As more people face being laid off, downsized, repositioned, forced into early retirement - or all the other familiar phrases that mean losing your job or fearing you might - many are choosing to take control of their destiny. Many are choosing to start their own business. Entrepreneurship... here I come!
Taking control of your life, your career, and your income sounds pretty good, doesn't it? That all sounds great, and many choose to do this while still employed. Having the steady income will help with funding while you create and grow your new company.
I know quite a few people in this position right now, and have found something quite interesting. They say they want to be their own boss. They stress that they want to have the freedom being a business will bring them. They claim that this is a dream and goal. But months later, they are still trudging to work. They are miserable. They wonder each morning if they'll be given the pink slip. Yet they don't act on their decision to start down the road to being self-employed.
Things get in the way!
Unfortunately, many people with big dreams allow little things in life to get in the way. They have it all mapped out, know what they want to do, and how they are going to do it. But that's all the farther they get. They think about it, talk about it, dream about it - they do everything but act on it.
So, what gets in the way? Here are some answers to that very question:
- I have dishes to do every night.
- My kids need rides to practice.
- I spend a lot of time mowing and gardening.
- I have to watch my favorite TV shows.
- My daughter needs help with her homework.
- I work hard all day and need some R&R each evening.
- I'm just too tired after dinner to do anything.
Each one of these is minor, when compared to what they (or you) are giving up! And none of these take up so much time that you cannot do more to reach your goals and dreams.
When starting a business, you must be willing to give up some things to gain others. Think about this - will watching TV get you where you want to be? Two years from now you can have a growing, successful business - or you can still be watching your favorite TV show. You decide.
Taking kids places, helping them with homework, mowing the lawn. Again, these are not constant, hours-long activities.
Giving up just one TV show a night gives you 5 hours a week to work on your business. In those small blocks of time, you can accomplish a lot:
- File the paperwork to become a legally-formed business
- Call friends and tell them about your new business
- Call friends and business associates to ask for introductions
- Research and purchase your domain name
- Write letters introducing yourself to possible referral sources
- Draft your marketing materials
- Edit your marketing materials
What about the need for R&R, or that you're just too busy? Creating your own business will give you so much energy there will be times you won't be able to sleep. And you're never too busy to pursue a dream - if you truly, honestly, sincerely want what you say you want. You'll take the time to do what needs to be done. And amazingly, all those little things that held you back will have disappeared.
Don't let the little things get in the way of your dream. Small steps, taken each day, will get you where you want to go. A year or two from now, you'll look back and realize that the biggest "little" thing that got in your way was you!
Cindy Hartman has found that a wide range of corporate experience served her well in late 2004 as she and her husband, Mike, pursued their entrepreneurial dream. As President of Hartman Inventory LLC,, a personal property inventory service, Cindy brought her corporate marketing, customer service, training and finance experience into the business. This experience came from industries that included retail, manufacturing, education and distribution.
Additionally, she is Vice President of Hartman Inventory Systems LLC, which is a turnkey package that assists others who have a desire for business ownership. Interest in this new, growing industry is a result of having been burglarized twice. Experiencing the difficulty of the insurance claims process and resulting potential loss after a burglary, fire or natural disaster, she has made it her mission to share the importance of knowing what you own with business owners, renters and home owners. She shares this knowledge through her company newsletter and blogs.
She is a free-lance writer and published author. Her works include many articles and columns in various publications, plus contribution for a book titled Dear Me. Cindy is currently co-authoring a book with an estate attorney.
Loving the entrepreneurial life, she enjoys being active with additional start-ups and most recently has become a successful distributor for MonaVie, realizing and appreciating the benefit of passive income while becoming and staying healthy. She asks, “Why create a live you love if you aren’t healthy enough to enjoy it?”