Once upon a time, there was a girl who decided to quit her job and start her own small business. Everyone around her thought it was such a great idea and was happy to support her in her decision. She was able to save up enough money and secure a loan in order to create a website, a marketing plan, premises, and hire a few employees and easily pay all her bills for the next three years until her business began churning a profit. For the first time she went to bed each satisfied she had made the right decision and had finally the job of her dreams doing what she loved and knowing she would live happily ever after.
A start up fairytale. It’s the story that you hear happened to a friend of a friend of a friend, but never to someone you actually know. In most cases, it’s simply NOT TRUE.
This can be a shock when you’re first starting out on your own, because (whether you realize it now or not…) you’re probably of the mindset, “If I create my business, they will come.”
You think that if you start your business, design your product, offer a service, then it’s going to be so good that people will come out of the woodwork and find you. They’ll be knocking down your door to buy whatever it is that you’re offering. Well, maybe you’re one of the lucky few this does happen to you (and I’d love to know your business plan!), but for most, this is just a part of the myth.
In fact, quitting your job and starting your own business is rarely a smooth transition. I’ve spoken to a few different start ups recently (including my brother) who told me that if they’d known how hard it would have been to create and grow a business before they started, they wouldn’t have had the guts to do it.
The truth is that it’s probably going to be the hardest thing you ever do. You’re going to be face-to-face with your worst fears and doubts DAILY. You’re going to make bad decisions. Your family might not understand why you don’t just get a regular job. Instead of working 8 hours a day, you work 12 hours a day, typically plus more. You might not have enough money to go out with your friends anymore. You can’t turn off your brain long enough to get any sleep. In other words, it’s generally a time of complete and utter chaos.
Have no fear though. This is normal. I’ll even go further than that to say, THIS IS GOOD. Because if your life is currently in a state of chaos, it means you’re moving in the right direction. Great things are born in a time of chaos, not in a time of calm.
History is strewn with well known stories of successful business people who had failed businesses before their new business ventures finally became successful.
Think about it this way…from utter chaos great things are often born. Recently a creek overflow had to be fixed at the bottom of my street. What happened? They shut the road down, covered the street with witches hats, overloaded cement trucks, lorries and diverted traffic down two streets- not to mention the flooding in the street and smell while the drain pipes were diverted.Once completed everything flowed better. My point being that without the chaos during construction, smooth travel without a creek overflow would not be possible.
If there’s chaos, fear or doubt in your life right now, congratulations! You’re on the right track towards building a sustainable business. Growing your business requires a time of chaos. New, creative, life-changing ideas are rarely born out of routine and predictability.
