In my case, the impulse started at 3 in the morning. I looked at myself in the mirror, my face was wet, and my breathing was loud, like Darth Vader in pajamas. I am angry. I am disappointed. I’m confused. Most importantly, he was afraid.
Step 1: The Momentum
I don’t know how I will get rid of this. I was terrified. This is not because it is less, or at least he believes it. Until a few hours ago… I have a job. The salary is good and the future looks great.
But when I received a terrible call, everything went to nothing: the main investor in the business, after a bad year in Colombia, decided to cancel the project in Mexico. Therefore, it should not be too late. Goodbye. Thank you. Good job, see you later.
Yesterday was the “director”. Today he is unemployed. Suddenly, the impressive title that adorned my little card seemed inappropriate and ridiculous. The point is, he’s not a director at all.
To make matters worse, my wife is pregnant and huge debts bother me. That night was a very bad night. Before trying to go back to sleep, I stammered in prayer.
I Already Knew My Wife Trusted Me; he saw in me a person who could support his family. This should be a reassuring reason; but at the time it was a heavy piano on my chest. I don’t want to let him down… but tonight I doubt everything, especially myself.
Close your eyelids, there is only one problem in your mind. If I were a supposedly educated person, ready, a career, proficient… How did I get to the point of despair? One of the two: Either the world is a scam … or I am.
I did what I had to do the next day. I compiled my resume and sent it to everyone I know, applied for a few positions online, and made a few phone calls. After a few days of no response, my call became even more desperate. He is willing to do anything in order to work in the next two weeks. After two weeks of various job interviews without success, I have begun to question everything: my ability, my intelligence, my preparation… everything. What can I do?
For me, this impulse is desperate, but it doesn’t have to be. You can even start a business without leaving your current job. What motivated you to start a business? When the impulse comes, pay attention to the 5-minute rule and move on.
Step 2: Chip
The situation takes on a desperate tone. I think if I can’t find a job, I should start a business. Is that not the case? some. I am looking to start a good business online and in magazines. I found hundreds of business opportunities, products and franchises… but they all require some type of investment: 20,000, 30,000, 100,000 or more. But when you don’t have money or work, it’s impossible to think of these amounts. In addition, all the money he could get quickly disappeared in the basic necessities of life: food, doctors, rent… and repaying past debts.
I wanted to borrow again, but it is impossible to borrow again, and it is also seriously irresponsible. I want to sell my car…but they rarely give it to me, I really need it.
The answer comes from El Salvador, his good friend (he will later write a book with him, to be precise, about entrepreneurship and personal finance). “Entrepreneurship doesn’t need money,” he told me, “you need an idea. If you don’t have money, invest your wisdom and time.”
I came home and agreed with the idea, and sat at a table, and wrote the idea on paper. That day, there was nothing on the table. I thought about washing the car, coaching, walking the dog, painting the house. I don’t know how to do these things, but I think it’s a way of moving in and starting a temporary “something” where I got a serious job. I can’t think of an idea that excites me.
New inspiration comes from my wife: “You have always told me that you like to write. Why don’t you do business? In fact, I have always liked to write. I even have a very advanced first novel, but even if someone wants to publish me, It won’t bring me long-term income. But this idea made me rethink everything. I asked myself the wrong question!
Before that, I want to know where I can easily earn money? And I still can’t find a way out. But my wife’s comments made me change the problem. The right new question is: I know how to do some things well. How can I make money from these things?
This new question cleared the way because it eliminated thousands of unrealistic ideas and restricted my choices, making my choices easier. In the afternoon of the same day, I decided to start copywriting and copywriting business. There is still a lot to do.
And your own business? Ask yourself the right questions and find your talents: you know how to do well and what you like. My hobby is writing, but maybe your hobby is animals, computers, sports or cars. Don’t look for “good deals”, build a good business based on your identity. Now, start where you are.
Step 3: Sail the boat to sea
When I made a decision and shared it with my wife, our creativity kept flowing. I have almost no money, so we do everything at home. One morning, we chose a company name, made a simple logo, and opened a Facebook page and a free website on Wix. We have also designed the “menu” of services you can offer and set a price for you.
This is new to me, and the price I set later turned out to be too low. I also don’t think that many of the services that I discovered later are important. But we already have what they call MVP in business lingo, a “minimum viable product,” something that I can start promoting, selling, and working on.
That afternoon, I sent a message to all my contacts via email and social media. Perhaps, there are about two thousand people in all. To all my friends, new and old acquaintances, even people I don’t remember. I sent them all. The email is simple:
“Hi, I’m glad to say hello! I’m Francisco, I’m telling you, we’ve just launched these new services. If you have creative writing, editing or proofreading needs, don’t hesitate to call us!” , Then kindly say goodbye and … send! Then wait.
Fortunately, we don’t have to wait too long. The next day, the first customer arrives (requires brochure) and then another (requires website). In the first week, we charge 3,000 pesos for both services. It is still small, but it is something. We can breathe. We are in business!
and your own business? Don’t wait for the ideal moment, or wait until everything is perfectly assembled and planned. Now, perfection is the enemy of beauty. Try to have an MVP, then switch and repeat based on market reaction. Stay open, flexible, and listen to your customers.
Step 4: Systematize
The first months are learning. Despite this, our income is still low (but they helped us succeed). We have discovered new needs, new niches, and products that can be explored. We first provide advertising copywriting, social media, translation, and strategic communication services. Each customer brings new problems that we have not considered before. Then we started investigating, learning, and solving the problems we put on the table.
Little by little, we have been finding our own space in the market, leaving behind products and services that require a lot of our time and little profit. Thank God the clients keep coming, after a few months, it is obvious that we need more people to participate in the business, better management systems and systematic processes.
We also think that we can be a company with a human touch, that will help people. We appeal to writers who can work from home: housewives, men who take care of children, and people with certain disabilities. At the end of the year, we went from one employee (myself) to eight flex-time employees. We have also launched a program to help those in need, doing our best, no matter how small.
This involves our implementation of payroll, taxes, customer control and process control systems to ensure that everything goes smoothly. We learned to hire, train and sell. We made a lot of mistakes and learned from them, but most of our clients are with us in this process.
and your own business? This third step is the most difficult step in the leap from self-employment to formal enterprise because it means delegating functions, investing, trusting people, and “letting go” to directly control all steps of the enterprise. Find the system that works for you, and find people you trust and are willing to work with. Little by little, you will find your answer.
Step 5: Growth
Once the system started working, I found that my hands were freer. At first, I spent all my time on rehearsals, even the simplest rehearsals. Now, with a team of writers, he has the brain freedom to reignite creative motivation; I think about new clients, bigger projects, and I am looking for new businesses for my business.
Over time, we are able to provide services to large domestic and international customers and launch new products and service lines that attract new customers. We opened a publishing department. Today’s companies have different fields, different sources of income, managers, and operators who can work even if I am not present. In other words: this is a real enterprise, not a self-employed person. Later, in fact, I was offered an excellent job, which I still hold today. I accept it because I like it, not just because I’m desperate. As the business develops, I can take care of both.
Incredible people inside and outside my family have helped me, and my family has grown a lot. Trust me, it’s worth it.
It recognizes that all types of companies, products and services have markets and space. Don’t be afraid to grow up. Of course, this is scary and sometimes lazy. But the other side of fear is freedom. The soul of a true entrepreneur is freedom and passion (not money).
Your first business may not improve, but if you put in time and wisdom, it may not be a loss. You will grow, learn, take on and face. You are different from before. It’s time to start again! Once you learn to bear, you will not be able to stop doing it.
Also Read: Break Pattern & Be Innovative
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