Too many good ideas die premature deaths, victims of over-planning, procrastination and doubt. That’s one of the main reasons I LOVE home-based “hobby” businesses; typically these are operated by people who simply enjoy doing something and decide to earn a few dollars from doing it.
No extensive planning process, no 700-page business plan, no time spent trying to secure start-up finance. It’s lightweight, “agile”, flexible and built on passion and desire. Of these things, the last two are the essential ingredients in any recipe for success.
Don’t Get Bogged Down
All too often people have flashes of inspiration and then proceed to commit “ideacide”, allowing themselves to fall victim to over-analysis, listening to the small voice that says “it’ll never work” and generally becoming convinced that their idea is a non-starter.
Ideas are, at first, delicate creatures that need nurturing and protecting until they have grown strong enough to stand on their own feet (metaphorically speaking). Allowing yourself to get bogged down in negative impulses, stalling things in the name of “proper planning” and finding all sorts of reasons to NOT act on those ideas is the equivalent of pouring weedkiller on your prize begonias!
Forget About “Business”
One of the surefire ways to kill your enthusiasm for something is to start thinking of it as “work”. This is what can happen if you start to take the standard advice regarding “business”. How relevant is standard business advice anyway, when you’re simply doing what you love doing?
As and when you start to build some success, and gain momentum, it might make sense for you to start considering some of the good advice out there. What you don’t want is a traditional business framework stifling development. Why shouldn’t you continue to enjoy doing the thing you love, and simply go with the flow?
There’s plenty of things you can concern yourself with later, things that can start to contrain you, so don’t voluntarily constrain yourself before you need to. Deal with hurdles as you encounter them.
(Continue to) Have Fun
If you’re creating a business out of something you enjoy doing, THAT is your key driver. It’s the thing that will ensure that you keep going even on days when you make no sales. If you’re not having fun, if you’re not enjoying yourself then how is it any different from a job where you’re only motivation is your weekly wage?
As the work-at-home sector continues to grow there will be a massive surge in happy, contented business owners. As those businesses experience success and growth, so the home-based business model will become more obviously sustainable and beneficial.
Happiness, enjoyment and fun are pricless commodities that no soulless corporate can hope to compete with. Make the most of it and above all else, have fun!
