Beyond any particular personality type, professional skills or business acumen, starting a business requires a connection to what matters most to you. Whether your business directly relates to a specific value you hold, or allows you to live your life in alignment with your priorities, it is likely to be a success if you are behind it with your heart and soul.
In the beginning, the process of imagining your business can be a fluid one. As you identify the name, create your brand, define your market, and complete a business plan, consider how you feel about each step. Notice which options energize you and which do not as you evaluate the ways you might present your service or product for the marketplace.
I often find myself telling clients who are planning a business to watch for the “green lights” as indicators that they are on the right path. These affirming signs can be anything from people offering unsolicited support, to ease in obtaining necessary financing or an appropriate workspace, to an unexpected opportunity that provides a financial bridge from employee to business owner.
Even with green lights at every turn, there is no getting around the fact that starting your own business requires a leap of faith. With no guarantee of success, you must be interested in the process as well as the desired outcome and have a realistic idea about what your new work-life will entail. Be certain that your pursuit is connected to facts and accurate information and not just an idealized notion of what you desire, and you'll be likely to persevere in good times and in bad.
In Maine, there are organizations that can assist you in your decision-making or planning process. SCORE, Maine Small Business Development Centers, UMaine's Cooperative Extension Home Based Business Programs, and Coastal Enterprises Inc., all offer free consultations on a wide array of topics to anyone in any stage of the process of business ownership. Uniquely for women, New Ventures, a well-established 60-hour program offered by Women, Work and Community instructs small groups of women in the essentials of business ownership from marketing to finances, culminating in a business plan. I have referred dozens of women to this program over the years with consistent rave reviews about its usefulness.
With an inner sense that this is the right direction at the right time, coupled with research and adequate counsel from seasoned advisors, you may be on your way to the independence and freedom that comes with being a business owner.
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Barbara is currently accepting applications for her ninth annual Women's Retreat in Provence. Click on the link for photos and more details!
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Barbara and Heart At Work associate, Amy Jaffe, will co-present a workshop:
"Averting Quarterlife and Midlife Crises in Your Workplace: 5 Key Retention Strategies" at the 2008 Annual Human Resources Convention in Rockport, Maine on May 8.
Barbara,
This article is right on point! While passion is not a guarantee of success; I'd say it's an essential ingredient!
I'd like to add that for anyone thinking about starting your own business, you've got to start with adequate resources. These resources must be material, spiritual and emotional and the material is often the least problematic.
Use the resources Barbara recommends and access the type of training she provides to make sure you have the power, energy and passion to succeed. Best of all, you can ALWAYS work on developing the power you'll need for personal & professional success.
Best thoughts for success & happiness!
Jim Bouchard
Author of Dynamic Components of Personal Power
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