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Article Title:
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How Long Does It Take To Get A Business Going?
Article Description:
====================
Question: What would you think of someone who said this to a five
year old? "It's about time you start earning your keep!
Doesn't make sense, does it? Yet, This is exactly what many
folks do to their new businesses.
Additional Article Information:
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1006 Words; formatted to 65 Characters per Line
Distribution Date and Time: 2006-07-18 11:00:00
Written By: Mark Silver
Copyright: 2006
Contact Email: mailto:mail2@heartofbusiness.com
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How Long Does It Take To Get A Business Going?
Copyright � 2006 Mark Silver
Heart Of Business
http://www.heartofbusiness.com/
Question: What would you think of someone who said this to a five
year old?
"It's about time you start earning your keep! I want you to get
out there and get a job so you can pay your share of the
mortgage. And, while you're at it, here's the keys to the car.
Drive down to the store and pick up some groceries."
Doesn't make sense, does it? This person is either cruel, crazy,
or out to lunch on the next planet over.
This Is Exactly What Many Folks Do To Their New Businesses.
I know it's not with any ill intent. We've all been seduced at
times by those crazy messages: "Get your business from $0 to six
figures in 90 days!" And it's very tempting to believe them.
Who wouldn't want to go from scraping by to flying in 90 days?
Unfortunately, it's a myth, and rarely true- except in cases
where the owner has a lot of previous experience in another
business.
A new business is a precious thing. It holds a beautiful jewel of
intention and generosity, and a lot of excitement and purity.
And, it needs a lot in order to grow.
Thankfully, it doesn't need 16-20 years before it can support
itself like a human child needs. But, it needs more than 90
days.
How Much Time Does A New Business Need?
It needs three years. Of course, it will contribute to your
income, often quite substantially, even in the first year. But
I've found that in many cases it takes at least three years of
dedicated effort before a business feels solid underneath you,
and can carry you.
Why three years? I've seen this in my own business, in my
clients' businesses, and, when I've spoken with other
consultants and business educators, they all seem to agree.
The first year, you don't yet know exactly what you're doing-
you're fooling around, creating, testing, having fun, seeing
what's what. In the second year you have your feet and some
certainty about your direction. And, by the third year, you've
done it all enough that it feels familiar. There are many things
you -know- instead of guessing at, and that shows up in how you
do things, and how confident your customers are in you.
You can't really rush this process too much, because there is a
wisdom born of experience- and without a certain amount of
experience, the wisdom doesn't come.
And If It's Older Than Three Years And Still Isn't Working?
Your business needs the same care and attention that your
customers/clients need. You've probably spent years getting
really good at helping those who come to you for help. Have you
given that same care and attention to helping your business?
If it has been awhile, I doubt that you need three more years to
make your business stable. But, you do need to go through the
same process you did in deepening your professional skill-set:
learning from experts in business, spending time practicing and
trying things out. Above all, being patient with yourself as you
learn something new.
And if your business is in it's first year? The same lessons
apply. And, be gentle with yourself. Give yourself three years,
so you aren't disappointed if you are still learning and growing
six months from now.
But It's 2006 Now! What Do I Do Right Now When I Need To Eat?
My whole intention here is to inspire you to have some compassion
for yourself, and some patience as you grow your business. And,
don't worry, although the metaphor is useful, your business
isn't really a helpless infant. There is plenty you can do right
now.
Keys to The Care and Feeding of Your Business
* Understand the difference between your needs and the
business' needs.
You have specific needs- financially, emotionally, spiritually.
So does your business. In the beginning, you may not be able to
fully meet each other's needs. You might need money for rent,
while your business needs money for training and education.
Or, you might have a need for appreciation, but your business
isn't generating enough clients or customers to give you a
steady diet of it. In which case you may need another strategy to
get appreciation, like from your spouse, or mastermind group.
For instance, I found myself needing to work part-time at a J - O
- B when I first started out, because otherwise it was just too
much financial pressure on my new little business.
* Don't be afraid to repeat yourself.
One definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting
different results. But another definition of business insanity is
abandoning something before it has a chance to gather momentum.
Here's where expert (read: 'experienced') advice counts for a
lot. If you are doing something that has proven itself in other
businesses, trust it will work for you, too. Tweak it, fiddle
with it, work with it, yes, but don't abandon it. Otherwise, you
risk just repeating your first year in business over and over
again.
* Limit your offerings.
Yes, you are experimenting and having fun early in your business
(and hopefully, later, too). But experiment and have fun within a
very limited number of offerings. By repeating offerings over
time- the same product, the same class, with different customers
and participants, it allows you to get a depth of mastery and
understanding of the offering.
This in term brings greater confidence, a better customer
experience, and the ability for those customers to refer folks
back to the same class.
For instance, there are two classes I've taught consistently for
several years. And, over time, they've developed, grown,
expanded. They've become a book. They've become consistent
sell-out classes for a few years now.
There was a time when they didn't sell out. But I didn't
abandon them. I kept the momentum going.
Take care of your business in the early years, and later, your
business will take care of you.
My very best to you and your business,
Mark Silver
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Mark Silver is the author of Unveiling the Heart of Your
Business: How Money, Marketing and Sales can Deepen Your
Heart, Heal the World, and Still Add to Your Bottom Line.
He has helped hundreds of small business owners around
the globe succeed in business without losing their
hearts. Get three free chapters of the book online:
http://www.heartofbusiness.com
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