Don't be fooled... It's not all photo shoots and fancy lights!
One of the biggest reasons for paralysis that many people have when it comes to starting their side hustle, or creating that dream biz, is that they think it has to be perfect.
This perfectionism creates procrastination, and instead of just STARTING, just taking one small step toward their goal, they stay stuck. They continue talking about this big plan they have, or worse--complaining about their current situation--but they never actually do anything to change it because of their fear of not being good enough, smart enough, etc.
The frustrating thing is that this misconception about entrepreneurs having their shit together from the get-go could NOT be further from the truth.
Have you found yourself saying any of the following?
“But I don’t have an office/a warehouse/capital for inventory…"
“But I don’t know how to build a website…"
“But I can’t afford to hire employees…"
“But I don’t know anything about marketing…"
“But I have to hire a photographer and I can’t afford one yet…"
First things first. If you have a computer, you have an office. Congrats and welcome to 2016!
Fortunately for the technically inept, one of the benefits of living in this day and age is that there are sooo many DIY options for creating a website, or an online presence. From Wordpress, to Squarespace, to Shopify, you can literally have a store front or blog up within hours.
And with social media apps abound, often people can find ways to market their services, and even make sales WITHOUT a site.
So I’m sorry to bust your bubble, but this excuse is null and void.
What if you’re worried that your site will look ghetto because you don’t have the resources to hire a professional photographer? Got you covered. Lucky for you, there are now countless sites for accessing stock photos to supply your site, your social accounts, etc. Stocksnap.io and Pexels.com are just two that come to mind.
The truth though, is that even your iPhone can produce internet-worthy snaps.
Let me prove it.
With the growing trend of people selling on amazon, I was invited recently to help a friend out by modeling for some photos that he needed for his new amazon product listing. His product samples were in, and he needed someone with a halfway decent face to pose with the products in a variety of ways.
In exchange for a free meal, I stood outside his home, in front of a white sheet and channeled my inner Chrissy Teigen (or my inner catalogue model…this is amazon after all).
The neighbors looked at us like we were crazy, as my friend swirled around me snapping pics with his iPhone. A few feet away, another friend fanned my feet with a broom to help fight off mosquitos as I dabbed drops of sweat from my forehead. It was 90 degrees outside with 80% humidity. Ah, the glamour.
Really, there was nothing “professional” or “sexy” about the scene. It was just as ghetto as it sounds.
But it was fun! And the truth is, with a little photoshopping, the pictures will look more than legit enough to bring in a few extra grand of passive monthly income for my friend.
Being an entrepreneur is SCRAPPY sometimes, but that’s the reality of it. Sometimes you work so long you forget to eat, sometimes you’re answering client emails with no pants on, sometimes you literally don’t even know how you just got paid to do what you do, but because you have that fire in you, you keep going.
Here’s another example. 3 years ago, I launched an commerce store selling watersports equipment. I remember the first time I got a sale, it was 12 a.m. Asia-time (where I was living at the time) and I was sitting in my bed wearing PJs and there’s a good chance I hadn’t showered in two days. (We call that "hustle mode").
When the notification came in, I ran into my roommate’s room screaming and pointing to my computer.
“NOW WHAT?!” I said. "Someone gave me money!"
He looked up at me from his bed, “Fulfill their order?"
He, as you can tell, was an experienced entrepreneur.
“OH RIGHT!!”
I ran back into my room, my heart pounding. This shit works! I thought. I snapped a selfie to document the ridiculousness of what being a real life business owner looked like (see below).
Making that dough.
And then I fulfilled my first ever order.
The point is that most people don’t know what they’re doing until they start. You learn along the way, you get better at copywriting, sales, website design, and knowing your customers' wants through experience.
Since done is so much better than perfect, and we’ve shown that so many excuses we have for not starting now are just BS, then there’s really nothing left to hold you back.
If you’ve ever wanted to create a side business, or increase your number of revenue streams through entrepreneurial endeavors, there’s never been a better time. There’s literally countless courses and services to support you.
Being an entrepreneur is messy, and the reality is that most people are faking it until they make it. So start now. Make mistakes. Fail fast.
Find people [like me] who can support you, who can help to give you the resources you need and who can hold you accountable for your goals and ambitions.
Here are some great resources to help get you up and running quickly:
- $100 Startup - Chris Guillebeau
- 7-day Startup - Dan Norris
- How to Build a Lifestyle Business with Anton Kraly - The Bold Life Movement Podcast, Episode 007