I Launched a New Business Today — I Think You Should Too, But if You Don’t, This Might be the Reason Why.
(For the sake of this article, I use “business” to mean any worthwhile project that you’d find meaningful. If you don’t have that idea rolling around in the back of your head, the one that won’t leave you alone — I urge you keep looking and don’t stop until you find it.)
So, my brother and I launched a business today. Nothing crazy, but nonetheless, exciting stuff. It’s always exhilirating bringing new ideas to life.
We’d been playing around with this business idea for months (I’ll link to it at end of article), until we batted it around long enough, or maybe too long, when we finally said — ‘Hell, let’s do it.’
So we did.
As you look at the world today, realize that there has never been a better time to start a business — startup costs are low, marketing platforms allow for better customer visibility, the gate-keeping middlemen don’t have control anymore, and in a lot of cases, you can sell a product that’s not even tangible. The opportunities are endless, but only if you’re willing to take the chance, to step out on a limb and take control of your life. Hell, I think that’s part of what it means to be an entrepreneur.
Honestly, if you have an idea and are interested in bringing it to life, you owe it to yourself and the innate humanity living within you to give it a shot and sharing it with the world. If you don’t at least take a chance and give it a go, I can almost guarantee you have an excuse in line with one of the five outlined below. Don’t worry, in each case, I explain how such excuses stem from faulty brain rationalization.
Excuse #1: “I can’t financially right now.”
Back to the business that my brother and I started. Here are our opening expenses:
Domain Purchase = $14.99 (2 yrs.)
Opening Inventory = $100.00
Marketing Materials = $40.00
Business License = $50.00
Business Insurance (1st qtr.)= $60.00
Logo/Web Design = FREE (check out Canva)
Social Media Sites = FREE
Total Monetary Investment: $264.99
So maybe you can’t pull together two or three hundred bucks before the sun goes down, but hopefully I’ve at least given you reason enough NOT to use “insufficient startup capital” as your excuse. I’m not trying to convince you to create the next Apple or Tesla — I’m just hoping you’ll get in the game in some capacity. My brother and I did it with $264.99 and about 20 hours from each of us. I’m more than convinced that you can do it with substantially less.
Excuse #2: “I need to be here as a parent and spouse.”
Unless you have extenuating circumstances (a newborn baby or a sick family member that needs attending to), you are completely delusional and out of touch with reality if you’re actually trying to use this as an excuse for not starting the business you’ve always wanted to.
Think — how is it fair to the people in my life, if I BLAME them as the primary reason for why I didn’t take a chance on my dreams? I’m using them as a crutch? Over time, this destroys relationships, and resentment grows like bacteria.
In fact, the inverse of that argument actually makes a lot more sense. If you do go for it, you’re actually living the life you were meant to and one of which you’re proud. As a result, you’ll most likely be happier, which often translates into better relationships with spouses and children. Plus, you can stand proud knowing you did the right thing, and the people most important to you were there to see it.
Excuse #3: “I don’t have the time ….”
You play in a kickball league, meet friends for happy hour three times a week, and can’t imagine ever missing a real time viewing of The Walking Dead, Arrow or Game of Thrones — those are all choices. I’m not saying to cut all of the “fun” out of your life, however, I am suggesting that maybe it’s time to re-prioritize what’s truly important in your life. So, you probably DO have the time to start a company, or take a chance on a new exciting project — you’re just choosing not to make time, and we all know how this scenario plays out. Late life regret in looking back at the good ole days of opportunity, and wishing you’d played the cards a bit differently.
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For my brother and I, the time spent in bringing our newly formed company to life is equivalent to a 40 hour work week. We didn’t exchange the “9–5” for these other hours — we fit them in where we could. As we launched the website, I had to work through the night, which was sandwiched by a full work day on either side. It’s not always fun, but it is certainly exciting, and instead of logging 40 hours for someone else, we are doing it for each other, and for something we are stoked to bring to the world.
Excuse #4: “I’m not very business savvy.”
You think Warren Buffett was born with business insights? What about Richard Branson? Of course not, they figured it out. The good news is that it’s EASIER THAN EVER to “figure it out”, because every piece of information you could ever want is at always within reach. What licenses do you need — google it. Don’t know how to setup a free website? There’s probably a thousand videos on YouTube.
Bottom line — if you’re not business savvy it means you just don’t care enough.
Excuse #5: The real reason why people don’t “go for it” and why no one wants to talk about.
Simply stated, it’s scary. You’re trying something that might not work. If it doesn’t work, you then feel like you’ve let down your family and friends and you feel judgement from the outside world. In addition to that, your ego is bruised, along with your self-confidence.
I’ve failed plenty with starting businesses, and never have I felt shame from the people close to me, or even the outside world — everyone else is too damn busy doing their own thing. Sure, my confidence has felt shaken at times, and no one likes a blow to the ego, but with ALL of these situations, it’s much more about the story we’re telling ourselves, in the event that things don’t work out — it has very little to do with the reality of the circumstances, and what’s actually happening. So, we make up this story, a very personal one, which creates just enough space to keep us from taking the chance.
Failure is an option, but so is success. Each failed attempt met with discerning, growth mindset eyes, provides an opportunity to discover what went wrong and how we can do things better next time around. Eventually, we’ll have gotten it wrong enough times that success will be inevitable. The key, is failing in small enough ways that it allows us to keep playing the game. If we get to keep playing the game, EVENTUALLY we’re going to figure things out. As toddlers, we learn to walk by falling — we fall over and over again, until finally, we figure it out, and our perspective of the world changes forever.
Every failure brings us one step closer to success — so take the chance. — Jon Taffer
So you can take the chance or make the excuses, but you can’t have both. Personally, I think each of us owes it to the world to put our best selves out there, and if we have something the world might appreciate or benefit from — why wouldn’t we share that with the world through starting a business?
In closing, here’s a one minute clip from Jon Taffer. The host of Bar Rescue and all around business guru sums it up quite nicely:
— CHRIS HILL (here’s a link to Buckhead Pantry, my new business)
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