starting a business

Deprivation And Lifestyle Changes

“A change centering around
deprivation
doesn’t last.”

A mentor told me that
once.

She also told me
to focus on
what I gained
by the change,
not what I lost.

For example,
we shouldn’t tell ourselves
we can’t ever
flop on the couch
and watch TV
after our day jobs end.

We tell ourselves
we get to spend
our evenings
working on our own businesses.

We shouldn’t tell ourselves
we can’t spend our excess money
on the latest toys.

We tell ourselves
we are investing in
our businesses
and in our dreams.

Don’t focus on
what we lose
by starting a business.

Focus on
what we gain.

Small Steps Count

A loved one has started
an exercise program.
He does 10 minutes of walking
every day.

He counts ALL walking.
If he walks to the bathroom,
he counts that as part
of his 10 minutes.

And that’s okay.
Because he is still
doing more walking
than he did
before tracking it.

Small steps count.
They add up.
They still take us
toward our goals.

Complete a small task
for your business startup today.

Decide on a font color.
Talk to someone
in your target market.
Research sources
for supplies.

Do something
to move you closer
to your goals.

Look At Actions

People lie.

People also tell us
what they think
we want to hear
or,
in the case
of a few contrarians,
what they think
we DON’T want to hear.

If you want to know
what people
TRULY think,
look at their actions.

In the case of politicians,
we can look
at their voting history.

In the case of potential business partners,
we can look
at their past partnerships
and their past projects.

In the case of a potential employee,
we can look
at their employment history
and speak
with former employers.

Take the time
to uncover
what the people around you
truly think.

Look at what they do
and have done.

Review Your Reason

You’ve been working
on your new business
for a while.

Your motivation
is starting to dissipate.
You’re losing
interest.

This is normal.
And it is a great time
to review
WHY you started
this business.

Look over
your notes
from the first few days
of start up.

Feel that passion.

You were excited
about the project
then.

Remind yourself
why.
And get excited about it
again.

Review your reason
for starting your business.

If We Want The Butterflies

Gardeners all over the world
are talking about
how there are no butterflies
in their areas.

They also share tips
on how to rid their gardens
of caterpillars.

Caterpillars become
butterflies.

If we want butterflies,
we have to embrace
and support
caterpillars.

This is true
in business also.

If we want to own
a thriving, successful business,
we have to put in the hard work.

We have to face possible failure.

We have to do all the difficult
and not-at-all fun
things
that create
that thriving, successful business.

If we want the butterflies,
we have to embrace the caterpillars.

The Freedom Of Nothing To Lose

As Fascism
(Trump’s Republicans in the US,
for example,
or PP’s Conservatives in Canada)
strengthens,
the impact on my Romance Novel business
is clear.

It will be closing.

Which means…
I no longer have sales
to lose.

My pen name can write
whatever the f*ck she wants
(without being sued).

She can post
on social media
anything the f*ck she wants
(without being sued).

That is freeing.
It is inspiring.
It is exciting.

You know who else
doesn’t have anything to lose?

Businesses who don’t yet
have customers.

And business builders
just starting out
on their journey.

Be creative.

Dream of outlandish wild things.

You have nothing (yet) to lose.

Review Your 2024 Goals

2024 is more than
50% over.

You had goals for this year.

Review them.

Are they still applicable?
Do you still want
to achieve them?

If the answer is yes,
take one small step
toward achieving one
today.

If you plan to start
a business,
perhaps decide
on a logo color
or an industry
you wish to play in
or the type of customer
you wish to attract.

If your goal is
to launch a new product,
select a font
for the packaging
or craft a list
of possibly raw material
suppliers
or devise three possible
taglines for the new product.

Take a small step
toward achieving
your 2024 goals.

No Sympathy For Business Owners

Some of my buddies
complain constantly
about their jobs.

I get it.
I used to do that also.

Used to do that.

I don’t do it anymore
even though
there are plenty of things
to complain about
when running our own businesses.

Because we’re not ‘allowed’
to complain,
according to many job working buddies.

We are, supposedly,
in control
and can stop dreadful tasks
at any time.

(Supposedly because,
in reality,
customers and partners
have significant say
in what we do
and when we do it.)

We profit from our business,
again, supposedly.

(As many of us
don’t earn profits for years
if ever
from our businesses.)

We are now ‘the man’,
the boss.
We’re on the other side
of the table.

And we are unlikely
to get any sympathy
from buddies
who aren’t on that side
of the table
with us.

Don’t complain
to job-working friends.

Reach out
to fellow business builders
for sympathy.

The Perfect Business

I know an aspiring business builder
who is searching for
the ‘perfect business.’

She has a long list
of attributes
this business must have.

It must have the ability
to be run
out of her home.

But it also has
to have face-to-face
interactions with customers.

It must give her income
quickly.

But it has to require
NO start up funds.

The products have
to be handmade.

But she doesn’t want
to hire employees
or spend much time
herself
making these products.

The list seems endless.

And I believe it is an excuse
NOT to build a business.

She likes the dreaming part,
not the doing part.

There is no perfect business.

If you’re waiting for perfection,
you’ll be waiting forever.

News Means New

A buddy was surprised
when I told him
bird flu was still killing
thousands of birds
and other animals.

He was investigating
starting a free range
chicken farm.

He told me he hadn’t seen
anything
on the news
recently about bird flu.
He assumed it was over.

He didn’t see anything
on the news
because
media got bored of that ongoing story
and moved on.

News, in today’s world,
means new.

If it is
disastrous flooding
in Europe
or wildfires in Australia
or COVID deaths
…well…everywhere,
the news isn’t covering it
because all that
is now considered ‘normal.’

(And also because
covering it doesn’t sell
their advertisers’ products
or promote their owners’ agendas.)

Don’t assume
if it isn’t
on the news,
it isn’t happening.

Do your own research.