Archive for Entrepreneurship
Opportunity Doesn’t Care
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Opportunity doesn’t care about you.
It doesn’t care about your processes. Or your timelines. Or your resources.
Opportunity scoffs at your schedule. It never takes into account what else you have on your plate. It doesn’t fill out your silly forms, or take time to write requirements, or figure out how it strategically fits into your plan.
Opportunity pays no attention to your budget, either.
Opportunity simply ricochets your excuses off it’s chest like its Superman. Invincible. Resistance is futile.
Opportunity simply knocks. It is the uninvited guest who shows up unexpected. You either open the door and let it walk into your house as is, or you don’t answer. Opportunity won’t wait around for you to throw your laundry in the basket and mop your floors. There’s no time to tidy up when opportunity is knocking.
Opportunity doesn’t care about you. But it is looking for someone just like you. Someone who can fit it in. Someone who will answer the door.
The Problem with Joint Ventures
Posted by: | CommentsIn Seth Godin’s words, joint ventures fail mostly because of two reasons: the joint part and the venture part.
His latest post captures three major ideas that I’ve never quite been able to clarify as well as he has:
- A person is naturally risk adverse, and that is only compounded when the person becomes people.
- Whether consciously or subconsciously, we all gravitate toward finding ways to stall: meetings, excuses, obstacles, challenges, funding, time, whatever.
- Two individuals who work together can form positive synergy. Two partners who work together can lead to nothing much fast.
More times than not, great things have been the result of a single person selling out to an idea and then attracting other people to follow. Regardless of how much we celebrate democracy, business requires kingdoms and monarchies.
It’s good to be king.
The Illusion of the Ground Floor
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The stories of those who “got in on the ground floor” of some big company or opportunity are pretty much American folklore. Like those people that bought Microstock in the 80s. Or Kramer and the Manzier.
If you’re a direct seller or network marketer, these stories are only amplified. The thought is that those at the top of the pyramid are in the best position, and if you can’t be in that position, why bother?
The problem with that thinking is that it takes a heck of a lot more blood, sweat and tears to get that ground floor opportunity off the ground when you’re there in the beginning than it does later on.
You suffer through learning curves.
You filter customer service issues.
You overlook crashing websites.
The fact is that most people who got in on the ground floor are still there, cuz the company never got any further than that.
After reading through Brian Clark’s post How to Dominate Your Niche, and his point on not looking for new niches, but territories within niches, it got me thinking. I was reminded of the importance to not look for ground floor opportunities, but rather groundswell opportunities.
A couple definitions for groundswell:
- A sudden gathering of force, as of public opinion
- a rapidly developing general feeling or opinion
The people who really take off are those that get in at the right time, not necessarily the first time. When the company is just starting to generate some buzz. When the company is finally shedding its first skin. When people are just starting to take notice.
When it’s created a groundswell.
We might hear stories about those who were courageous enough to get in on the ground floor, but they are few and far between. Many a determined and gifted person has been left in the dust, swept away with the rest of the leftovers on the ground floors of many an opportunity.
Groundswells can actually amplify that dedication and talent. Or maybe even compensate for the lack thereof.
Baby Steps to Success
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Steve at StartUp Blog got me thinking with this post titled The Big Win.
In his post, Steve explains how we so often count on the next big thing to get us the big win. But it never happens. In his words,
“The big win is a hoax. If we want a big win, we’re better off playing lotto.”
Success belongs to those who consistently inch toward the goal. Who constantly get the little stuff done, and done right. Who take the time to be excellent in everything.
Where are you cutting corners? What are some little things that you’ve seen make all the difference?
Enjoying the Process (part 1)
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We’re all driven by the end goal of whatever projects we pour ourselves into. We invest so we have lots of money in 30 or so years. We write so people will read our thoughts and even comment. We play a game or sport so we can win at it. We go above and beyond at work so we gain recognition.
Finding end results that appeal to us is not hard at all. In the above examples, I believe everyone reading would be attracted to more money, more readers, more victories and more recognition. But that doesn’t mean we should all be investors, writers, athletes or blue collar all-stars.
In terms of how you spend most of your time, don’t choose based on the attractive end result; choose because you’ve found an end result in which you actually enjoy the process of getting there.
If you’ve ever met someone who is completely happy with their profession, it’s because they enjoy the process (the work) as much or more as they enjoy the end result. Which makes sense. We spend way too much time preparing and managing our little projects to not enjoy the process.
I would love to finish a triathlon some day. The idea of being the type of person that can complete a feat like that is extremely impressive. However, as of yet, I am not willing to go through the process of getting there. I’ve tried starting on several occasions throughout my life, and the same thing always happens: I don’t enjoy the process enough to keep it going.
At the same time, I love putting together market research reports. I love gathering the info, digging into it, finding little nuggets of info that probably only I will ever find interesting, gathering it all into a presentation that’s easy to read, and then presenting it to a group of ‘big dogs’ and waiting for their reaction. Sure, I love the end result, but I love just about everything that happens before to get to that point.
If you’re struggling with finding ‘that thing you do,’ start asking yourself which processes you enjoy the most. Find ways to spend your time doing what you enjoy. Or, if you already know what those processes are, start doing them more.
Similar Posts on Brett’s Blog:
Organically Grown Business
Posted by: | CommentsIt’s amazing how well stories and analogies teach us. Maybe that’s why Jesus often spoke in parables.
This gem of a post on Start Up Blog relates growing vegetables to growing a business. The similarities are astounding. A few morsels:
The market is a competitive one. We’ll need to fight off bugs, birds and insects, who want to feed on our efforts. This proves you’ve got a fertile market… one worth doing, one with yield.
We’ll learn that all vegetables are seasonal. We’ll learn that not all climates (markets) suit all vegetables. We’ll realize we get better results when we focus on a veggie we have expert knowledge with.
The effort need not be excessive, just consistent. We can grow an entire garden, or even a pumpkin in a pot will give the same benefit.
Related posts on Brett’s Blog:
Stop Wishing and Start Fishing
Posted by: | CommentsGreat quote here from Seth on how to become a marketer:
”People who want to become great fishermen don’t go to work on a salmon trawler. And people who want to become marketers ought to just start marketing.”
How to make your idea make money
Posted by: | CommentsAt at conference last week, I was reminded of a very, very important motif for anyone with a pinch of entrepreneurial spirit must keep in mind:
Figure out what you’re passionate about, then figure out how to make it profitable.
- The motivation to make lots of money rarely leads to making lots of money.
- The motivation to create a product or service out of passion inadvertantly leads to making lots of money.
Here’s a post on MarketingProfs Daily Fix that makes the point beautifully.
