DREAMING ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS
Excerpted from The Sassy Ladies’ Toolkit For Start-Up Businesses
By Michelle Girasole, Wendy Hanson, and Miriam Perry
Some of us spend months, even years, thinking, “Some day I’ll have my own business,” but never actually make it happen. That’s because that first step is a doozy, and it can be tough to take. If you think of your first year in business as a journey, then this is the part where you decide where you want to go. Even if you’ve jumped into your business without spending too much time dreaming about it, you might find it useful to step back for a moment and do so. Think of it as a reality check to be certain you’re doing what’s really important to you. Perhaps you know someone who is living her dream. That person lives with a sense of purpose, filling each day with whatever is important to her. She has a sense of balance, accomplishment, and daily joy. You know the type. You can choose to envy her, or let her inspire you to live your dream. You also have a dream. It’s about being independent, financially free, successful, or famous. Maybe it’s about giving back to your community or making the world a better place. Or, it’s about _____________________________________________ (fill in the blank). In this dream, you see yourself doing what you love and loving what you do. You’re filled with a sense of satisfaction, happiness, and confidence. Hold that thought.
To turn your dream into a profitable business, you have a lot of practical steps ahead of you, some that are not as fun as the fantasy you’ve created in your mind’s eye. That’s why it’s so important to hold on to the dream to motivate and sustain you. Too often, we talk ourselves out of our dreams (or worse, we let others do that) because we don’t have enough time, money, experience, connections, ______________________________ (fill in your usual excuse here). If you’re reading this, you’ve moved past the vague, squishy, “If I ever win the lottery, I’ll …” stage and have decided to take action toward starting your own business. Congratulations! You’ve reached an important milestone in your life. This is when you’ve decided you’re going to live your life on your terms. It may be a risk, but in your heart, you know it’s an even bigger risk not to do it.
Define your dream
You have to define your dream before you can achieve it. You may be one of the lucky ones who knows exactly what you want to do. You may already know that if you don’t try to sell your handmade cards, you won’t be able to sleep at night. But you may not be that sure. Your dream may be less about what you do than what having your own business allows you to do: make more money, spend more time with your family, or travel. So your first step is to describe what your heart’s desire is.
Still not quite sure what your dream is? Think about the values that are most important to you. Knowing which values you hold dearest will help you make meaningful choices as you start and sustain your business. According to Wikipedia.org, values are “principles, standards or qualities considered worthwhile or desirable by the person who holds them.” If home life is one of your top three values, then a business that has you traveling two weeks every month might not be a good fit for you. If elegance is a top value, then being a professional pooper scooper would hardly fit your desired lifestyle, either. You get the picture.
Keep your eyes—and your heart—on the prize
Remember how your mother would save her nice things for special occasions? The fancy china dishes, heirloom jewelry, and snazziest outfits would be “saved” for extraordinary days. What a shame to let those treasures get dusty and go unused. This will not happen to your dream! Take your dream out of the dark, dust it off, and show it off every day. That’s how you make a dream a reality. (And while you’re at it, wear your great-grandmother’s diamond ring to go grocery shopping. Picking out peaches has never been so much fun. Eat your breakfast oatmeal out of your best china bowl. The oatmeal is good for your heart and enjoying one of your prized possessions is good for your soul.) What’s your business idea? Visualize it happening: see yourself running your own business. Say it out loud. Write it down. How does it make you feel? What makes it so interesting? So fulfilling? What impact would it have on your life?
Say it’s so
Your dream—it’s starting to feel real now, isn’t it? It’s no longer something that you keep to yourself, like a secret or the last piece of chocolate. No, this dream of yours to own your business is becoming a reality and it’s time to make it known. You’re in a good place, our Sassy Friend. Enjoy this moment!
Read more in The Sassy Ladies’ Toolkit for Start-Up Businesses, available on http://www.thesassyladies.com/.