SHE WORKS HARD FOR THE MONEY (Do-doot-do-doot)
This is America, and in America children are taught that they can be anything they want to be if they just WORK HARD. (I was also taught that I would have to “Put my mind to it.”) Too often the promise is lost on the beaches of adulthood swept away by wave after wave cynicism, setbacks, until they reach the purgatory of settling. The inhabitants of that purgatory live by another pseudo-promise, good enough is good enough. But, every once and a while, a flicker of the original accord reaches the surface and people wonder, “What if?”
As a guy who is “in finance” I get random calls from people I haven’t spoken to in years, or even people I’ve never met. (”I work with Charlie and he is friends with Kate from the coffee shop…”) People who have never expressed the slightest interest in starting their own business suddenly approach me with all sorts of questions about starting and running a small business. For the moment that flicker is alive and they don’t want it to go out. Ninety percent of the time that spark comes from the same place, an encounter with a successful business owner. The entrepreneur reminds us of that childhood compact with America, and it looks so much better than purgatory.
Go, Go, Go! … Go, Go! … Go! … No go.
You can spot the potentially successful entrepreneur if you look closely. They don’t necessarily have a BIG IDEA that will make them rich. They don’t even care if it makes them rich. They talk loud and animated. They wave their hands in gestures and they go on and on. They can’t finish. Every time they seem ready to wrap it up, their eyes light back up and their mouth pops open and they say “Oh, and another thing that will…”
In the heady times of plunging ahead with a new venture, it seems that nothing can slow you down. You work your regular 8 to 5 job and then come home and work until 11pm on the new business. You type, draw, design, plan, whatever the steps are. Then, it gets a little harder, and a little harder, and a little harder. If you could just focus on the promise, on the dream, on the goal, you could keep going, but sometimes it just isn’t there and you see the short-term a little more clearly than the long-term.
If this sounds a little bit familiar it should. Whether you’ve tried to lose weight, or just get into better shape, this same thing has happened to you before. At first you went to the gym like clockwork. Then you missed one time, then two. Pretty soon, you are sitting around the table eating Buffalo wings and saying “I haven’t been to the gym in forever.” The solution is so simple (and so effective) you’ll eventually read it in every book, magazine, or website you look at. You need a workout buddy.
The workout buddy is nothing special. She doesn’t have to be more fit than you. She doesn’t have to be more experienced or more successful. She doesn’t even have to be more dedicated. She just has to be there. It’s easy to rationalize your way out of a night at the gym. You worked really hard that day. You need to get the dry cleaning. Someone has to make dinner. But, then you remember, your workout buddy is waiting for you at the gym. Sure, you could call her on your cell phone, but that isn’t very cool. She’s probably already on her way there right now. And so you go.
The funny part is the same thing could be happening with her. She doesn’t want to go. It’s been a rough day, and someone needs to walk the dog, but her workout buddy will be waiting for her, and she just couldn’t do that.
Your Business Buddy
The same solution is a great help to the budding entrepreneur. Connect with someone else who is running their own business. It doesn’t matter if they are “ahead” or “behind” you. Schedule a regular time to get together. Meet at a local Starbucks, order some coffee and swap networking tips, or bring your laptops and edit each others documents, or bounce ideas off of each other. You’ll find that your buddy will motivate you. It’s Tuesday and you meet with your Business Buddy tomorrow. You haven’t really done anything for your business. That will be awkward. So, you jam in ten business calls, update your web page, and send out thirty prospecting cards. Do that every week and success is coming.
The other great thing about your Business Buddy is having a comrade in arms. Just like your Workout Buddy can commiserate over a tough day, so can your Business Buddy. Better yet, your Workout Buddy can celebrate with you in a way no one else can. Ever try and brag about getting to 40 minutes of cardio all 4 days last week to someone who isn’t working out? They usually aren’t very impressed. It can make it seem like no one understands you. Your Business Buddy does the same thing. Your Business Buddy will give you a high-five and say “Way to go,” when you tell him about making 60 prospecting calls on Tuesday. Your Basketball Pool Buddy will say, “Did you get any new clients?” Total downer.
Finding a Business Buddy
Finding a business buddy is easier than you think. In order for your business to be successful, chances are you are going to have to do some networking. Whether you do it online or in person, networking helps you build contacts that will be essential for the success of your business. One of the toughest parts about networking is not coming across to a stranger like you just want something from them. No problem. Ask the successful guy you always have a good laugh with from Rotary if he would be willing to meet you for breakfast (or online) once a month just to go over ideas and notes. Then do it. Don’t hit him up for business or ask for his client list or referrals. Sooner or later, he’ll respect you as a hard working entrepreneur just like himself. Pretty soon he’ll be bouncing ideas off of you. After all, he could probably use a Business Buddy too. And, when that trusted client of his needs someone for an important project he’ll think of you. Now you have two things every entrepreneur needs: A Business Buddy, and someone to network with.
This is America, and in America children are taught that they can be anything they want to be if they just WORK HARD. (I was also taught that I would have to “Put my mind to it.”) Too often the promise is lost on the beaches of adulthood swept away by wave after wave cynicism, setbacks, until they reach the purgatory of settling. The inhabitants of that purgatory live by another pseudo-promise, good enough is good enough. But, every once and a while, a flicker of the original accord reaches the surface and people wonder, “What if?”
As a guy who is “in finance” I get random calls from people I haven’t spoken to in years, or even people I’ve never met. (”I work with Charlie and he is friends with Kate from the coffee shop…”) People who have never expressed the slightest interest in starting their own business suddenly approach me with all sorts of questions about starting and running a small business. For the moment that flicker is alive and they don’t want it to go out. Ninety percent of the time that spark comes from the same place, an encounter with a successful business owner. The entrepreneur reminds us of that childhood compact with America, and it looks so much better than purgatory.
Go, Go, Go! … Go, Go! … Go! … No go.
You can spot the potentially successful entrepreneur if you look closely. They don’t necessarily have a BIG IDEA that will make them rich. They don’t even care if it makes them rich. They talk loud and animated. They wave their hands in gestures and they go on and on. They can’t finish. Every time they seem ready to wrap it up, their eyes light back up and their mouth pops open and they say “Oh, and another thing that will…”
In the heady times of plunging ahead with a new venture, it seems that nothing can slow you down. You work your regular 8 to 5 job and then come home and work until 11pm on the new business. You type, draw, design, plan, whatever the steps are. Then, it gets a little harder, and a little harder, and a little harder. If you could just focus on the promise, on the dream, on the goal, you could keep going, but sometimes it just isn’t there and you see the short-term a little more clearly than the long-term.
If this sounds a little bit familiar it should. Whether you’ve tried to lose weight, or just get into better shape, this same thing has happened to you before. At first you went to the gym like clockwork. Then you missed one time, then two. Pretty soon, you are sitting around the table eating Buffalo wings and saying “I haven’t been to the gym in forever.” The solution is so simple (and so effective) you’ll eventually read it in every book, magazine, or website you look at. You need a workout buddy.
The workout buddy is nothing special. She doesn’t have to be more fit than you. She doesn’t have to be more experienced or more successful. She doesn’t even have to be more dedicated. She just has to be there. It’s easy to rationalize your way out of a night at the gym. You worked really hard that day. You need to get the dry cleaning. Someone has to make dinner. But, then you remember, your workout buddy is waiting for you at the gym. Sure, you could call her on your cell phone, but that isn’t very cool. She’s probably already on her way there right now. And so you go.
The funny part is the same thing could be happening with her. She doesn’t want to go. It’s been a rough day, and someone needs to walk the dog, but her workout buddy will be waiting for her, and she just couldn’t do that.
Your Business Buddy
The same solution is a great help to the budding entrepreneur. Connect with someone else who is running their own business. It doesn’t matter if they are “ahead” or “behind” you. Schedule a regular time to get together. Meet at a local Starbucks, order some coffee and swap networking tips, or bring your laptops and edit each others documents, or bounce ideas off of each other. You’ll find that your buddy will motivate you. It’s Tuesday and you meet with your Business Buddy tomorrow. You haven’t really done anything for your business. That will be awkward. So, you jam in ten business calls, update your web page, and send out thirty prospecting cards. Do that every week and success is coming.
The other great thing about your Business Buddy is having a comrade in arms. Just like your Workout Buddy can commiserate over a tough day, so can your Business Buddy. Better yet, your Workout Buddy can celebrate with you in a way no one else can. Ever try and brag about getting to 40 minutes of cardio all 4 days last week to someone who isn’t working out? They usually aren’t very impressed. It can make it seem like no one understands you. Your Business Buddy does the same thing. Your Business Buddy will give you a high-five and say “Way to go,” when you tell him about making 60 prospecting calls on Tuesday. Your Basketball Pool Buddy will say, “Did you get any new clients?” Total downer.
Finding a Business Buddy
Finding a business buddy is easier than you think. In order for your business to be successful, chances are you are going to have to do some networking. Whether you do it online or in person, networking helps you build contacts that will be essential for the success of your business. One of the toughest parts about networking is not coming across to a stranger like you just want something from them. No problem. Ask the successful guy you always have a good laugh with from Rotary if he would be willing to meet you for breakfast (or online) once a month just to go over ideas and notes. Then do it. Don’t hit him up for business or ask for his client list or referrals. Sooner or later, he’ll respect you as a hard working entrepreneur just like himself. Pretty soon he’ll be bouncing ideas off of you. After all, he could probably use a Business Buddy too. And, when that trusted client of his needs someone for an important project he’ll think of you. Now you have two things every entrepreneur needs: A Business Buddy, and someone to network with.
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