ARE you building your Field of Dreams?

“Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can't lose.”
                                                                                                                          ~Bill Gates

Just because you build it does not mean: they will come.  Contrary to the belief communicated by the popular movie starring Kevin Costner:  Field of Dreams.  If you missed it by chance, the premise was a fellow believed that if he built a baseball field, then a professional baseball team with legendary baseball figures would soon appear.

Many of us know or have seen enthusiastic entrepreneurs sparkle with enthusiasm fueled by a dream of owning their own business, and watch as they set out to make the dream happen.  But then what happens?  They’ve got the space ready, a fist full of business cards, and sweat pouring because they’re ready to do business.  Yet nobody seems to be pounding on their door.

As economies experience down turns and employees are sent packing with early retirement packages or lay off settlements, they set out to realize their dream:  to start, own and operate their own business.  Unfortunately, it isn’t until the revenue doesn’t pour in, do they start to scramble and ask themselves questions.  Let me try to help.  Your dream will sputter out and money drained without a little bit of advice.  So here goes, here are some things you may think when you start out before reality sets in:

1)  Just because you build your business – whether from home, garage, whatever – does not mean that customers will come.

2)  Without a Business Plan, you may just be looking at building a business the same way you have your home:  Needs, budget, gadgets and perhaps a financial advisor.  But a real business needs a vision and a plan.  (I recognize that I may be sound like a broken down record if you’ve followed my Blog before!)

3)  Before you get all hyped and forking out the dough, remember that just because you love your idea, product, or service doesn’t mean that others will. 

4)  Don’t get caught up in the trap that others will be your savior.  It is your idea and there are many experts out there who will chomp at your door to help you spend your money giving you advice.

 

5)  Advice from parents, siblings, relatives and friends are just that:  advice.  Their opinions are going to be skewed because they are your cheerleaders, they want you to do well, and even perhaps have a piece of the action.

6)  You are so married to your idea and vision that you are a control freak and nobody else knows better than you.  If that were the case, you wouldn’t have any competitors and you just may have a cash cow waiting to happen.  But seriously, how realistic is that?

7)  You have decided who is going to want to buy from you.  That again would be wonderful if we could just all have a crystal ball that would magically tell us everything we think we already know.

8)  You jump ahead from a simple plan and place of business, like your home or garage, and get down to leasing space, making purchases, without a budget or review of your financial resources, forgetting the longer plan on where you will create a revenue stream from because the costs don’t disappear.  Sadly, if anything they can compound.

9)  Long live the entrepreneur!  You are on your way to freedom:  you think you can set your hours around your personal life and it won’t matter to anyone else but you.

10)              You can take or leave customers:  some are difficult, some expect too much, some are way too demanding, some seem needy, while others don’t respect that personal time you’ve set aside.

11)              You let others tell you what you should do:  Instead of what you love, what you are passionate about.

 

Don’t laugh!  OK, only those that can relate to any of these points (or maybe all of them) and have learned the hard way that they are NOT a recipe for success.

 

“We can't help everyone, but everyone can help someone.”
~ Ronald Reagan