a great idea is the starting point for every business regardless of how big or small it is. A small idea in someone's mind has manifested into many significant business organizations around the world. From Pepsi to Amazon and every product or service in between, aspiring business owners have monetized their ideas and impacted the world tremendously in the process. Unfortunately, there is no magic wand available that one can wave and instantly go from idea to a successfully operating organization. The individuals who have created any type of successful business, all endured the tedious task of organizing their thoughts into to some form of business plan in hopes of reaching the infant stage of becoming a business owner often referred to as becoming a "Start-Up." In the remainder of this blog post, I will discuss one of the more difficult aspects of actually obtaining "Start-Up" status and that's being mentally prepared for the difficult journey that lies ahead of you.
Commitment
Let's be honest, people all around the world have great ideas and concepts every day. Ideas are great and it's really great when you share that idea with someone close to you and they think that it is a great idea as well. That's usually the first inkling that ignites the flame in your mind of possibly being self-employed. It's a great feeling that may linger for several days until the ultimate dream killing question materializes in your fragile mind, "How am I going to do this?" I have seen many people talk themselves out of following their dream all because they couldn't easily answer the question of "How?" This is where commitment to yourself and your idea play a major role in you successfully reaching the "Start-Up" status. At this stage in the game, your idea is not generating any revenue and you haven't proven that it is even possible to make it happen. For many of you, you are still working at your 9-5 which takes up much of your time. This is a critical point where you must decide how dedicated you are to your project as it takes hours and hours of research to learn the keys to unlock the "How" in your business plan. A majority of great ideas die at this point as their creators aren't willing to put the time in to develop their ideas and create an execution plan. When you speak about it with your peers, some will relate to your struggle and provide you with a similar story on how they gave up on their ideas. This pool of negative energy that many creators face, brings me to my next topic of having a positive Support System.
Support System
Finding a positive Support System can be a bit tricky in the beginning. It requires one of the phrases that I preach to all my consulting and coaching clients no matter the issue they are facing. Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable! The road to entrepreneurship is a bumpy one with all sorts of detours along the way. In the very beginning, you are paving your own road over dirt trails so you are consistently in uncharted territory. Many of the hurdles that you will encounter are foreign to your peers and the advice they give you is usually terrible. What you want to do is get out of your comfort zone and attend networking events and workshops, such as those provided by S.C.O.R.E., a program offered through the Small Business Administration, to surround yourself with like-minded individuals and a huge pool of positive energy. Not only will you gain tons of information and resources, when you begin to discuss your obstacles, you will be greeted by people with smiles, who offer encouragement, and often have similar stories to the issues you face. Networking is a key to success no matter what industry your business falls into. You are always a handshake away from your next opportunity. Although you may want to run back and share your positive experiences with your close friends and family, it's likely they still won't provide the support you are looking for, so the best thing you can do is just be quiet about it. Exchange contact information with some of the individuals you meet at events or workshops and share your ideas with these people. Sharing with strangers is positive in a couple ways. The first is you receive unbiased feedback on your ideas and concepts which can really assist you in mapping out that uncharted territory you have found yourself in. Two, these strangers can become your Accountability Partners.
Accountability Partners
Being accountable for your progress is a supercritical characteristic that business owners need to progress in the business world. When you become self-employed you enjoy freedom from supervision. It can be a great thing if you have the discipline to handle it. No one is going to tap you on your shoulder and say "Hey, you are about to miss that deadline you set for yourself!" It's all on you to drive the wagon to your successful business. If you know you aren't the most disciplined person, find yourself an Accountability partner. Someone that follows up with you frequently to ensure you are making the progress that you were aspiring to make. You can reciprocate the gesture and be their partner. When empowering this person, be sure you don't choose someone who you can easily manipulate as this defeats the whole purpose. LOL! Again, choose wisely as this is one of the first executive decisions you are making that impacts the success of your business.
Entrepreneurship can lead you down a fulfilling and lucrative career path as you navigate through life. Understand, entrepreneurship is not a shortcut to wealth or power. It takes commitment, focus, and perseverance to create and operate a successful business. Surrounding yourself with a positive support system and holding yourself accountable are small things you can do to position yourself in a successful situation. As one of the slogans for one of my companies goes, "Preparation Is The Separation." Healthy soil gives birth to healthy plants. Tend to the soil, before you plant your business seeds.
For more information on S.C.O.R.E. visit:
www.score.org
After climbing the treacherous entrepreneur ladder and becoming a successful author, producer, public speaker and internationally recognized music composer & engineer under the Brickhouse Productions LLC umbrella, MrJackBrickhouse has purposefully transformed his life to live a life of joy and authenticity, personally and professionally.
I coach 'desperate dreamers' who can't go a day without thinking about their dream, but can't take action on it either. I work with you to become more organized & productive in creating your ideal life.
No comments:
Post a Comment