Move On.
If there was one thing I could tell you it’s this: There is no good time to start your own business. There will always be something getting in your way or excuses to not propel things forward. May it be a job that you have to work at to pay the bills, may it be money that you need but don’t have. May it be a skill you don’t possess, a piece of equipment you can’t afford, or an employee you can’t hire — there will always be something that makes starting difficult.
Recently, I was talking with Kendi and I said something about our life to the tune of “if only it looked like this…” And she said “Then what? Would it be easier for us then?” After thinking about it for a while, I realized that she was right. Everything is not going to magically collide or align for us in anything we do. Rather it is the work we do, that propels us forward.
I am a firm believer that inertia works in all things. Not just in a physical sense, but also in our decision making and choices. As I am learning, (always the hard way), decisions are easier to make when progress is evident. Progress will not fall into your lap, and the choice to break the pattern of settling is often the hardest.
I don’t say this to discourage you, but instead to encourage you. There is no good time, so start now. There will always be something standing in your way, so accepting and dealing with that is a great first step. And once you have taken the first and, you might as well take the next few as well.
– B
I’m a HUGE believer in this too. To a certain extent you can plan, and get your ducks in a row, and calculate risk, but there does come a point where you have to take a leap, whether that is the first step of buying materials to make the knit hats you want to make, or whether it’s quitting your day job to pursue your business full-time. There is no excuse to not take SOME kind of action today. Emailing a mentor, comparing supplier prices, signing up for a class, starting a blog, securing your url…
I’d love to hear more about the business model you guys are creating – I realize you don’t want to give it all away before you’re set up, but I’m not sure I have a clear idea of what the business you’re starting IS, besides photography (which I thought you were already doing?).
I just have to say that this message is coming at the perfect time for me. I just left my job to pursue my business full-time. Not a month later we found out we are expecting a baby (yay!), the furnace went out (boo), and our health insurance premiums went up (boo). In the face of all this change I’ve been discouraged about the pace of growth and the time it takes to get things started. All that to say, it’s good to hear a just do it…now is the time..keep moving forward kind of message. Thank you!
This is so true! I set up my fashion blog in 2009, but it took me one full year to get the courage to post my first outfit. My excuse was mostly that we didn’t have a DSLR camera. Finally, one day I couldn’t wait any longer and we just did it. I’m so glad we did!
And now we have a DSLR and I am thinking of starting a part-time photography business. Thanks for the advise Bryan. Kelsey was just telling me this morning that I should get started with it. I take this as a definate sign that I need to take that first step.
@Maggie Rose- So True. Daily there is something that can be worked on to move forward. As far as our business goes, we are working to create a wedding photography business together. You are correct in that I have doing that on the side for a little over a year, but both of us are working to put things in place to jump fully. Previously, my inability to run an effective business resulted in a side business never going anywhere. Rather than simply picking up a shoot every once in a while, we are making precise decisions to have a more legitimate and successful business. Feel free to read Week 1 (http://bit.ly/g59fiI) for our obvious introduction to this.
@Julie- I hear you with feeling frustration. We have often worried that things are not moving quickly enough, but it always helps to put things back into perspective. Progress is still progress…sometimes it creeps along and other times it whizzes past. Remember that you define your success and not moving forward is the only failure.
@ Kelsey and Eric- I am glad that you got over the fear of putting yourself out there, but I know how hard it can be. Taking your own path can often be lonely, but at least it is your own. PLUS, if you hadn’t started your blog, we never would have been hanging out in Austin last month…