Checks to Stay Balanced

Creating a usable, flawless and relevant service from nothing more than the power of imagination is both taxing and exhilirating. The rewarding emotions that come from such a process are second to none. Yet, no matter how exciting it is to develop something brand new, it is equally stressful realizing that the success of any fresh idea is in the hands of everyone but the creator.

Our services are slowly but surely coming along, but each time a step forward is made I must remind myself to pause and conduct checks against what we are doing to be sure that it's worthwhile. Examples of these checks include conducting online surveys, reading professional advice on blogs and studying the competitive landscape to exhaustion. No new idea is entirely original. There are variations or similarities and as soon as a new product or service is on the market, someone else will find it's flaws and do it better...potentially putting you out of business in the process.

That is why it is important to be thorough and not settle for anything but what you truly desire your product to be in the development phase. You'll waste dollars fixing it in the future if you don't, and by then it might be too late to fix. For online services, such as ours, consider developing multiple sites with similar themes and create a network of relevant sites that compliment one another. This will expand your reach, drive traffic numbers up and broaden the scope of information you can directly offer to users, while ultimately offering more to potential advertisers in the process. It's a simple formula, but not always easy to execute. This wild ride continues...

Week's Worth

It’s been a crazy week of transition for the company. Moving into the new office has put standard process and organization to the test, as we’ve been forced to stop working for phone companies, locksmiths, Internet connections and more. Luckily, things seem to be smoothing out now and I’ve been able to concentrate more on work.

Each day I continue to grow as an entrepreneur. I’m learning more about establishing my network of resources and tapping into the infinite amount of free information. Whether I am receiving advice from former colleagues, tapping into my circle of friends and family or scouring publications and websites for leads, I am seeing more and more that the business world can be understood and played to your advantage if you are willing to do the grunt work and dig-in; it’s a matter of always believing that what you seek is out there somewhere and at a price lower than the competition is paying, but only if you’re willing to work for it.

So where does the business stand today? The design and content for our website have been finalized. Our designer is busy putting together the site and our goal is to have it launched within 10-14 days (just in time for a happy holiday!). Product development continues, with site maps being sketched out and our information for our databases being compiled. We’re also in the process of screening other web developers for the more complex programming we’ll need to accomplish. Client research is also being done, as lists of potential leads has been established. We’re setting the stage so that once our site is up and our business cards are printed we’ll be ready to run. I can’t wait…

Move-in Day

The building is ready and this afternoon I settled in for the first time. My spacious new office area currently holds a desk, a chair and a fake plant, but the symbolism of this day is much more. This is the place that I have the opportunity to build my future from. While this entrepreneurial effort has been underway for over a month, putting a location to the business finally makes it a reality. Now with an internet connection, a skype account and a parking spot I am set to attack this challenge head on. If I was motivated before, I am twice as passionate now.

Speaking of Skype; is there any reason why I shouldn't be using this service to make my calls? I understand that it's not the ideal service because of restrictions with receiving calls and recording voice mail, but strictly from a dialing-out standpoint, Skype offers roughly 360 minutes of calling for $10. It's a steal compared to cell phone providers. Using my newly purchased Logitech wireless communication package ($40, regularly $130, Office Max on Black Friday) I plan to take advantage of this beneficial service.

One Last Day Relaxed

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day and our new office is officially ready for use. Internet and phone lines will be installed and ready and upon my return from celebrating the holiday with family, I will be spending my work days within the walls of a formal business setting.

It’s a bittersweet realization that my practices of working from home are coming to a close. Traditionally, no one would have such a luxury, unless they are self-employed. While I do consider myself an entrepreneur, I am still obligated to a business and the co-founder. This means that while I’d love to continue working from home, I must accept the fact that a 9-5 office is a more intuitive environment for our collaboration.

This does spark a debate on whether working from home is better or worse for efficiency and productivity. I must say, the flexibility it allows helped me maintain motivation and energy throughout the day. It made work a part of a more balanced routine, which ultimately contributed to a more relaxed and exciting atmosphere for creative thought and organization.

There are downfalls to working from home however; primarily the inaccessibility to your co-workers, a lack of a central location to have clients visit or hold meetings and non-related distractions that can interfere with accomplishing business tasks. If I were to recommend a perfect working scenario, I would choose a balance between home and office. These past few weeks have shown me that you can truly accomplish great things when given the flexibility to work from the environment of your choice.

An example: I am currently typing this post from a diner with a hot cup of coffee in front of me and a warm breakfast on its way. The majority of my friends and former colleagues are in cubicles right now. I’m going to miss this…

I need to start promoting this blog and recruit an audience. Happy Thanksgiving to anyone reading!

Kindling Ideas

You never know where you’ll be when an idea sparks. In a moment the right elements can come together to form your next ingenious thought. My first occurrence of this as an entrepreneur was years ago, in the lecture hall of my college public relations course. Maybe it was the day’s lesson or maybe just my daydreaming, but on that day I had the idea for a campus event that would bring free food and products to students while putting money in my pocket and promoting local business. Within six months I had secured the venue, the vendors and the marketing tactics to get “U Fest” off the ground. It was my first success as a self-creator, but certainly not my last.

Several weeks ago more kindling was ignited by a spark when I was looking up the hours of area coffee shops for my girlfriend. Since she is in her last year of school and needs quiet places to study, I decided to be nice and provide her with the information that she was always looking up or calling for. I won’t disclose what idea this situation gave birth to, but it is my favorite yet and our business is currently in the process of developing the service. I spent today writing a snapshot marketing plan, researching the competitive landscape and discovering potential clients.

The excitement that comes from a new idea gives me an adrenaline rush that I only imagine extreme atheletes feel. It's this thrill that keeps me driven to never rely on others for my success. To quote a favorite song lyric, "choose not the life of limitation". Your next idea just might lie in your surroundings or daily actions. Don't stop looking around.

Speed of Success

Over and over my generation is told that we grew-up in an era of entitlement. After our parents and grandparents struggled and labored to ensure that we were comfortable, more and more of us had everything we needed at an early age. We were setup to succeed and expected to. Yet, we were not always taught that before you can achieve success you must endure the pain of long hours, no social life, taxes, unfair wages and under appreciation. A lot of us just assumed we were going to climb the ladder quickly and collect our big check, so we could return to having fun and living the good life.

I'm guilty of this to some extent. I do expect success and have a hard time waiting for it. I want to be respected and wealthy now. It's not that I'm not willing to work for it, because I am, but it is knowing that it may take decades to achieve the same lifestyle I lived under my parents roof that I wasn't prepared for.

Now, as an entrepreneur, I am in a position to drive my own success at my pace, or so I thought. Having a business partner with a majority share means that most major decisions and all involving company funds must be approved. This leaves me at the will of my partner's approval process, which currently is moving very slowly. He has other businesses to run, has other employees and a family. I don't have a family to go home to or another job to focus on. This is my passion. I want to move this company to the top immediately and get frustrated with the stop and start nature of business.

I need to slow down. This is an opportunity that few ever have. I have fallen into a perfect scenario and need to appreciate that fact. While I want to move things along as quickly as possible, I also need to pause and check the quality of my work. It's important that I find ways to be more understanding of my partner's schedule and find ways to stay positive and occupied when waiting on next steps from him. Maybe it's the era of entitlement that has me in such a hurry. Maybe it's my confidence that this will work.

Early Riser

In high school, I was the kid that came to first hour and fell asleep in the back row. Then I would nap during my off hour. At night it was lights out around 1:30 AM, then being dragged out of bed by my parents at 6:30. Weekends meant I was up until 4:00 AM and out of bed by noon. It was the cycle I grew used to; I was a night owl.

This morning I was up at 6:00 AM and working from a local Dunn Brothers Coffee by 7:00. My previous job required me to be in the office by 8:45. You can imagine why 7:00 AM is a shock to the system for someone that isn't used to such insanity. Still, I just watched the sun illuminate the day and am wide awake. I have more done by 9:00 AM than ever before. It's a good feeling.

Without question, succeeding as an entrepreneur requires longer hours and dedication. Carpe diem rings more true for small businesses than anyone else. If your competition is working at 8:00 AM, then you'll need to be working at 7:00 to stay ahead. If they continue working until 8:00 PM, then you better be prepared to work until 9:00.