Starting A Small Business

Building Monsters and Starting a Small Business

This is a reprise of a post I did on my Working at Home on the Internet Blog last October telling a short story of the making of a Halloween Decoration, “Dead Joe“, and how it relates to the Building of a Small Business. The picture below is of a scared, hold-on-for-his-life, beer-drinking skeleton just sitting on the patio with a look of fear on his face.

Maybe he was thinking of starting his own Small Business?

Sure, the financial market is on a roller coaster ride at the present time and there are plenty of things to worry about with your 401(k) and maybe even your job itself.

This post isn’t about the worries of keeping your job, but if you are in a position of change and you are thinking of getting out of the rat-race and starting your own business, there are some things that relate to the building of that monster that may help in the pursuit.

The Idea Stage

When K brought home a cute little bony head that made some scary sounds and thought it would make a nice little addition to the Halloween decorations, I thought it a needed a little more. It was so small and puny and looked so forlorn all by itself on the step. I knew I could make something a bit cooler, scarier and just a bit more lifelike (or dead-like) to entertain the Trick-or-Treaters.

The Building Of The Monster Is Just Like Starting A Business

• First, I set the head on a small stepladder we have and rarely use. Starting to get a little more defined “body”, a skeleton if you will. There is something to work with.
• Second, I grab one of my old work cut-off vests, but it had no arms. It needed more!
• Third, what do I do with just a torso? Give it some legs, of course. An old wornout pair of jeans with no bottom should do the job.
• Fourth, it still had no arms, needed an old work shirt. No feet at the end of the legs, needs my former work boots. Hands? Old work gloves.

The Building of Your Business

• First, start with your strength. Are you good at writing? Fixing computers? How about just what you really, really like doing? If you have a talent or expertise in any field, it could be well worth starting a business, but you have to have a solid base, just like the bony little head of “Dead Joe”.
• Second, you have to have a vision. Even though you have a solid base on the what you do, you still need to be able to envision where you want to go with your business. See what your end result COULD be.
• Third, you need to be able to adapt to whatever the situation calls for. Whether it is adding employees, equipment, or buckling down and doing it yourself, you will have to give your business some legs.
• Fourth, look to the future. You already had a vision of what your business might be; now look at what it CAN be. Since you started with a skeleton and built the body piece by piece, you are in control of what the end result will look like. It is up to you.

I just wanted to give you an idea of how I think and maybe even some new ideas of ways to approach starting and running a Small Business.

Thoughts? How did you start your business? or better yet… How do you plan on starting your business?

Join Speakers In The Park

Join the Speakers In The Park series on July 22th when I share with you the answers to the FAQ regarding anti-virus solutions as well as whether your business would be better off with a blog or a website. This 8 speaker seminar will keep your business sizzling all Summer.  The tele-seminar is no charge and registration is required. Join Speakers In The Park