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Why Does it Have to Be So Hard?

I am very supportive of others. Tell me what you are trying to do and I will try to help. What information or resources I don’t have, I will try to find for you or at least point you in the right direction, find someone that can help you.  I am one of these people that find it very difficult to ask anyone to do anything for me, I am not a sales person, and I don’t push my opportunities or products on anyone. I share and try to show the value.  Often times that works.   What I don’t like is so many people that want you to get into business with them, you sign up,  make the purchase and they disappear.  There is little training and no support. On top of that when you share your business or anything you would like to have supported, people that you supported are MIA.

We have to learn how to support each other. Circulate the dollars and resources within. This is too much of an individualistic society. Who truly makes it alone? We have to help one another. It does not have to be huge chunk of money. We can help each other with referrals, office equipment or other needed supplies; we can donate different things that someone may need to operate their business. IF you have a great skill that may be of great benefit to someone do some bartering, something.

And when it comes to charity, it is just has hard. I have been trying to collect clothing for a local shelter for months. I got one person to donate clothing. Another organization I support sends shoes to Liberia. I have not gotten one pair of shoes. I am collecting for a local pregnancy org that helps teen and pregnant women, I have not received one can of formula or diapers…I know that times are difficult. I am struggling. But I share when I can. It does the heart good to help. Even if it is one pack of socks to a battered women shelter. One box of baby wipes to a pregnancy program, a couple cans of vegetables to a homeless shelter. I am finding just how difficult it is. I thought it would be a lot easier. You care, you Give. Maybe not? I don’t get it but I will not be discouraged. I will continue to do what I am supposed to do and donate when I can and educate and encourage others. You never know when you or someone you love may be in need.

Business-Wise:

I am in the process of offering evening and weekend childcare. Akron Ohio area.

• NightLight for Lil Angels Care~
  I would like to provide evening and weekend care for babies. Most mothers today have to return to work after 6 to 8 weeks. The days of staying home 3 months to a year or longer are over in today’s tight economy. This service would be helpful for those who work evenings/nights or who need a break for shopping, appointments on weekends or for a weekend get-a-way.

Donated clean, safe, working cribs, high chairs, play pins, strollers etc….would be very much appreciated.  I am trying to get started with “half “ a shoe string budget.

 Giving Efforts:

The Family That Gives

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thefamilythatgives.bbnow.org%2Findex.php&h=1855e

MillerCoors has announced it's 2010 Business Plan competition and the grand prize is $100,000

Check out this blog post from Dante Lee for further details.

http://www.dantelee.com/

I recently saw and commented on a discussion on facebook that was about advice one would give to an aspiring. There was only one responder and the very first thing they said was they would tell them to do what they are passionate about. For years I have heard this said to me and have even spewed this venomous rhetoric out myself. Yes I said it, I think starting a business based on your passion is a the worse decision you can make! As you may see or start to notice with my blogs, I’m not a negative Sue, no not by far, what I am is a thriving entrepreneur with big plans and ideas, and frustrated with the lack of honesty I see in blogs, and amongst business coaches. I’m the girlfriend that will support you in all you do, but if you start looking a hot mess and you’re not going anywhere, I’m the one who will tell you just that, the truth but always in love. Having started, succeeded and failed at businesses, I have made a vow that I will be honest about my journey and help others as I go along. I will become a student of entrepreneurship and respect it as it should, to not fling the word around without regard like work shoes but recognize it for the force it is to completely transform the very way we look at life. I’m not a guru (yet) but what I am is just like you. I’ve had some great successes in my business and I’ve even started a business that failed so fast I didn’t even get to officially launch it! I’m an accountant, small business consultant and entrepreneur. To be successful we must take the textbook fluff out and get down to real work and I’m committed to that. Now that I’ve gotten off my soap box, (I do feel better) the point of this article is to tell you why passion does not a successful business make.

I received an article in my email from Inc.com, the main topic was about digital footprint but in the margin was “Is your Passion turning your business into a Job” and I was confirmed, I’m not the only one who thinks this way! In summary, the article states that turning passion into a business can basically make you miserable. Instead, be passionate about the business you are in!

Quick example, I will use my bookkeeping business. I love bookkeeping and accounting, I love business; I am passionate about business and have a natural instinct for it. It’s something I know I will retire doing. When I first started bookkeeping, I started consulting and bookkeeping and doing accounting all because I was good at it and I loved it! Then I realized that I was the business, I was all over the place and although I managed to replace my corporate salary, I wasn’t really going anywhere. I started to loath it, get annoyed when clients called me ten times a day, hated the fact that I couldn’t take a vacation because there was no one to do the work or answer the calls the way my clients were accustomed to. I had created a job that I started to hate. I soon realized that even if I hired employees, what my clients wanted was ME, they bought ME, my passion, my drive, my knowledge. I realized that I didn’t want another job; I wanted freedom so I basically closed that accounting business, which bore my surname, and created another one that has no glimpse of my name anywhere. I found scope with my new business and am working on a model for my business, a process that is independent of me where I can hire anyone with a bookkeeping background to provide the same level of service I would myself. Now my business is about the overall vision and process and systems that I put into place that in which I am passionate about. I’m respecting what entrepreneurship truly is, it’s about innovation, growth and systems, not about hobbies.

What I say to you?

1. Be Honest about your Ultimate Goal. If you really love making shea body butters, great, keep doing it! If you love selling it, that’s even better, but be real about your overall goal. Do you just want to have some extra pocket change? Do you want to be self-employed and simply replace your full-time job with this job? Or do you want to be among the ranks of Lisa Price or Nadine Thompson, or Dawn Fitch of Pooka and have a thriving business that is bigger than you? Think long and hard about this one b/c this will set the course. Self-employed and Entrepreneur are NOT synonyms.

2. Learn about business. You know what you do, so learn about "business". If you are still undecided, seek the counsel of books, articles, networking sites, etc on the subject of starting a business. Sites like Bnet.com, Inc.com, Black enterprise.com and Michael Gerber’s E-myth revisited, are great places to start. Notice I didn’t say go to your local SCORE? No, I’m not saying there is anything wrong with SCORE, I think it’s an awesome tool for aspiring entrepreneurs. What I’m saying is don’t let that be your first and only stop. Research. Research. Research

3. Don’t go at it alone. Find you a coach, a model or depending on your business, consider a partner. Why? If you decided you want this business to be one that stands on its own feet without you, you’re talking about systems and processes. Having someone to help you with this is very important. Whether it’s your husband, a close confident you trust, a business coach, or a partner.

In a nutshell, doing what you are passionate about is a great thing, but be honest about what the ultimate goal is when doing so. Not everyone wants to be an entrepreneur and it’s ok, some of you will read this and go “I know people who have turned hobbies into thriving businesses and do well” I agree with you, what I’m saying is just be honest about your ultimate goal. You want to avoid being burnt out or eventually loathing the very thing you used to love so much!

Be Empowered…

Katrina