Get Rid of Your Business Startup Fears!

You have wanted to start your own business for years. You hate your job. Or maybe you like your job, or at least you enjoy what you do, but you don't like feeling like a robot. You don't feel good about the fact that you're an adult, maybe even a "mature" adult (i.e. older) and you are made to feel like a child when you're at work.

Your Life as a Chump

If you're ten minutes late to work or five minutes late returning from lunch, you know you're being watched and somebody, the boss, HR, snooty co-workers, somebody is keeping tabs on you. Do you reasonably put in your 8 or 9 hours for the day but still feel guilty when you're the first to leave? Do you feel like you are giving your best ideas to the company and "they" reap all the benefits and you get nothing more than your regular weekly paycheck? Or worse, do you feel like your creativity and your ideas are unwanted? And the worst feeling of all...do you feel your life wasting away?

Don’t Just Bend Over and Take It

(I bet that got your attention!) Yeah, yeah, easier said than done.

You have drive. You have ambition. You have skills. You have experience. You have ideas.

But you also have fear.

What’s Behind the Fear?

Going to work might not be enjoyable, but it provides a steady paycheck to pay the bills. The good thing about this fear is that it’s a healthy fear. It shows you are a person of integrity. You have principles and you don’t shirk responsibility. All good traits of a business owner as well as a dutiful employee.

Dutiful. As I was searching the thesaurus for a different word these words came up: obedient, docile, compliant, submissive. Ouch. As if you didn’t feel lowly enough, this really drives it home.

Let’s Break it Down

What do you fear more? Quitting a job that you know will never get much better because you’re afraid of the unknown? Or continuing down this path of a barely tolerable existence?

Break it down. What could happen if you quit your job? The steady paycheck is gone. Ok, that’s a biggie.

Your business could turn out to be a colossal failure. It happened to me when I bought a franchise. Yes, even franchises fail. I lost the business, had to sell my house to pay off the second mortgage I took out to buy the business (along with cashing out my 401k), and I lived to tell about it. I weighed the risks before taking the leap but I reasoned I could always start over. Which I did. And yes, I’m glad I did it. I had to try.

And realistically you don’t want to just up and quit if you have nothing to fall back on. And nobody is saying you have to march into in your boss’s office and quit tomorrow. But you can start to take the necessary steps to make your move sooner rather than never.

How to Flesh Out Your Idea

First start fleshing out a business idea you’ve been dreaming about. Let’s not even call it a business yet. That just puts unnecessary pressure on you. Determine how you can earn money from your idea right away. Yes, right away. You can do this “on the side” after work hours or on weekends and vacation time (stay home-save your cash).

Making money from your idea validates the viability of your concept. You’ll know pretty quickly if there is a market for your service or product.

From Idea to Dream Biz

Learn how to start a side business while working a full time job by following this example.

Let’s say you have always thought about opening a country retreat for dogs. Of course the big picture includes a location with plenty of land to incorporate an obstacle course and a training center and a spa with full grooming stations. And of course sleeping quarters for the extended stay crowd.

You must be thinking I’m crazy to think anybody can pull this off “on the side”.  Ah, yee of little faith! Of course you’re not going to implement this business idea full on. But you can (if you live some place pet friendly) offer your services as a pet sitter/trainer on weekends. People would appreciate having someone to leave Fido with while they take a long weekend away from home.

“Who is going to leave their beloved Trixy with a total stranger?” Work with me here…You start with good ole friends and family. Before even spending a dime on advertising, or business cards, or a website, put up a Facebook post announcing to your friends list that you are making yourself available for weekend dog sitting. And because you are hoping to turn this into a business you will include a training module for a nominal added cost. Satisfaction guaranteed of course.

Painless Bootstrapping

In the meantime, as this little weekend home biz is taking off, you are putting away your earnings. You are paying down your debt. You are selling toys (ski jets, boats, motorcycles) and reigning in all extra spending (mani-pedi’s, Cuban cigars, designer handbags). In other words, you are bootstrapping your way toward the big picture dream business.

Start to Make Your Big Move

Let’s say it’s two years later and you have saved enough to start renting a small store front location or warehouse type space. You have enough clients to cover the rent and a part-time employee. Maybe your spouse is able to cover your personal expenses with his or her paycheck and you can now (finally!) quit your day job. Your reputation is growing and your client list as well.

The Big Leagues

Five years into your almost-dream biz and you’re finally in a position to qualify for a loan. It’s time for the build out of your full service country retreat and day spa.

Five years?! Well, if you don’t start now where will you be five years from now? Picture it. You’ll still be at that soul sucking day job dreaming of the better life that could’ve been. Worse yet is living every day feeling like you are living a life of mediocrity.

[I made up this whole scenario as I was writing the post. Then I found this YouTube link interview with an owner of this very same type of business. They started out just like my example and are hugely successful!]

Working Toward Your Better Life NOW

If you are working toward a better life you will experience the bonus of a complete change in attitude at your day job. You will no longer be working with no end in sight. You no longer fear the future because you are working toward your dream life. You now have a very real goal.

You want more. You deserve better. So get started right now. Take a first step toward the life you would rather be living. Start TODAY. (And don’t forget your business plan! Learn how to write a business plan here.)