Starting a business in today's economy? Are you crazy?

Some people believe that if you have a good job, you shouldn't start your own gig, because it's foolish to give up a job you can't easily replace.

And some people believe that if you don't have a great job, it's foolish to waste time (and the money you can ill afford to lose) starting something when you'd be a lot better off getting a great job or going to school until you do.

And both groups are missing the point.

The people who successfully start independent businesses, do it because we have no real choice in the matter. The voice in our heads won't shut up until we discover if we're right, if we can do it, if we can make something happen. This is an art, our art, and to leave it bottled up is a crime

What is your excuse?

There are more good ideas, right here, right now, for free, than ever before. More opportunities to connect and lead and make a difference and an impact and a living.

Fewer guarantees, sure, but more ideas.


 
It's your choice about whether or not you do anything with them, but please don't tell me you don't have any good ideas.

Stop making excuses and start making a difference. If you don't, who will?

Don't believe the hype......your vote does count.

This year, fewer than 40% of voting age Americans will actually vote.

That means that less than half of you reading this decide to not go flex your right to be "We the People".
 

If you don't vote because you're trying to teach politicians a lesson, you're tragically misguided in your strategy. The very politicians you're trying to send a message to don't want you to vote. Since 1960, voting turnouts in mid-term elections are down significantly, and there's one reason: because of TV advertising.

Political TV advertising is designed to do only one thing: suppress the turnout of the opponent's supporters. If the TV ads can turn you off enough not to vote ("they're all bums") then their strategy has succeeded.

The astonishing thing is that voters haven't figured this out. As the scumminess and nastiness of campaigning and governing has escalated and the flakiness of candidates appears to have escalated as well, we've largely abdicated the high ground and permitted selfish partisans on both sides to hijack the system.

Voting is free. It's fairly fast. It doesn't make you responsible for the outcome, but it sure has an impact on what we have to live with going forward. 

Even if you're disgusted, vote. Vote for your least favorite choice. But go vote.

Are you afraid of special requests?

Is your business organized for efficiency or something else?

If you fear special requests, if you staff with cogs, if you have to put it all in a manual, then the chances of amazing someone are really quite low.

These organizations have people who will try to patch problems over after the fact, instead of motivated people eager to delight on the spot.

The alternative, it seems, is to organize for joy.

These companies give their people the freedom (and yes, the expectation) that they will create, connect and surprise. These are the organizations that embrace someone who makes a difference, as opposed to searching for a clause in the employee handbook that was violated.

Wouldn't you rather be in the "joy" business?

Thanks to Seth Godin for his amazing outlook on today's business landscape.

Learning from lost sales.....

It's extremely difficult to figure out why people walk out of your store,
throw out your brochure, leave your site... but in fact, this is a great
opportunity for dramatically increasing sales.

"Is your brochure ending up here?"

You won't find what's broken if you don't look.
Ready to start looking?

Are you pushing to hard?

Are you pushing to hard to get your customers/subscribers/audience to love everything you do?

If you are, I'm sure your very frustrated.

That's the frustration of the marketer or the artist who hasn't figured out how to navigate critics and the marketplace.

If you need the validation and acceptance of everyone you meet, you'll get stuck, and soon.
Everyone isn't going to get it. Everyone isn't even going to get you, no matter what you sell or create.

Experienced marketers and artists and those that make change understand that the new is not for everyone. In fact, it's not even for most people. Pass them by. They can catch up later.

It's not a referendum, and you don't need a unanimous vote of to get started. You merely need enough to stay in business, to keep moving, to make a dent. Then your idea can spread.

If the kids in the back of the bus/audience/store don't get it (or don't get you) it's their loss. Focus on those that want to celebrate the work you do instead.

Sleeping funny and Monday morning struggles.

It's a Monday morning and I slept funny last night. I woke up tired and may feel cranky all day.

Can that feeling carry over to my work? Do you ever work funny?

 Ever have a day when none of the things you need to focus on materialize, when you struggle to come up with the ideas and flow that normally come naturally?

Most of us have come up with a strategy for days we're working funny--we do the busy work, we reply, react and occasionally respond. We show up at the meetings and we answer our email, and we go home feeling as though we accomplished at least a little something (though we didn't.) 

Basically, we go through the motions.

The danger is this: this working funny habit leaks into the days when we're on our game. When you're on a roll, you still find yourself going to meetings, answering email and working through someone else's to-do list. That is not how you should be spending your "on time".

Don't toss and turn if you don't have to. Get focused and get in the zone.