Before we get into the topic, I want to allow us all to take a few breaths in prayer and remembrance for all of those affected so horribly by extreme weather events. India, Pakistan, Nepal, Mexico, U.S…. and I’m sure others. We’ve ignored the calls to mitigate petroleum-fueled climate change since 1978, and millions of people are paying the cost. We’re all paying the cost.
Grief, pain, anger, prayer, return to love, then stepping into action. It’s a cycle. Care for yourself in it.
And then onto today’s topic, because if we all stopped doing the work of our hearts in the face of crisis, all we would do is live the crisis. So both. Business, and love and compassion.
Topic: Seven years to build a business?!?
Last week I read a post on Facebook from someone I respect tremendously, Dusti Arab, who wrote about it taking SEVEN YEARS to get her business to the tipping point.
Normally I’m not an angry person- anger comes and goes at times…
But something that angers me is when people who ought to know better knowingly, convincingly, manipulatively sell extremely expensive business development “programs” to people in the first 2-3 years of business.
STOP IT!
And if you are tempted by those programs, please know that they will leave you hurt, depleted financially and emotionally, and you will never-ever get a refund.
It takes time, several years, to develop a sustainable business. Learning the fundamentals takes months, maybe a year or two. Then iterating it, coming into your confidence, getting clear on what and how you do it…
It just takes time, folks. No go-for-broke craziness is going to get you there faster- it’s going to slow down your process, and put your in a worse position.
Listen, it’s worth it! It’s worth it to spend a few years building a business. It’s worth it to go through some lean times to build it up.
But you won’t survive if you pile all of your money, if you go into serious debt to try to shoot the moon because someone lied to you about what it really takes.
Please don’t listen to the lies.
There is so much love and care available.
Spend your pennies wisely on business training, learn the fundamentals, get sustainable support.
I’ve been doing this work nearly two decades, since 1999, and I want to tell you that this is just how it is.
Please, show love to yourself and your business. Settle into the timeline. Settling into your heart and yourself and your business. It’s going to be okay.
Big hugs! We need you! We need your care and your gifts. It’s okay that it takes time…
Our philosophy
After nearly 20 years in the trenches, helping people with business development, here’s where we’ve landed.
There are three things that are needed, and they aren’t all needed at the same time.
You need to know the fundamentals of business, from a heart-centered perspective. Fundamentals, even though they aren’t sexy, are what is going to make your business work. It’s not rocket science, but it’s not 100% intuitive. The fundamentals shouldn’t cost a fortune.
You do need coaching and feedback. While useful in early stages, straight-up business coaching is not often the best investment in early stages of business development—you end up paying someone for one-on-one tutoring. Instead, learn the fundamentals the first 1-3 years, and then get coaching to help you tweak them, make them your own, and accelerate the results.
You really need compassionate accountability. Here’s how to waste a lot of time and slow your business down: work on the wrong things, work on too many things at once, or get bogged down in emotional and spiritual reactions to what’s going on your business, and not work on anything…
Because it does take time to build a business, and because some of the tasks involved can bring up strong emotions, you need something to keep you focused on what’s most important, week-by-week.
You will make far more progress if you do one critical thing, only one, each week, over the course of a year.
I know some people have a personality that prefers deep dives. You can do a deep dive and get 4-5 critical things done over the course of a few days, and then rest. But you can’t do it just once.
If you do a deep dive on a regular basis, separated by rest and recovery, then you’ll have the same effect as slow-and-steady one-thing-a-week.
It doesn’t matter if you do slow and steady or a series of deep dives, but what’s clear is that you need to keep focus on what’s important. And you need to do this over months and years.
Let us help you without stealing from you
Since 2005 we’ve been creating, nurturing and developing online spiritual business community. The latest iteration has us putting a strong structure of Compassionate Accountability in place for our community members, in addition to the heart-nourishment provided.
We know that if an accountability/nourishment structure takes up too much time, it will become a burden and you won’t be able to follow through. Time is a precious commodity!
Our Community will give you compassionate accountability. It will give you feedback and support, and now, for the next three weeks, it will also give you some fundamentals.
Two bonuses if you join our Community this month.
Bonus One: Sustainable Self-Employment Course
It took me a few years to figure out how to actually *be* self-employed, in terms of the daily rhythm. Of course, everyone will have their own answer to this, but there are principles on how to find this out for yourself.
In October I’ll be leading a live course, one I’ve never taught before, especially for the members of the Community, which will cover three topics:
1. Work schedule/rhythm: How do you schedule your week so you can be productive, have time to meet with clients and customers, and still have a life?
2. Nourishment: what it is, how it works, how to make sure you get it.
3. Compassionate Accountability: how to stay focused without hurting yourself, how to be flexible without letting yourself off the hook.
Bonus Two: One Compelling Sentence Home Study Course (normally $95)
So many people struggle with how to say what you do, and so I wanted to give this to folks in our Community. Normally it’s part of our Clients & Money program, and we’re going to make the home study available to you as part of the Community.
But only if you join before the end of September.
The Community is worth it even without the bonuses. With the bonuses, what are you waiting for?
Take a look, read up, and ask any questions you may have.
Click here: The Heart of Business Community
With appreciation and love,
Mark
Every act of business can be an act of love
8 Responses
Great post again, Mark. With one thought: there are those few folk, in those super-expensive programs, who do well and build fast. It happens. Just often enough to count as truthful testimonials. (I know, some of those are over-hyped, untrue, or they die fast, but I know some of the folk who are able to do the six figures in six months deal. They do exist.) The issue is that they really are the exception, not the rule. And the rest of us get swept up in the possibilities of it. My way of explaining all this is that we are all different, and need different ways to build our businesses – it isn’t one size fits all. I think HoB and similar programs offer that customizing – basic principles that you adjust to your reality and your personality, not one system that works for everyone. And the reason for not trying those super duper programs in the beginning? the chances are, they won’t work, and you probably, truly, can’t afford them now. If it feels too good to be true, it is. And if you know you are one of those people who tend to build things big and fast, well, then, it might be a good fit for you. But go in with your eyes open – most people are wasting their money. And (here’s the ethical issue) those are the people those program are targeting. Which gets us back to anger. And I share it! (Having been one of the victims myself.)
Mark, thank you for writing this. It brought tears to my eyes.
In part because it speaks to my own journey. This is my 7th year in business (I left my corporate job in 2010), and while I’ve certainly had my highs, I’m only just discovering how to make my life and business sustainable for my sensitive nervous system and my clients while holding true to my values for deep authenticity, social justice, and keeping a minimal footprint on this planet.
The other part is that I’m feeling for the many many people who’ve been manipulated by business coaches and consultants who are claiming to be spiritually-aligned and making a big impact by selling high ticket programs to people who shouldn’t be buying them for the reasons you described (too early, not teaching the fundamentals). It’s painful to see. Many of my own clients have been burned and are turning to me in the aftermath of it, as I turned to Heart of Business back in 2014 after was burned myself by such a program.
On one level I know and trust that each of us – even business coaches driven by greed – are doing our best to meet our needs in this toxic economy. I just hope that this industry, and this planet, begins to shift in the direction of softening and simplifying, of each of us going for a quality impact not necessarily a huge impact, and operating in ways that are consistent with a vision of a world that works for everyone, not just the “winners.” This all begins with us as consumers choosing to invest in programs with high integrity that make our hearts sing.
With love and a heavy heart, and gratitude for those who are creating sane choices in this insane world.
Peter
Yes, yes and yes.
It takes a huge effort to build a great business.
So many people think you can do it overnight, but I have never seen that…
Thanks for a great post!
Yes, businesses take several years to build with exceptions though. If you are building the business with the intention of selling it after a few years, you may not have to spend a decade building the business if you know what you are doing.
But I know where you are going. It’s the guru(s) way of luring people to buy their expensive products. A sustainable business, one that you want to hold on to and make profits for long, will definitely take a very, very long time to build. Heck, some business don’t even become profitable for a few years of their lifespan.
Thank you for knocking off another misguidance from mischievous marketers
It takes a long time to establish a profitable business. To become a successful businessman you must love your work.
If you love your work, defetnally become successful in your business…
I’m starting my online business and this article is all I needed to read. I think I should have done some different things.
It takes time to establish a profitable business, but once you do, it can long forever. Congratz!
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