If you're just starting a business, you have a lot to consider: what to sell and how to sell it, whether to use a Facebook group, what to blog about, how to use social media, etc. Those things are important, but one thing is even more important, and you may have overlooked it entirely.
I'm going to tell you what it is, but first, I'll share why it's so easy to overlook.
Seeing the trees, but missing the forest
At the beginning of your entrepreneurial journey, you're excited and energized at the thought of having your own business, setting your own schedule, and making your mark on the world. You can hardly think of anything else.
Your adrenaline is high. You eat, sleep, and breathe your new business idea, and how it will make money, and how it will make you happy, and how it will allow you to have more control over your life.
I did this when I opened Indie Business Studio. I met with the landlord, signed a lease, knocked down walls, installed new walls, purchased hard wood floors, got everything WiFi ready, bought curtains, installed a new toilet . . .. I was fueled with excitement.
A few months in, the adrenaline started to wane. My young children needed me at home more than I thought they would. It was harder than I anticipated to encourage local people to see the benefit of studio.
After a short period of time, I realized that I never looked at the new venture from the perspective of the impact it would have on my personal life.
Eventually, instead of the fun and excitement I expected, I intensely disliked what I had created. My landlord saw me struggling and was gracious enough to let me out of my lease without penalty. (Thank you Mr. Rabon!) My family thought I was crazy to have invested so much time and energy away from them to start something, only to tear it down a few months later.
I saw all of the trees. But none of the forest.
The One Thing You Must Do Before Starting Your Business
On this week's Maker Mastermind Show, I offer tips to help you avoid a similar scenario in your own life.
This was our first show, so after an introduction and overview of the purpose of the Maker Mastermind Show, the substance starts at 8:00. Tune in and learn how to:
- Consider in advance how your business will impact your life.
- Tips for choosing which of multiple business ideas to pursue.
- How to involve your close friends and family members in your new venture without burning them out or pushing them away.
- A bit about my morning and evening rituals. (Thanks for the question, Laura at Olive My Skin.)
- And then, there is my ever popular crime show addiction …
Questions for discussion and sharing
After you watch the show, I’d love to hear from you in the comments below. Feel free to share as much detail as you can, especially if you have a question. I'd love to help further if needed. Plus, your unique story could be just the encouragement someone else needs to take the next confident step on their own entrepreneurial journey.
Thank you for watching, sharing, and participating in the Maker Mastermind community!
What do you think of the advice to choose a business based on the kind of life you want, rather than other considerations? Have you struggled with integrating your close friends and family members into your life as an entrepreneur? How did you deal with it? Leave a comment below and let me know.
Featured Product and Winner
Our featured product this week is the Lovely Heart Body Soap from our member over at Oavender. It's a beautiful cupcake shaped soap with an intoxicatingly romantic scent composed of gardenia, freesia, heliotrope, and jasmine. Laura Luther won this beautiful bar, randomly selected as the winner from the people who asked questions live on the show.
Want more?
Join me every Monday at 12:30pm for the Maker Mastermind Show in the Maker Mastermind community on Facebook.
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