I’d like to focus on something that’s vital if you want to strike out and succeed on your own. I’ve covered this recently, but I’ve had so many letters along the lines of ‘how do I know what home-income generator to choose?’ that I want to go through this again – because it could be stopping you from making the strides you want.
It’s something I call ‘success fatigue’, and it hits every single one of us several times a year.
You see, wanting to be your own boss or start earning extra money is one thing, but making the right choices to ensure you succeed is another.
In fact, there’s one factor above all others that you MUST have to up your chances of success – and to keep on being successful.
So what is the No.1 success factor?
Simple… It’s job satisfaction. If you don’t find something you love (or at the very least like), success fatigue will creep in and slow you down. At best you’ll be mediocre. At worst you’ll go bust.
Being genuinely enthused and excited about the work you do 5 days a week, 48 weeks of the year is essential. In fact, you should love your project so much, you’d quite happily do it 7 days a week, 52 weeks of the year, watching your family scowl at you as you gnaw at a drumstick and do a bit of work on Christmas Day.
The same goes for any money-making opportunity you try. If the idea of it does nothing for you, and all you do is focus on the promise of money, it’s going to be very hard to drag yourself away from your family or the telly or the pub and get to work.
Because being your own boss (which you are even if you’re just a part-time boss working on a project an hour a week) isn’t all laughs.
Earning lots of money might make you happy, but it’s NOT job satisfaction. The big money will only come once you are immersed in your work and are happy and motivated.
Here’s a checklist to help you find the business that’s right for you. It won’t pinpoint a specific job or money-spinner for you, but should help you find out where your passion lies.
And once you discover that, you’ll know which business ideas will suit you, you’ll be prepared to put in more hours, and you’ll find yourself moving up the rich-list faster.
How to stop trying business plans that don’t suit you
* Find a pen and a stack of postcards or index cards (or at a push, torn up squares of paper). Clear your desk so that you can spread the cards out easily.
* On a sheet of paper, write down everything you don’t like about your present job and/or career. Not earning enough money doesn’t count. If that is the only genuine gripe you have, analyse it further. What’s stopping you from getting more money?
* Now you can start addressing the problems. Using the cards, jot down an idea that tackles each problem. If you have more than one idea per problem, make sure you use a separate card. Don’t rule out ANYTHING – no matter how stupid your idea might seem. Just write down whatever ideas pop into your head.
* Finished? Now start checking for duplications. Combine ideas that cover the same ground… e.g. ‘want a more creative job’ and ‘have no input with regards to new ideas’ would be rolled into one.
* Check through the cards and throw out anything that’s not strong enough. This is about YOU and YOUR HOME BUSINESS, so bad vending machines or ‘don’t like Mike’ unfortunately have to be discarded.
* Put ideas that can’t be completed within six months in the drawer – but don’t throw them away! This exercise is designed to overcome problems now, so you can get on the right track quickly.
* Order your ideas. Put similar ideas into separate columns so you can see everything in front of you.
* Now, give each column a title, using a blank card. Sum up what these similar ideas represent.
* Arrange these columns in order of importance. Take some time over this. It’s not an aptitude test. There’s no right or wrong order. Really try and get a feel of what’s important to YOU.
* Now arrange the ideas within each column in order of importance, with your strongest at the top of the pile.
* Once you’ve done this, leave everything for at least an hour, even overnight. When you come back you will have a grid of what you need to focus on to start
achieving your career or business goals. The most important – and the one you need to tackle first, will be in the top left hand corner.
Writing down things you need to change is quite an eye-opener. It will help you channel your energies to areas that are most important, and as a result will help you realise your strengths and weaknesses – vital if you want a satisfying and successful career as a multi-millionaire entrepreneur. And just as vital if you want to find a biz opp that you can stick with.
Because they ALL take some work that you have to put in on top of your regular job (and don’t let any lying gurus tell you different!).
Okay, that should get you focussed on what you REALLY want from your career. Here’s another thing that needs reiterating…
Never think an idea is too mad…
A couple of issues ago I talked about niche ideas that were bonkers, that no one would POSSIBLY want to buy, but that made their creators fortunes.
Well here’s another one a friend told me about and I love it, because it just goes to show that if you understand your market, you really can make a fortune from ANYTHING!
There’s a shop on New York’s Fifth Avenue that’s 43,000 square feet in size, so you can imagine how much that costs in rent. If this business can afford that
premises, it must be doing a roaring trade.
It’s called The American Girl Place – and it’s entirely devoted to dolls. Books, clothing, accessories… you name it you can get it here.
But this shop shows how important it is to understand your market, because it offers things that are absolutely nuts.
This is a place where you can book your doll in for etiquette lessons, where there’s a doll hair salon, doll shows in the in-house theatre… there’s even a ‘sick doll’ hospital.
Birthday parties for your doll can be held in the doll café ($30 per person, dolls eat for free – seriously!).
And, best of all, if you want to look like your doll, you can even buy matching outfits.
Only in America.
Or maybe it would work in the UK too? Who knows?