I’ve been in this business development/training game since 1999, and since then I have worked with thousands of small business owners, and I’ve been asked many, many questions.
In my prior career, in the first 3 years of being a paramedic, I went from being nervous about every call, to feeling pretty confident that I could handle just about anything that showed up on the other end of a 911 call. Yet, there were certain calls I still dreaded.
Similarly, I feel really clear about how business develops, and in almost any case I can pinpoint what a business needs for it’s next step. Unfortunately, with that clarity there is one question I hear, not unfrequently, that stands out that is among the ones I dread hearing the most.
“I was so excited about my business, and so I quit my job. Now it’s [6 months, 1 year, 2 years, fill in the blank] later, and my savings are running out and I really need this to work in a hurry. What should I do?”
Sigh…
I dread this question because it usually means someone has been pouring their heart and soul (and resources) into their business, but not getting traction, and now they are usually in a pretty tight situation.
Although there are many different directions to go in depending on the actual situation, they all fall into two broad categories.
Category the First: Find other resources and play the long game.
Breathe deep and face the fact that it takes time to build a business. Find alternatives so you don’t ride your finances completely into the ground, whether it’s a part-time job, a family loan, something.
Assess where in the heck your business is right now, and what it needs next to keep developing. Play the long game. It’s not whether it’s going to finally succeed next month, but whether you can make it fly over the next 1-2 years, through steady application to business development learning, whether ours or someone else’s.
Often the first year or two of being in business is just getting your feet under you, while running around a little crazed, from one thing to the next, hoping it’s all going to work. And it rarely does, at least not like that.
In all of my years, I have very, very few stories similar to a successful acupuncturist I met, who graduated from acupuncture school, but then had another job, and also had other support from family, and took a year to really study business, think through, set things up. Then, after that year, launched her business and was making a good living within 6 months.
But it wasn’t six months. It was 18 months, a year plus six months. 🙂 The long(er) game, coupled with real study.
Category the Second: Kick up a lot of dust, quickly.
If you need to make money quickly, if you’re willing to polish up any extroverted tendencies you have laying around, and follow these steps:
Step 1. Pay attention to this. (And a little more on Step 1 here.)
Step 2. Do the extrovert thing and get out there, with heart. (And here’s how to find some courage. And, if you can, have others help. Here’s more on having others help.)
Step 3. Tell people to hire you. And make sure you’re going for the easy win.
It is possible, if you have some clarity, and a willingness to simplify, and to not be perfectionist about it, to really get “out there” as I write above, and kick up some dust, and wrassle in some clients. You will, eventually, want to develop your business more sustainably, but when you’re up against survival, sometimes that can put you in a different place of willingness.
Okay, a lot of links, and a lot of reading. It’s not meant to slow you down, but to help you move it out there!
If you’re willing, I’d love to hear your thoughts below.
p.s. Start with The Heart of Your Business
A lot of what I wrote above is asking about the core relationship you might have with your business. Is it healthy, and does it allow you to move forward easily? It also brings up the question whether you have the big picture of business, and really get the terrain, or do you end up being surprised by the stumbling blocks and walls you hit?
I really recommend, for everyone to get right with the heart of your business, and to really take in the big picture. And because I think everyone needs it, it’s why we’re offering this program at pay-what-you-want pricing, what we call “Pay from the Heart.”
Check it out here: The Heart of Your Business.
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Let me know if you have any questions.
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This month is about not being crazy! A spiritual answer to the overwhelm that hits everyone in business – Go here now Monthly Business Focus and learn how to overcome overwhelm!
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8 Responses
Such a helpful collection of links, Mark–thank you. I’ll be returning to this resource during periods of slowdown–both to regain perspective from “Category 1” and to kick up some dust with “Category 2.”
I’m glad the Heart of Business assessment was in the first group. That was tremendously helpful for me a ways back, when I felt overwhelmed and hopeless and had lost the forest amidst a tangle of trees. Helped me see just how much I’d done through earlier Heart of Business programs…and that I had a clear, supported path ahead.
Seeing that developing my business is a long game with specific phases that you all name, understand and support has been a tremendous gift.
Dana- I can’t tell you what a joy it’s been watching your business bloom and bloom and bloom.
Your post today – synchronicity at play. I am the person you describe. And I have run out of savings. Sigh. It is so important to have the long game in mind. Because today I started wondering about getting a job, how to pay the bills and how to keep my heart from sinking. I’ve got help and it still takes a lot of energy and effort. A spiritual focus is everything. I love what you do in the world. Thank you.
Miriam! I so hear you… and sorry you’ve ended up in this place. And it’s not an indication of anything wrong that you might need to get a job to get you through.
If I can be so bold as to recommend our Community as a source of support? The pricing is Pay From the Heart, so it shouldn’t drain you, even if you are feeling drained, and there’s a lot there to support you. Heart of Business Community
I am looking through this and have been reading your articles and seriously considering this.Thank you.
Great, Miriam! Glad to hear you are digging in.
My strongest skills aligned well with what I enjoy and value most. I had been so obsessed with designing boats. So I draining whole energy in that direction.
I hear you, Prue. So draining.