So maybe you’ve come to the point in your life that you’ve decided to do something more. Maybe the 9-5 grind either just isn’t cutting it to pay the bills, or you’re searching for something to add to your income, or you just want to give something new a try, or turn a hobby into a more serious gig? Maybe, like us, you want extra money so you can travel and see the world! Whatever the case, the initial jump of actually getting something from your head, to the world around you, can actually be quite a hurdle.
Unfortunately, the greatest hurdle in the process can be the swirling thoughts of doubt between your two ears.
Is this even a good idea?
Will it ever work?
Am I willing to put in the amount of work required?
What if I fail? What do I have to fall back on?
How much will I actually be able to make?
Will people think less of me if I take this risk?
This “Getting Started” series is intended to help organize all those thoughts and questions, as well as get you thinking about the big reasons and processes to getting started with your goals.
To be clear, this does not mean that you are necessarily ready to completely quit your job, buy a 40,000 square foot office building, hire 200 people and hit the pavement running. Starting a business can be as simple as finding old things around your house or neighborhood, putting them into a category and selling them on eBay, and repeating it for profits. It can be as simple as finding a craft that you enjoy and making just a few more products than normal and selling them in a local trade group. Whatever the business, whatever the idea, we want to help you get started on the right track and making things happen!
So, what is your first task? Simple. Answer this one question. Are you ready for it? Its a doozie. The question is…
Task One : Why?
Yup, that’s it. Why. That’s the whole question. It’s a big one, wrapped up in such a tiny word, right? Whatever the end result of a business venture is, it always starts with a “why”. Why do you want to start down this path at all? To help answer that, here are a few things to think about. Print this out, write your answers down as you think about them, make notes, and come up with a reason. There always has to be a reason.
Do I truly love the activity involved in your business idea? Making crafts, being a retailer, providing a service?
Am I doing it for extra income, or to replace an income?
Am I doing it solely for fun, or will I need this to work in order to pay the bills?
Is there any part of this business that truly gets me excited? Passionate? (This one is important.)
Am I terrified of the process, or does it excite me?
What is my end game goal? What do I hope to achieve from this?
Understanding why you even want to start on this journey may be the most important step in the entire process. Think carefully.
As you spend some time answering this question, you will inevitably find that even more questions arise - things you never thought about before, things that other’s say or ask, new information you find. Now is a good time to start a journal for this journey. I love journals - whether it is for every day life, for photos, for ideas, for businesses, whatever the case - writing things down is immensely important for reflection and review, and as a foundation for any journey.
Task Two : Start a Journal
For now, let it just be a general journal for your thoughts and ideas. Get in the habit of writing a little bit every day. Even if it just a few sentences - record what’s going in your head, what thoughts you are having, what questions you have, what challenges you think you might face. Personally, I love pen and paper journals. There is something that adds a level of realism to actually taking the cap off a pen, and crafting thoughts into words with the movement of your hand. The smell of a fresh sheet of paper, the feel of the pen as it draws the ink along the paper - I just love it. However, If you like web-based or mobile based journals, programs like Day One and Evernote are amazing options and provide immense flexibility and organization options and are more than enough to get you started!
So now you’ve got some action steps. Go do them! Answer the why, and get a journal started. When we meet again, we’ll continue the journey to getting set up!
-Ben