You’ve waited, you’ve worried, you’ve wondered if you’re ever going to be ready. What if we told you that you are ready to start that dream business? Right now!
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What can you do to overcome those obstacles and open the door for that huge line of people?
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Let’s face it, you’re ready! Now is the time for you to chase your dream and build that business that will change your children’s lives!
You can see it in your head. The people are lined up as if the new iPhone were out! They can’t wait to get to your new, revolutionary product or service. They just can’t wait to hand over a pile of money for what you have built. The only problem is you haven’t built it yet!
It’s obviously going to work. There are already people waiting in line for it but your “real” job, the kids, or a lack of money are standing in your way. What can you do to overcome those obstacles and open the door for that huge line of people?
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Here are four ways you can put your excuses behind you and get yourself on the road to success:
1. Stop Worrying About the Money!
The business in your head has a great 401K plan, a beautiful office location, and a slide that takes you from the coffee shop to your lobby. Unfortunately your business start up fund only has enough money in it for you to ride the slide…..at the park.
The problem isn’t money; it’s the gap between your vision and your money. You have enough money to start. A domain name can cost around $10, hosting $5 per month and a business account $50. Put your logo on 5 T-shirts for $75, or rent the space at the farmers market for $45. Ta dah! You are working your dream. Be sure to withhold enough of your fabulous income for taxes and let your business pay for itself.
In his post 4 Creative Ways to Chase Your Dream When Money is Low, Kimanzi Constable gives you some great ideas on how to bootstrap your business. If you don’t have an idea, steal one from him! If you are still worried about the money then you haven’t read The $100 Startup by Chris Guillebeau. If you have read it, then you can move on to step #2.
2. Carve Out Time
Please allow me to guess your next statement. “OK, OK I have the money but I don’t have the time.”
I am not a psychic. But after coaching so many people through this process I have heard this conversation a few times. This conversation is what led me to write this article about how to get the most out of your time. You are losing your dream to the TV, the hobby, social media, or other time drains. Find out what is keeping you from winning and lock it out of your life.
I had a client who told me that he didn’t have enough time to start their dream. Then he proudly told me he spent roughly 20-30 hours a week reading the Bible. If that’s your thing then great but reading the Bible won’t build your business even if your business is a church! Give your dream at least the same amount of time you give Netflix or Twitter. Your dream deserves it! So do you.
3. Plan the Work and Work the Plan
The reason this seems so big is because you are looking at the entire picture, not the next step. Spend some of that time we just found carving out a business plan. Include who your ideal customer is, what your product or service will do for them, when you will work, and what you will charge. Also make a plan for your money. In step #1 we made sure you were paying your taxes. Don’t forget to hold some back so you can re-invest later.
You need a way to connect with all of these great customers as well. That can be as simple as telling people what you are doing at church or asking your workout partner to spread the word. At this point, one sell could make a huge difference. Build this thing on paper first with actionable steps. Once this is done, the next step will be easy.
4. Start
Alex Pirouz in his article Why Passion is not Enough for The Huffington Post lays out 5 steps you can take to start pursuing your dream.
One year from today you will wake up and either be glad you took action, or wish you had.
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It’s go time baby! Start plugging away at this. It’s going to take some time but you know what they say; the best way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time. Actually I have only heard one guy say that and he was a little strange but you get the point. It’s so easy to focus on the big picture for so long that we overlook the next step. The dream won’t happen until you take the next step.
Start today! Do the research, build the plan, get the account or buy the material. The next step is so much more important than the big picture. It is waiting for you to take action. Do it now because it won’t change. Trust me, the big picture will.
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If it were easy everyone would do it. You aren’t just anyone though. You’re the person who had the idea that changed everything. This will not happen overnight but it will happen as long as you begin. One year from today you will wake up and either be glad you took action, or wish you had. Regardless of what you do that day is coming. The question is where will you be when it gets here?
Photo: Flickr/opensource.com