This is the second post in the 5 part Future Builder series. If you missed the post that started everything, you should check it out first. Oh yeah, Howdy to all you new folks coming over from Blogcast FM! It’s great to have you here.
photo credit: Alex E. Proimos
There’s been a lot of extremely inspiring stories lately about folks who’ve gone from having nothing to being reasonably successful very fast.
Have you noticed?
It almost seem like they achieved their goals overnight. Of course we now that’s not true, but 1 year to go from a nobody to the talk of the town (or particular internet sphere) is damn close to being overnight to most people. Especially to anyone making a go being an online entrepreneur.
Personally, I love reading theses stories. They’re stories of struggle, determination, and success. We can all relate to them on some level, right? We get to hear what worked and didn’t work and the strategies that’ve carried them to their success so far.
I’ve noticed 2 commonalities in most of these stories. One I think is completely spot on, but I disagree with the other. Not totally, I just don’t think it’s been explored in a way that relates to most folks who actually have a family to care for.
How To Build Your Future
When you plan a family trip you don’t just get in the car and drive in a random direction assuming you’ll get to your destination. Maybe you do – could be fun, right? Yeah, I don’t think so. You plan your course or you program your handy dandy GPS toy to get you there. Either way, you don’t leave the driveway without a plan.
Your business should be no different.
For some reason, when it comes to building an online business, folks throw planning out the window. Maybe it’s because it’s supposed to be so easy to get started. Maybe it’s because there’s relatively no startup cost. Maybe it’s because everything else in your busy life requires so much planning that you just want to be a part of something exciting and hopeful that doesn’t require you to think about another stupid plan.
Or maybe you think you’re going to attract your business success and the universe is going to reward you for your hard work and positive thinking.
*SLAP* – Yep, I just slapped you. It wasn’t even a manly slap. (does that exist?)
It’s up to YOU to figure out how to succeed in your entrepreneurial dreams. Wanting it badly enough won’t magically make anything happen. Working for hours and hours with no direction won’t lead you anywhere. YOU have to transfer your dream from thought to reality. If you’re seriously working to build a business that will create a better future for your family, don’t let your work be in vain – make a plan.
For a business to succeed longterm it must have a business plan. Without a plan, it’s not a business. It’s a hobby.
Making your business plan isn’t something to get hung up on. It doesn’t have to be some crazy detailed document that you’d take to the bank to get a loan. If this is something that seems overwhelming to you, simply write down a few bullet points of where you want your business to go and at least two actionable steps you will take now to achieve them.
It’s not exactly the best business plan in the world, but it’s a plan. As you start reaching these goals you’ll start to add more to your plan. It’ll get bigger and more detailed as your vision becomes clearer.
The key here is not be flying blind.
This is the part where I say those A-Listers are wrong
Ok. It’s time to ruffle some feathers. The weird thing is that while I disagree with this, I also believe it to be true and I even endorse it. How’s that for contradicting advice?
I’m talking about destroying any sort of Plan B. We’ve heard it from many people that the only way to ensure you succeed is to not have a back up plan if it falls short.
While I actually agree with this, I don’t think it’s the right choice for anyone who has a family to support. I noticed that most, not all, but most that’ve adopted this method don’t have anyone depending on them for survival.
As a parent, I don’t even thinks it’s possible to wrap your head around not having some sort of emergency plan to take of your family. Your brain changes the second you become a parent. It’s strange, but in a glorious way.
I think we can all agree on that.
Trust me, I hate saying something like “it’s not responsible” (ugh, I feel like my parents just from typing that), but you have a responsibility to take care of your family. And if your plan A goes down in flames and you MUST have a way to support them.
Here’s the part where I contradict myself and say all those A-Listers are right
Here’s the deal with having a plan B. As someone who has a family to raise and care for, I absolutely believe you need to have some sort of backup in case things go south. It’s not just smart – it’s being a good parent and spouse.
I don’t think it should be a detailed emergency plan though. I don’t think it should be planned out at all. Nothing more than, “Ok, worst case is I can always do ___ for a while”. That’s it.
The more you think about the Plan B, the more it becomes acceptable in your mind. In fact, you should think of Plan B as prison.
Why prison? Prison is better than death, but it has just as much appeal. There’s no returning from death. Prison you break out of and have *uhum* conjugal visits.
You’re going to make plan A work because it must work. Prison is not an alternative.
So what do you think?
Have you been working at your business without a plan or clear direction?
Has your acceptance of Plan B held you back in the past?
Please share your story in the comments.
PS> I’ve got something really spiffy coming in the next week. Actually, it’s the biggest thing I’ve ever created. If you’re interested in turning your business idea into an actual money making business while still managing your family, this is for you. Naturally, like any smart marketer I’m going to do a pre-launch at some ridiculously low price for folks that really want to build their future. If that’s sounds like you, you’ll want to be on this early bird discount list.
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
I completely agree. My perspective is that one needs two things before even considering going into business:
1. A market, and
2. an angle.
By angle, I mean some way of making sure the rent and bills get paid while your building success. Gary V is often used a an example in this space, having created a multi-million dollar business. His angle was taking an existing 6-7 figure business into 8 figures.
The advice he gives (usually ignored, people only focus on the millions) is that it’s possible to take your business into the $50-70k range with a lot of hard work and dedication… as a sideline to what one is already doing.
.-= Dave Doolin´s last blog ..Think in Stories to Write Better =-.
Twitter: @AndyFogarty
Hey Dave! Nice to see you around here
Those are two very good points. So many people overlook these when starting their online adventure. For some reason when the “online” is placed before “business” the definition of a business seems to change.
Thanks for stopping by Dave. Looking forward to seeing you around.
I totally agree and for the most part when folks talk about tossing Plan B, I tend to tune them out. I have a wife and 2 kids that depend on me for support. I can’t just quit my job and start something new on a whim. At the same time, I know we wouldn’t be totally screwed even if I did. We may lose our house and it would get uncomfortable, but eventually we’d figure something out.
I’ve had a notion to building my own business for a few years now, but only lately have I really determined it is the best thing long-term for me and my family. I haven’t exactly laid it out in writing yet, but I know what I want to happen. My big issue is I like to see quick, tangible results, so thinking long-term is really hard. I think if I break it down into shorter-term goals/actions it will help me follow through.
Twitter: @AndyFogarty
Keven, the fastest way to start seeing those quick tangible results is to get started
Have you checked out the How To Focus workbook in the Action Library yet? It’ll really help you map out a simple plan of attack to start achieving smaller goals. They start to add up pretty fast and before you know it, you’ve got a rock’n business.
Hey Andy,
you got to the point as usual. Don’t start something without knowing where you wanna end (my upcoming post is right about that!). “Begin with the end in mind”, Stephen Covey’s first habit.
And I really appreciate your POV. We who have to take care for a family, have to think different. But not less effective!
Thanx and keep on rockin’!
Twitter: @AndyFogarty
“We who have to take care for a family, have to think different. But not less effective!” SPOT ON!
I’m looking forward to that post you’ve got coming
The first time a tightrope walker is “learning” a new height they have a safety net, to not do so would be ludicrous. Of course once the skill is mastered they might remove it, so if you have launched 100 companies or ventures successfully first then go ahead and blow up the back-up plan, although if you have that much success I am guessing there are plenty of green back-up plans in the bank already…
Twitter: @AndyFogarty
Thanks for stopping by Damian!
Your absolutely right. Once you have a few successes under your belt it becomes much easier to dive into new ventures head first. It’s not a guarantee that everything is going to work, but the stress level isn’t there.
Hey Andy,
interesting post. It got me thinking.
I don’t have a family like you that I have to support, so my take comes from a different direction.
I vividly remember Will Smith’s take on this:
There’s no plan B because it distracts from plan A.
Lol, it hid and never left me.
I believe that focusing your entire energies on your business is the way to go. Of course you should have a (basic) plan. Working your soul off with no clear sense of direction is useless. But knowing that you have to find a way to succeed is very exciting – your survival instincts kick-in.
People do remarkable things when they HAVE to perform.
.-= Mars Dorian´s last blog ..21 Killer Ways to Spread Your Influence Online =-.