Do we…
Work in a job we don’t like
To buy things we don’t need
To impress people we don’t like
?
To be really happy we need to ensure one sub optimal arrangement doesn’t feed another. This holds true if we run our own business or hire our time out to a company (have a job).
Before enlightenment:
Chop wood. Carry water.
After enlightenment:
Chop wood. Carry water.
Via Amy Campion.
Would you get up tomorrow and continue doing what you are doing today?
A question worth asking. It helps us understand if we’re truly passionate about our start up, projects or career.
When we can answer “Yes” – we know we’re on the right track.
After a few wins in a start up – one buddy emailed this image to another buddy with the obvious inference that he was “On Fire”
It didn’t cost anything. It only took a tiny effort, but it helped both buddies stay pumped and work harder on their start ups.
Here’s a tale of two cafés. Both are within walking distance of the startup blog office. After a while I noticed a few things changing in my favourite of the two. The decore, the Barista and eventually the clientele all changed.
Coffee is personal. The caffeine, hot steamed milk and the chocolate sprinkles are only part of the experience.
So I moved to the café up the road. I’d even walk past the other café to get my ‘new’ caffeine haunt. It was pretty obvious that the first café had lost its cache and customers along the way. I still trades, but not nearly as well.
Then I discovered the owner actually sold about the time everything started to change. The new owners put their spin on things, tried to improve it…. fully leverage the ‘goodwill’ they purchased. Seems the opposite has occurred.
And so it is with restaurants and cafés alike.
The owner is the goodwill.
People buy coffee from her. Her greeting, her skill, the ambiance she created. It can’t be passed on. It can’t be bought from a sole trader.Exceptions such as coca cola, big macs and starbucks grande lattes are already replicated thousands of times…
When buying a business from a sole trader – Goodwill? – No such thing.
Did you build the website? Yes
Did you build your blog? Yes
Did you design the property development? Yes
Did you renovate your house? Yes
Did you launch the product? Yes
Did you manufacture the product yourself? Yes.
Did you landscape your own garden? Yes.
Did you make that advertisement? Yes
Did you self finance the business? Yes
Yes you did all these things, and more, every bit of them. You orgnaised the project, you had the idea, you got the finance from the bank, you conceived it and you made it happen. Never mind if the advertising agency made the creative, the PHP programmer coded your website or the bricklayer built the house.
You did it with your mind, your management skills and your ability to execute the project. None of it would have even started without you.
So whenever anyone asks if you did it? You say “Yes”.
Listening to my itunes while working away the Sultans of Swing by Dire Straights starts playing… some lyrics struck a chord. (as always, pun intended)
“… and Harry doesn’t mind if he doesn’t… make the scene….
He’s got a day time job, he’s doin’ alright.”
Feel free to comment.