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How To Actualize Your Vision Before Starting a New Business
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!
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