I'll admit it . . . I'm a victim.
So are thousands of other would-be entrepreneurs that never start a business because they just can't seem to find the traction to get going.
Sure this is a big step . . . sure there are lots of reasons to begin slowly and not jump into the water that's too deep or too swift until you know how to swim.
Yes, careful planning and thoughtful mentoring will certainly increase your chances of success.
Regardless, the first step is always the hardest!
So many, many people have great difficulty in setting themselves in motion. The reasons are many, of course, but the sad truth is that many dreams fade as the morning breaks because the dreamer can't get out of bed.
Indecisiveness, over-analysis, and the fear of making the wrong move stop many people in their tracks and paralyze them from ever planting and growing their own small business idea.
You know . . . it's the "deer in the headlights" story for many of us.
At the opposite end of the spectrum (from those over-cautious planners) are the few that run off helter-skelter without any direction, focus, or clear destination in mind.
They're flying around at two hundred miles an hour with their hair on fire sampling this offer and checking out that. Today's sales letter de jour seems much better than yesterday's!
These high-energy opportunists are in the minority but they don't seem to get anywhere either.
Often they bounce from "biz opp" (business opportunity or money-making program) to biz opp never able to make any money because they have no patience, no real commitment, and no persistence in sticking with their business idea as it grows and matures over time.
Let me suggest a first step that is within the grasp of both these groups and everyone in between.
It's simple and easy to do; yet there are many business owners that have never taken this step even though they've been operating for some time.
What I want you to do is this: sit down with a pen and paper and no distractions and distill into one sentence what you see as your business' mission.
I know, you probably don't have a business yet, and you may not have given much thought to how you're going to talk your customers into giving you money.
But until you can succinctly describe your business, you are simply wandering around in the dark.
Clarity of purpose will go a long way toward pointing you in the proper direction as you begin taking baby steps in setting up your business.
If you can't verbalize your mission, the reason your company is in business, how are your prospects and customers going to understand what you can do for them?
Especially on the Internet, where attention spans and surf stops are always super short . . . you need to explain what you offer in mere seconds!
I won't accept a lengthy or techno-geek description that no one will understand. You need to be able to tell me, and anyone else interested, in layman terms, what your business does and the fewer words you have to use to do that, the better!
When you've completed this task, and it's oh so important that you do, you've taken your first step. Congratulate yourself!
You now have an online selling advantage over many other businesses that have never really taken the time to figure out, exactly, what it is that they do.
Yea, this is pretty elementary thinking . . . but then again, I'll bet 90% of your competitors flounder because they haven't done it - ever!
