OK now. I've basically built a business with a set of tools that allows me to do some really neat things. Not a business plan in place, cause I'm testing waters in different areas (high tech, computers, communications, databases) and finding most are as bad as having a job. Hehe.

I have some large ideas on 2 projects. How do I get some momentum with clients on both sides of the fence? They are both potential income streams but I don't know where to start. It has huge potential, and I could be in the range of finding some neat resources within the end of the month. Then things come shining through for me.

How do I make a priority list and get my scared arse out there to do it? Do I phone people? It's better than email (spam, yuck) but it seems so thin. Arriving in person can be embarassing, and time consuming when it's a dead end.

Any advice appreciated.

Cheers.

-- BeeRich (toronto@mac.com), November 22, 2000

Answers

The first thing is it shouldn't be about BeeRich, it should be about BeeSensible. David Harry, a Toronto based web designer gave some first class advice a couple of days ago about not getting delusions of grandeur. Things don't come shining through, having goals might but "things" don't.

Testing waters isn't a business it is testing waters. From that you create a business plan. You gain momentum by carrying out your plan and if necessary adjusting your plan to keep you on course. My arse would be scared if I was talking with nothing but butterflies in my stomach.

I passed one idea earlier today to you about how you might need to go out before you can come back in i.e. ask and you might get but in this day and age know how to ask, or it is spamming. Everybody has a scared arse about doing something beyond the ordinary but successful people have one difference, their arse used to be scared.

If you really have a hot thing in the pipeline and your not hot on your entrepreneurial skills, consider partnering with someone who is. As far as running a business is concerned, you will find it is worse than having a job, because it is having many jobs. Unless you can find people to carry out certain pieces of the pie such as finance, marketing, sales, operations etc you will have lots of jobs to do and for that, the reward you get is to call yourself the boss. There is a thing in life called not doing a job it is called unemployment.

Now is this good advice to you? I don't know about that, but it certainly is good advice to myself. Every time I respond to this kind of question, it puts me back to where you are now and it reminds what it was all about back then. I have my own business, I take my time out to respond to this but that is to enable me to do one thing, keep thinking. Your problem is the opposite, you got to figure out what it is your thinking and what you really want. You sound like a kid in an ice cream shop and your stuck on the flavor. If your serious about business, then you have to get serious about considering buying the ice cream shop rather just keep buying the cheap lollipops and dreaming about it. If you have two large projects, at least think about trying to do one of them. That way if you believe they have income streams, the only way you are going to find out is by doing the cash flow projections, having a plan of action in mind and making that decision. If you are do not feel serious about the way your going to do business there is only one thing for sure, the end result will be serious.

Now if you want to do business without doing business, it's called a hobby, nothing wrong with having a hobby and there is nothing wrong with deciding that going into business isn't for you. You are the best judge of the life you want to have. Talk to some people who have a business like the one you want to have where you live. You sound like a good honest person, you will be surprised how much they will be willing to help, as long as they know you are for real.

That's my 2 cents worth, OK, maybe 1 cents worth.

M.

"To be or not to be that is the question" A quote by Willy Shakes. M Profile at: http://www.fastcompany.com/fasttalk/replypost.html? p=9738 Mantra of M. "Life is about Private Relations not Public Relations"

-- Mark Zorro (zorromark@consultant.com), November 22, 2000.

Hi there BR......(thanks M, for the kind words ) David, the Toronto guy, Harry.

1. The good ; You've started off in the right direction, you came to a place of higher learning, asked for assistance, which eludes to your desire to mount the steed of self employment.

2. The bad ; This may sting a bit. I agree whole heartedly with M's comments. This is no walk in the park. I've been at it since '87, and though it's easier now, it's no where near as easy as the 'working stiffs' have it.

"Not a business plan in place"..... buzzz.. wrong. You are dead without a way to gauge success. You're testing the waters without a life jacket. Better hope you don't get in under your head.

"I'm testing waters"...... this is not a test.... Do you have any idea how many people have "the greatest idea", or how many new businesses (and 80% go poof in their first 5 years) are started every day?? Be definitive and fierce.....

"large ideas on 2 projects"...... pick one

"finding some neat resources within the end of the month"....please read my article 'Rome.com wasn't built in a day' at http://www.thebeachers.com/graphics4u/mainpage.html

"Do I phone people? It's better than email (spam, yuck) but it seems so thin."......... actually most business folks would rather deal, initially, with an e-mail than have you potentially disturbing them. An e-mail I can read at my leasure. I get around 8-10 companies and people wnting to join my firm every month. If they all phoned me I would have ripped it out of the wall by now.

"can be embarassing". embarassment is ego...... a business owner that has an ego, is doomed. Your business s like your child. It needs to be nurtured, fed and protected. Do anything in your power to do so. I would clean Yonge street with a tooth brush to feed my child.

3. The good; You have at least narrowed your ideas down. Many people have things all over the map. " If this doesn't work I'll do this, and maybe this...." Try focussing on one thing at a time. As M noted, you'll be wearing enough hats already.

There's some food for thought to snack on.... if you need anything else feel free to drop by my firms site (the addy above), or my consulting business at; http://www.thebeachers.com/cds

Best of luck....

Dave Harry (the gypsy) cds@thebeachers.som

-- David (TheGypsy) Harry (cds@thebeachers.com), November 29, 2000.