The conventional wisdom is that if you want to go into business for yourself, you do something you have a passion for. That's true, for what it's worth, which isn't much. The fact is that the only thing that let's you be a wage slave is that you work for money, so you don't have to like what you do, you just have to like your paycheck. This is not the case if you work for yourself, even less the case if you work from home. If you work from for yourself, as I do, you have to be a glutton for punishment, and for work. But I'm getting ahead of myself, let's start with the sort-of-truth about what you love:
The truth really is this: if you love to do something, you'll do it no matter what. Take sex for example. I'm choosing this example, because it's very likely to stick in your mind (yeah, the pun is intended, and yes, sex can be rather sticky...if you're doing it right). What am I getting at? This: the fact that sex is fun, and you love to do it, doesn't stop porn stars from being paid, does it? Think about it this way: if you've ever seen a pornographic movie, that young woman, and that strapping young man are not always moaning and groaning because they are enjoying themselves.
Yes, you probably should do what you like to do if you're starting your own business. However, once the flush of being your own boss wears off, and reality sets in, you need to take stock of what's really going on: You aren't an artist anymore (or a carpenter, or writer, or whatever), you're a business person. That means that instead of spending all your time doing whatever, you're spending all your time lining up suppliers, customers, filling out tax forms, shopping for office supplies at Staples, standing in line at the post office, or a bunch of other things that have nothing to do with carpentry or writing, or whatever you love.
So, again, does that mean you should be doing something else? No, of course not. In fact, like I said, doing what you love ensures you've got the staying power to succeed. However, what I suggest is this:
1. Keep your job, your job. Keep a separate office in your home, get an apartment with another bedroom (to use as your office), and above all, give yourself a workline--a point in time that demarcates your work life from your personal life: If you're done at five, then don't do anything work related after that. At first, it'll be more like eleven or twelve PM, if you're lucky, but then, after you learn you can't do it all (and when you can afford to hire an employee or an intern), your workline will move closer to the realm of us mortals.
2. Get a hobby. If you have selected what you love to do as a business, then that means that you need to treat it like a job, thus taking some of the love you had for it, and stomping it into the ground, and it also means that your 'hobby' slot is now open. that means that to retain even a small portion of your sanity, you need to find something to do with your off time (after all the household stuff, of course), so find something else, and might I suggest it be something physical? Because you'll be spending so much of your time working, often to the exclusion of your swimming, or gym visits, it is advisable to choose mountain climbing, or hiking, or handball, racquetball, or anything else that puts some physical activity in your day. Believe me, playing hard is just as necessary as working hard.
3. List for yourself (daily and at the beginning of the week), all the things that need to get done, and then do them. Just because you don't like keeping books, doesn't mean that you don't have to put all those little receipts into the ledger. It needs to get done, and now that you're the boss, there's no one else to do them. Hey, that's what you're in for, I warned you.
4. Don't deviate. If you think that listing everything, then doing it, takes away some spontaneity, you'd be right. It does. It's supposed to. I am not advocating you submit your will to the almighty list, though that might work for some. what is really at issue here is the discipline that most (if not all) of us need imposed on us from the outside in some form or another. Add to that the fact that humans (myself included) hate doing things we'd rather not do. Isn't that the real reason we went into business for ourselves? To be our own boss? Well, be your own boss then. Tell yourself what needs to get done.
5. Don't try to be god. Perhaps the hardest thing in starting your own business is the fact that at first, you'll probably have to do it all. After a while, you might get to thinking that you are the only one that can, and that leads to friction everywhere, as your job starts to take over your life. Keep in mind that now, when this is going on, is probably about the same time that you can afford not to do it all. Think of it this way: when successful, you're just like the accountant who put out her own shingle too. Hire her to do your accounting so it gets done the way you would do it yourself. After all, she's got the gumption to make it work, just like you. Freelancers and entrepreneurs have got to stick together!
Of course, there's more to running your own business than the few common sense ideas here. But I can't do it all at once, so you'll just have to stay tuned.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
working from home--building a structure you can work with
OK, let's get this straight, if you work from home, you are probably working more than anyone who works in an actual office (yes, including lawyers), and you're at higher risk for failure, obesity, and a bunch of other things that regular employees aren't. The fact is that your single biggest job is taking care of yourself. It's just too easy not to, and if that sounds self-ish, that's because it is. If you aren't in prime shape, how can you expect your business to be? So, that being said, you need to come up with a trigger for working out, or at least for getting out. Thanks to modern tech, it's plausible for you to become a semi-shut in, and that is going to hurt your business. I promise. A while ago, I decided that if clients wanted to meet in person, I'd do so. I also suggest face to face meetings if they suggest video or phone conferences. Nothing reminds you that you're the boss than having to wear a suit and tie and meet with others. In fact, nowadays the only meetings I have through video or phone conference are those that can't be had any other way.
Tip: businesses are not plants where you just water and go. They're more like kids. If you have kids, you know that they require 24/7/365 care. So does your business. Ask any parent, and they'll tell you that they need more physical stamina than triathletes. Ask triathletes who have kids, you'll get the same story. So you need to structure your days, weeks, and year so you include taking care of yourself in the equation. You are your company's biggest asset. Treat yourself that way.
Make a list of activities you are going to require of yourself. Think 'thirty minute walk every morning', or 'always take the stairs, no exceptions below 15 floors', 'meet local clients in person', 'drink one 4 oz. glass of water/gatorade/juice every hour, no exceptions', things like this will help keep your weight down without seeming like your dieting or exercising--even the stairs bit, just NLP
yourself into believing you prefer the stairs for eco-reasons, or for getting girls, or keeping your behind small, or whatever. The point is to convince yourself of two things: 1. you are being your own boss by requiring this of yourself, and 2. whatever you do for your health is better than the alternative you used to do (like stairs v. elevators).
When I mentioned 'triggers' above, what I mean is you've got to create a circumstance (or set thereof), that cause you to want to workout or engage in some activity. Most of the time, when we engage in an activity, we do so because something in our environment prompts us to. Some people smoke when they go out with their friends, but otherwise, never spark up. You probably know somebody like that. Someone who never touches a beer or drink, except when they're on deadline, or if they are hanging out with someone who does. Same thing with working out. That's why most people do relatively well if they have a workout partner. Once you've agreed to meet at six in front of the gym, it's hard not to do it. However, if you run a home business, like I do, I can literally run around in my pj's all day and never leave the house. What I did, and you should try, is to link some workout type activity to something you have to do anyway. That is, if every day you drive your kids to school, you can modify the route you take so you pass by the local park, then it's easier to stop on your way back and run a lap or two. If you're a city dweller, like I am, make it a point to stop using elevators (for less than say, fifteen floors), or always walk from your home to the next nearest train station or bus stop. Decide to always climb the elevated subway stairs twice instead of once, sure, this one might make you look weird, but you're going to be burning a few extra calories, and making your heart pump a little faster in the bargain, and it only takes an extra few seconds. The bottom line though, is to link some physical activity to some already necessary activity, so you give yourself less room to fudge it. Keep in mind though, you should always consult your doctor before you begin to do anything new, and don't blame me if you hurt yourself.
Another list you definitely need is one to monitor your streamS of income. Yes, I said streamS-- with an 'S'. You, unlike Apple or Walmart, can't afford to only think of what you love (hence why I tell people not to turn their hobby into a career w/o getting a new hobby). If you've ever read The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business is Selling Less of More
, you'll know that niches are where the money is likely to be, so you need to be able to diversify your offerings enough to earn smaller amounts from more products and services. That's another post though. Seriously.
Tip: businesses are not plants where you just water and go. They're more like kids. If you have kids, you know that they require 24/7/365 care. So does your business. Ask any parent, and they'll tell you that they need more physical stamina than triathletes. Ask triathletes who have kids, you'll get the same story. So you need to structure your days, weeks, and year so you include taking care of yourself in the equation. You are your company's biggest asset. Treat yourself that way.
Make a list of activities you are going to require of yourself. Think 'thirty minute walk every morning', or 'always take the stairs, no exceptions below 15 floors', 'meet local clients in person', 'drink one 4 oz. glass of water/gatorade/juice every hour, no exceptions', things like this will help keep your weight down without seeming like your dieting or exercising--even the stairs bit, just NLP
yourself into believing you prefer the stairs for eco-reasons, or for getting girls, or keeping your behind small, or whatever. The point is to convince yourself of two things: 1. you are being your own boss by requiring this of yourself, and 2. whatever you do for your health is better than the alternative you used to do (like stairs v. elevators).When I mentioned 'triggers' above, what I mean is you've got to create a circumstance (or set thereof), that cause you to want to workout or engage in some activity. Most of the time, when we engage in an activity, we do so because something in our environment prompts us to. Some people smoke when they go out with their friends, but otherwise, never spark up. You probably know somebody like that. Someone who never touches a beer or drink, except when they're on deadline, or if they are hanging out with someone who does. Same thing with working out. That's why most people do relatively well if they have a workout partner. Once you've agreed to meet at six in front of the gym, it's hard not to do it. However, if you run a home business, like I do, I can literally run around in my pj's all day and never leave the house. What I did, and you should try, is to link some workout type activity to something you have to do anyway. That is, if every day you drive your kids to school, you can modify the route you take so you pass by the local park, then it's easier to stop on your way back and run a lap or two. If you're a city dweller, like I am, make it a point to stop using elevators (for less than say, fifteen floors), or always walk from your home to the next nearest train station or bus stop. Decide to always climb the elevated subway stairs twice instead of once, sure, this one might make you look weird, but you're going to be burning a few extra calories, and making your heart pump a little faster in the bargain, and it only takes an extra few seconds. The bottom line though, is to link some physical activity to some already necessary activity, so you give yourself less room to fudge it. Keep in mind though, you should always consult your doctor before you begin to do anything new, and don't blame me if you hurt yourself.
Another list you definitely need is one to monitor your streamS of income. Yes, I said streamS-- with an 'S'. You, unlike Apple or Walmart, can't afford to only think of what you love (hence why I tell people not to turn their hobby into a career w/o getting a new hobby). If you've ever read The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business is Selling Less of More
, you'll know that niches are where the money is likely to be, so you need to be able to diversify your offerings enough to earn smaller amounts from more products and services. That's another post though. Seriously.
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