Are you on the right roller coaster? It doesn’t matter what kind of business idea that you come up with or that you become a part of, you need to make sure that you choose the right ride for you. You are in for some work, ‘painful effort,’ as King Solomon puts it, and you need to know beyond the shadow of a doubt that it’s worth it.

Whether your grassroots project is artistic in nature, service based and/or profit-driven, here are seven questions that will help you focus your heart and your resources (the same seven questions that ! asked myself as I was trying to discover the right entrepreneurial work for me):

1. The First Question is an issue of Creativity: Do you have an idea? If the answer is yes, then move on to the next question, so that you can test it to see if this idea is right for you. Why am I saying this? Because I have a plethora of new ideas daily, but only certain ones are perfect for me at this time in my life. Some, I will implement later (I write those down and save them), others would be perfect for somebody else’s dream, not mine (I save those too). Make sure that you know the difference between what really drives you and what doesn’t. Let’s go on to the next question . . .
2. The Second Question is an issue of Passion. Are you driven by this idea? If the answer is ‘No,’ then you need to go back to the first question and find an idea (or let it find you) that drives you and captures your full attention. Look at your talents and your favorite things to do. If you can merge the two, then you may be on to something. But it needs to be a problem that you can solve for people. A good gauge is this, solving this problem simply makes you happy in a deep place. Seeing it unsolved probably angers you when the average person only feels indifference about it. Businesses at their core solve problems: I need a new car, I go to the car lot. I need a tune up, I go to the service place. I need a good car cleaning, I go to Champs Car Cleaning Service. You see what I mean? Businesses solve problems. I need some fun, I go to the concert of a favorite artist and dinner with some friends or a poetry spot. Businesses can solve all kinds of problems, you just need to find the one that you want to and that you know how to solve–or at least be willing to learn how to solve it better than anyone else.
3. The Third Question is an issue of Focus. Are you willing to shift all available time and resources to making this idea a reality? I don’t mean to quit eating or to forget to feed the children or you barely have time to kiss your wife or you can’t even give your friends a decent greeting. But I do mean this, what are willing to give up? I gave up the Television. I watch my favorite shows a couple of evenings a week for an hour each. I figure they’re already living their dreams, I need to put some time into making sure that I live mine too. Besides the television, there is something else that you can give up which takes us to the fourth question . . .
4. The Fourth Question is an issue of Time. What days and time can you consistently devote to your idea? And before you remind me of how busy you are (and I do understand that), hear me out. Will you discipline yourself to efficiently give up your time? Even if you don’t have a lot of it to give, consistency will pay off. If all you can find is two hours on Saturday morning to work on your business, then disappear into the library or the coffee shop to do just that. And then do what you said you where going to do, “Work on your business for two solid FOCUSED hours (no interruptions, no exceptions).” A hint: choose the same times each week, then it will become such a habit that you will feel out of place if you are not “working on your business between the hours of 11:00 am and 1:00 pm on Saturdays.” Now that we have the time issue on the table, we might as well get to the question that has a tendency to scare us the most . . .
5. The Fifth Question is an issue of Cash-Flow (that’s right, money): What is the financial cost to turn your idea into a reality? Notice that I didn’t ask you, could you afford to whatever your dream is ? That’s not the issue. You need to know real cost, and not guestimations. Speculating will make a coward overestimate and run or an over zealot underestimate and dive into quick-sand without a life line. Count the cost and be fearless while you do it. It cost you nothing to ask questions and to create a budget, and you will gain insight, skill and focus while you do it. Knowing real cost helps you to develop a real plan and to focus your faith. Which brings us to the next question . . .
6. The Sixth Question is an issue of Tools, Materials & Equipment: What equipment do you need in order to create the idea? This answer needs to have two parts, your high-end version of the materials you may need and their prices, then you need a scaled down, more budget conscious version. Why both? Study the best first, understand its cost, so that when it’s time to purchase you will know a bargain when you see it and you will know and be able to quickly identify quality in the less expensive versions when you see it as well. Get over your fears, start the research, set the budget. Besides don’t count yourself out, with a little negotiating and a-lot of favor, you just may get your first choice. So get ready to win. But before you take off, there is one more question . . .
7. The Seventh Question is an issue of TEAM: Is there a way for people to help you? Will you let them? In a world of do-it-yourselfers, we are slow to ask for help. But long term success and freedom requires team work. You will have to become crystal clear about your goals and get organized, but that will just make you and your business better. For ideas about who you may need on your team, check out an earlier post, Five People You Need On Your TEAM: Don’t Be An IDAIT, You NEED Help!

For those of you who are looking to build a true business that runs even when you are on vacation, in the beginning you still need to be there in order to nurse the first steps of your company and establish the system that will allow it to run without you.

We’ll, talk about systems in another post. But keep in mind that even if you are not trying to replace yourself, systems will allow you to focus on the part of the business that you excel at. Then the team that you build, and the system that drives them, will do the rest. A great book that addresses this subject is E-Myth Revisited, Why Most Small Business Don’t Work & What to Do About It by Michael E. Gerber.

I hope these seven questions help you, the way they help to stay focus me. In a nutshell, do the work to live the dream that you truly want to live. Don’t settle.

-J Warner-

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