Re: Well, some bad news
Starting a business can be very daunting.
Sometimes, though, once you're out of that old frying pan and looking around you at all that lovely fire, you can get to realizing that as bad as things are, there's always worse, and sometime getting yourself out from under a large scale working culture can be just the ticket.
You'll always have a boss, either yourself, whom you can never bullsh*t; or the customer, who's often far from being the proverbial 'always right', and can be just irrational enough to give you Olympic Class nightmares.
Stick to what you're actually reliably good at, and do that, and only that, until the monotony drives you to do something different and/or additional or self destruct in place.
When enough customers ask you about doing a certain thing, pay attention to that lightbulb that flashes and allows insight. Resist change with utmost passion; premature diversification is what nails the coffin lid down on new, small enterprise.
Small businesses start best as sidelines.
When you're already working at something that can put the meat on the table fairly regular-like is when you can afford those small expenditures that bring an avocation along to where it can support a true vocation. Resist the temptation to splurge on the bast implements. If it will work, and won't desert you in mid contract, its good enough. If you're not sure about that second part, you can't afford this one; and need to wait until funds are more available, and more reliable gear flows past your nose. The cool stuff can wait until your bottom line flat out insists/demands you can/must better afford it. If the acquisition isn't based on what's absolutely required to support an existing need, it's frivolous and self destructive to heed that salesman's siren song.
Acquaint yourself with the concept of a business plan. Whether or not you're in the market for outside funding, following the business plan process will tell you whether you have an even chance of success. If a banker can demand one of you, the very least you can do on your own behalf is to answer the same questions for yourself, with the same objectively critical eye.
Do not allow yourself to think you can afford to sacrifice your own obligations to yourself and your loved ones. Do not kid yourself into thinking the scales can be balanced at some later, indefinate date. The first thing that goes on your schedule is recuperation for yourself, and definite, distinct and generous time for family. All else revolves around that, and if something has to be sacrificed, that part gets sacrificed just before the water comes over the gunwales. Otherwise, all your doing is trading one sucky situation for a worse one. If you can't get this part right, you're probably a hopeless masochist; and don't deserve success. Why the hell else would anyone take the risks involved, anyway?
Greg
Greg
