Many people see the idea of starting up a business as daunting and requiring a lot of time, money and preparation. It doesn’t have to be that way. Business can be fun and easy. There will be days where things are hard or slow but the overall experience could be much easier than you ever imagined. Asking yourself questions to gain clarity around your business will make creating your business much easier. Here are a few questions you can ask to make starting up your business enjoyable.
Where should I start?
In order to establish what you think might be a great business, ask yourself: what are my particular skills and interests? You might be into health and fitness, enjoy baking, have a great knowledge of your local area, be a brilliant entertainer, have great website or computer skills. These are all clues to what type of business could be fun for you. Anything that you do to create an extra income stream is a business – so start with something you know and love, and develop it from there.
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There are local outlets for products that you make, farmers’ markets for food items, online sales outlets and the internet to advertise on, so you don’t require premises, just a corner of your house, garage, kitchen or property to start creating. Ask yourself: What would be fun for you to create? When you are having fun, you do things so much faster and efficiently. It doesn’t feel like you are even working.
Should I play it safe or dive in?
You may have been told that it is unprofessional and self-sabotaging to figure things out as you go, but some of our greatest creative capacities came from on-the-job learning. When you are “thrown in the deep end” you tend to just swim. You may not have all the answers when starting your business and you don’t have to. There are many places to seek information and many experts are happy to give you free advice if you are willing to reach out to them.
Try taking someone out for coffee or dinner and see how willing they are to talk to you about anything you wish to know. Industry groups are worth approaching too, as they will have up-to-date information on the legal side of the field you are in. Between diving in and going slow, I have tried both approaches, and both work. Ask which one is required for the business you are starting.
Where can I put my attention today to create the most?
We have always been taught that to get the most amount done we need to wake up at a certain time, check our e-mails for 15 minutes, do the same yoga class every Monday, work on a certain project every work day and so on and so forth. Routine may help you to be more productive in your work day but I have always found that asking where my attention needs to be will trump any routine.
You may think that maintaining routine, and the items on your to-do list are the most important. However, when I ask this question and decide not to go to yoga, but go to the gym instead, this has led to meeting someone who becomes a client. It creates more for my business! Sometimes instead of working I will have coffee with a friend, who I find out knows all about what I have been researching, and can give me the information I need much faster. When you ask questions, possibilities show up a million times faster and in many different ways than you ever could imagine!
What am I creating?
When you start your business you also need to figure out what your end plan is as this will influence how you develop your business. If you are creating an enterprise which you wish to give you passive income, then you will need to put systems in place so that eventually someone else can run it. Setting these up in the beginning will allow you the freedom to take time off even when you are in the building stage. If you want to sell your business, once you have it up and running your aim should be to make the financials look really good for a prospective purchaser. Talk to your financial adviser about how to create great financials that will appeal to purchasers. A successful business is one that is profitable, and can eventually run without you.
Creating a new business is not scary if you choose something you love doing and are interested in. Ask questions, as they are the key to creating a new business with ease. Seek help and support from people in the industry you are in, as experts enjoy sharing their knowledge. Begin with the end in mind:Am I creating a business for sale or one to retire from? Make sure you enjoy what you are doing, and “work” will feel a lot less than work!
Margie Hulse is a business coach, speaker, consultant, property investor and Right Riches for You facilitator for Access Consciousness. She has over 20 years of experience in the creation, investment, promotion and marketing of multiple successful businesses. Having gained financial security for herself, she loves to show others just how easy it can be to do the same.