A Lifetime of microBusiness

Trying to get my digital assets in order...

 

The contents of this blog are being moved to Rediscovering What Works, located here.

I'll still be posting on microBusiness topics, content, marketing and copywriting. 

Thank you!

 

feeling at a disadvantage because you're an introvert?

Back in the day, when I was building my commercial writing business, I used direct mail to do it. Partly, because I was very good at it--I could count on new business with every mailing--and partly because I dreaded the alternatives. The alternatives were networking (the face-to-face kind), cold calling on the phone (which is still recommended by many "gurus" today), and door-to-door sales calls. I always felt I was more convincing writing to people than I was in person.

For years I felt guilty over the dread I felt with regard to cold calling. I was an introvert. I'm STILL an introvert. That's not to say that I don't like nice people. I do! And I can hold up my end of the conversation if the talk has a modicum of substance. I'm certainly not agoraphobic. I love to go out on the town to see a movie, have dinner, etc., etc., but I’d rather it be just me and my wife or my two sons, rather than a large group of miss-matched individuals, each with his own agenda. And in the athletic realm, I tend to shun team sports. I used to be a runner—that’s pretty much a solo sport—and now, I’m a long distance cyclist. I’m often asked, ‘who do you ride with?’ My answer: mostly by myself.

In my business I truly enjoy intelligent collaboration with other marketing professionals, but honestly, that rarely occurs. More often meetings are attended by an assortment of uninformed participants, sometimes disillusioned corporate drones, and we all become enlightened by a honcho who dictates his prescription for ultimate success. Hmmm, possibly an extrovert.

For years I felt like my introversion was a character flaw, an opinion reinforced by many dear to me. Well, it’s NOT a character flaw. It’s just who I am. I’m a good person. I’m thoughtful. I’m helpful, and I enjoy doing good work. I’m comfortable in my own skin. And I’m not afraid to reside in my own space—alone. There’s nothing wrong with being an introvert.

Yesterday, I came across an audio file by Marcia Yudkin, a successful writer and marketing expert, that I enjoyed very much. On it she talks about being an introvert, while still being an effective marketer. Yes, it’s quite possible—admittedly more so today, than it was before the age of the digital magic that we currently enjoy. If you’re an introvert, download Marcia’s audio file, it's free. And remember: it’s not a weakness, learn to play to your strengths and personality, and be comfortable in your own skin. History contains many highly successful introverts. If you’re an extrovert, have a listen anyway. You’re sure to learn some interesting things about introverts that you’ll find useful. 

microBusiness startups: do you believe in you?

It seems there are three types of people who have been confronted by the idea of starting a microBusiness.

1. There’s the type that has no fear, gets excited about the idea of self-employment, and wants to jump in with both feet, often times without thinking it through.

2. There’s the type that says, that sounds feasible, I’d like to give it try. But I like my paycheck so I think I’ll keep my day job. I’ll experiment with the idea to see if it will work for me, and if it doesn’t I won’t have risked too much.

3. Then there’s the type that says, no that’ll never work, or I could never start my own business, or that’s way too risky for me.

Of course there are variations of these three types, but this sums up fairly well the range of mindsets that ponder the idea of self-employment or starting a new business.
 
So, where is your head?
What do you believe about business and your ability to start one and make it succeed? People from each of these three categories have successfully started microBusinesses--even the pessimistic number three. And many from category one--who have so much energy and optimism that they burn the business candle at both ends--have started businesses, and surprisingly many have failed miserably. Does that mean that category number two has the correct mindset for microBusiness success? (To me, number two sounds a little timid, and way too tentative.)

Well, what’s the answer?
Or more to the point, what’s the question? The question was, do you believe in you? Are you smart enough? Are you disciplined enough? Are you bold enough to start a business of your own? You need to possess certain attributes in order to be a success in a microBusiness, and they have nothing to do with big money, education, or influential friends.

First, you have to really WANT to have a business of your own. If you’re on the fence about it, or if you’re not sure you want to give it your all, you’re wasting your time and heading for frustration. You must be prepared to give it your best work.

You need to have enough confidence in yourself to get through the difficult startup stage. It’s tough in the beginning. You’ll have doubts that you’ll have to overcome. You’ll encounter naysayers who can derail you if you let them. Don’t let them.

You need to show up. And by that I mean you can’t be an absentee owner, especially in the beginning. Don't expect to have a fruitful business if you give it only occasional attention, water it three times a week like a tomato plant, and expect it to grow while you’re preoccupied with other things.

If you have to be “sold” over and over again, on the idea of starting your own business (by someone like me), you probably shouldn’t start one. It’s just not in your heart. Be honest with yourself.

Do you know who you want to be when you grow up? Can you visualize what your business will look like a year from now? Three years? Five years? Our economy has imploded. Every day we must dodge economic shapnel. We're living a fragile existence. Our future may look a whole lot different than any of us can predict, but we still need to have vision. And a plan.

It may not require much money to launch your microBusiness idea, and there may not be a huge risk at stake, but the paradox is it requires an enormous amount of confidence to begin even a tiny microBusiness. You should have a good understanding of who you are, where you want to go, and what you will become. And you must believe in yourself. Thank you for your time.

I invite your comments!

Related Stories: 
Starting a Design Studio In a Downturn, Part 1: Taking Leaps
11 Things You'll Need...

are microBusiness people entrepreneurs?

Does it matter? Maybe not, except for the fact that entrepreneurs are often thought of as rich, adventurous icons of the modern business world, and microBusinesses are to a great extent ignored. This leaves many micros with a small opinion of themselves, and that’s not the way to grow a successful business.

To many, the entrepreneur is a larger-than-life character of mythic proportions, who conceives of billion dollar ideas, wields influence over important people, and has mastered the art of acquiring venture capital. This, of course, is not the true definition of an entrepreneur.

I have interviewed many microBusiness people over the years, and I have discovered that many of them don’t think of themselves as entrepreneurs. This is especially true of soloists--the smallest of the small--and the micros who were once corporate people, but for various reasons have been forced to find a more organic way to make a living.

Webster’s defines entrepreneur as...
 “A person who organizes and manages a business undertaking, assuming the risk for the sake of the profit.”

Entrepreneurs are willing to take a chance in the marketplace

My own (overly simplified) definition of an entrepreneur is this: "a person with a good business idea who is courageous enough to go out on her own--against all odds--to try to make it a reality."

That idea could be as complex as producing a documentary on the recent discoveries from the ancient Mayan culture, or conversely, it could be an idea for creating a shoeshine business at the airport. The entrepreneur believes her business is viable, and wants to create this business so badly that self-financing is not only acceptable; it’s often the only source of start-up capital. An entrepreneur is not afraid to put her own money on the line. Does this sound like you?

Entrepreneurs often have the strong desire to create

On-the-job-training is often a key component of the entrepreneurial start-up. Virtually every entrepreneurial endeavor requires someone to start with the kernel of an idea, having limited knowledge of what lies ahead, and through the process of learning-by-doing, create something from nothing. Does that sound like you?

It’s your turn to be a larger-than-life character.

microBusiness owners are indeed entrepreneurs, and they wear an impressive array of hats. They're idea people, they're creators, they're risk-takers, they're financiers, they're managers, and they're the backbone and spirit of innovation that keeps America rolling. Our current economic crisis will give birth to thousands of new microBusinesses. And these entrepreneurs will play an important part in getting our economy back on track.

So, don’t let a recession postpone your dream creation. Now is the best time to begin. It's your turn to be the larger-than-life character of mythic proportions who wields influence over important people. And as a microBusiness creator that's the team you're joining.

“until one is committed there is hesitancy

I have kept this quotation from W.H. Murray in my desk drawer for decades. I re-read it every time I find myself hesitating in my own microBusiness.

“…until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way. I have learned a deep respect for one of Goethe's couplets:
     Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it.
     Boldness has genius, power and magic in it!”

-- W.H. Murray

soniei, an artist and a microBusiness?

Many artists, I have discovered, don’t like the word “business” and despise the word “marketing”. Several years ago I was at a dinner party chatting with the host’s sister who had brought with her an exquisite water color she had painted. It had a price label in the lower left corner. I love original art, and so I complimented her work and, after a moment, asked how she went about marketing herself. Ooops! Bad word. Bad question. I was summarily dismissed as being totally unaware of what real art was all about. Then she snapped, “If I wanted to be a marketer” I’d have gone to business school. I’m an artist, my work speaks for itself.” She then walked off in a huff. So, I took the high road, I poured myself another glass of wine and stuffed a cheese ball in my mouth.

Can art and a microBusiness coexist?
Do you create exclusively for your own enjoyment, or is your art also your livelihood? If selling your art is necessary to your nourishment and shelter, then you have a whole lot more going on than just creating art. You need to create and sell; and so you’ve been forced to augment your artistic talents with a substantial measure of business sense. Undoubtedly, you’ve established a marketing plan. You’re involved with supply and demand, you network and you know your market, you know what sells, and you create “product” (sorry) to satisfy that market. You’ve got a bank account, and you understand the fundamentals of accounting. Sometimes you eat lobster. Sometimes you eat beans.

If this sounds like you, my friend, you are a microBusiness.

Meet Soniei
Soniei, (pronounced sO.nE.A) is an up and coming artist from Halifax, Nova Scotia. I met her on Twitter. I looked at her website, which in turn led me to her blog, and then her store. Soniei’s work is beautiful, and as it turns out, she's not opposed to business, or marketing. We started a conversation.

L. Are you a microBusiness?
S. I have never used the term microBusiness, because I had never heard of it before I read your post, but [now] I definitely consider myself a microBusiness. Reading your definition, especially under the lifestyle heading, is like reading my personality profile! 

L. Tell me a little about your business.
S. I call my business Soniei’s Contemporary Art, and I sell original paintings only--no prints, not yet anyway--primarily on eBay. I wear many hats, and I work solo with occasional computer help from my boyfriend.

L. Is this your dream business?
S. This is definitely my dream business. I get to do what I love. I loved sketching and painting since I was a child. I did it every chance I had, for free! Now I get to do it and make a little money. I pretty much get to do what I want to do when it feels right to do it. I can grow my business at my own pace.

L. Tell me a little about how you got your start.
S. I just turned 29 in September. I started working on this business when I was 24 years old.  However, I only became a registered small Canadian business in 2006. It took me two years just to learn how to start a small business.

I didn’t have any knowledge or training in owning a business at all. I was working full-time at the local Hospital and in my free time I was reading everything I could on how to run a home-based business. This journey all started with me reading a book called Canadian Small Business Kit for Dummies. It showed me the steps I needed to take in registering my business. I opened a business account at my bank, got a P.O. Box address for Soniei’s Contemporary Art, got my [sales tax] account set up, and started selling my paintings on eBay full-time, from home, starting in February 2006.  I’ve been selling paintings primarily on eBay ever since.

When I started working on my business, I craved control over my schedule. I also wanted control on what projects I would work on and when I would work on them. I grow my business when it feels right to do so. I wake up every morning, and I decide what goes on my to-do list. It’s a kind of freedom I couldn’t get at my previous jobs.

L. Is Soniei’s Contemporary Art your only source of income?
S. I paint full-time; sometimes I work 12-16 hours a day. This is the only way I make my living so that’s why I work long hours. At the moment, due to the weakened economy, if I didn’t work so much I wouldn’t be able to pay my rent and student loans. I’m not complaining though. I’d rather work 112 hours a week at a job that I love than work 40 hours a week at a job that I’m not passionate about.

L. How do you market your business?
S. For any artist, I believe that eBay is one way to start selling paintings online. Any artist can show her art on eBay and get instant exposure to millions of buyers. Also, my boyfriend, Peter Cyr (who’s a programmer) updated my website this summer to incorporate things like my blog, my eBay store, twitter.com, ustream.tv, and facebook.com. I also joined Flickr.com and FineArtRegistry.com to show some of my favorite paintings. I’m putting myself out there [more]. I used to rely on eBay to show my art to potential buyers. Since the economy has taken a dip, it was time for me to learn a few things about marketing. I’m only just beginning, but I’m having great fun meeting new people!

L. What’s the biggest challenge in running your business?
S. Juggling the large amount of time I need to work to pay my bills [while] trying to find time for my friends. It’s a lot of hard work and it takes time and patience. Most of my male friends, and none of my female friends, have owned their own business. I felt like they didn’t quite [understand] how much work it really takes to run a business, especially in the beginning. So, right now I can’t be there for all of my friends all the time. This has been the greatest challenge and sacrifice.

L. What gives you the drive to keep working in your business even when things get difficult?
S. One word, passion, is what keeps me going when things get difficult. I believe that without passion, I would have quit my job this summer due to the weakened economy. I have two degrees, and I could find a job that pays me more than what I make now in half the time. Also, I believe that patience has such an important role in the success of a business. Sometimes it can take years just to make a decent income. Rome wasn’t built in a day. My boyfriend is 100% supportive of my dream. I think it makes it much easier when there’s at least one person who believes in you unconditionally.

L. Where do you see yourself in 3 to 5 years or beyond?
S. I don’t know if I’ll be an artist, or only an artist, for the rest of my life. I certainly enjoy it very much now and I don’t want to do anything other than what I’m doing at this moment. However, I never know what opportunities will find me and what opportunities I will want to grab. I have a feeling that I will be self-employed for the greater part of my life, if not always, because I am grateful for the freedom it brings me. So, my only hopes and dreams for success for the rest of my life are to be as free and happy as I am now. I can’t imagine another job giving me the freedom and the passion I’ve enjoyed in the past couple of years.

Final note: microBusinesses keep more people working than any other industry. Soniei is an artist, a soloist, and a microBusiness. She’s done her homework. She has a plan, and she’s working her plan. Is it difficult? Sometimes it’s very difficult, but she’s determined to make it work and to live her dream. Please take a look at Soniei’s work today, and consider offering your support to another hardworking microBusiness owner.

I'd love to hear your comments! Please feel free to post a comment here or let’s talk on Twitter or Plurk.

11 things you'll need, to own a sustainable microBusiness

I'll admit it, this is certainly not a comprehensive list, but it does represent some important fundamentals.

1. A good business idea. Basic enough, but will your idea work? Have you written a biz plan? Do you know where you want to go, and how you plan to get there?

2. Enough talent to carry it out. Do you have the stuff to do what you'll do? Only you know the answer to that. (I’ll be writing on this topic soon, so stay tuned!) You can’t go into the marketplace trying to fool the people.The people are smart—and they recognize integrity and a good idea.

3. A marketplace. You’ll need a niche--people to buy your stuff. Identify it in your business plan.

4. A marketing plan. The marketing channels available to entrepreneurs today are seemingly endless. Which are the right ones for your business? How will you reach your niche market. You must continually reevaluate your answer.

5. Common sense. Make sure you idea is based on sound research, not a flight of fancy. Have a financial cushion going in; it may take awhile to generate revenue. Keep expenses under control. Pay yourself as little as you can to get by, until your biz has proven itself--after that, remain thrifty. Listen to your gut. Stay focused. Don't spread your talents too thin.
 
6. Enough money. Many microBusinesses can be started with little operating capital. Can yours? If not, where will you find the money to buy equipment, inventory, raw materials, and services? Can you get a loan, use credit cards (that’s expensive!)? Can you borrow from family, your life insurance policy, or your home equity? Perhaps you can get start-up capital from a microlender like Kiva or Accion USA.  Maybe you can continue to work at your current job until your business starts making money – not an attractive scenario perhaps, but one that has worked for many microBusiness owners. Bottom-line: to sustain your mBiz, you've got to start it on a reasonable financial platform, otherwise you're fighting an uphill battle right from the start.

7. Support of your family. Yes, you'll need their support, because it’s tough enough to run your own mBiz, without having to continually convince your spouse, or significant other that you’re doing the right thing. You need your loved ones on your team.

8. A jar by your door. (To put your ego in.) You’ve wanted to be the captain of your own ship. You’ve dreamt of the lifestyle that a microBusiness can bring. Now you’re the boss! While a well-planned microBusiness can bring money, autonomy, and a healthy measure of freedom into your life, remember this: If your ego leads, you will fall behind—it can cloud your thinking. Customers aren’t much interested in you personally. They’re interested in what you can deliver to make their lives easier or better.

9. Control of your fear. Everyone’s fearful in the beginning. After all, there’s a lot riding on this. But you’ve got to manage your fear. If you don’t you’ll be making knee-jerk decisions that will almost always be wrong. Keep a cool head, even when things get dicey (and they will). You’ll be much less likely to get tripped up.
 
10. Passion. (And this is a biggy.) A microBusiness is mostly just you. You may have some helpers or a small staff, but basically most micros run off the fortitude of the idea person, the entrepreneur. To maintain that fortitude throughout the years and throughout the difficult times, you’ll need passion for your idea, and passion to make your customers happy. It’s the fuel that will keep your ideas energized and your business moving forward.
 
11. Innovation. Innovation is a BIG buzz word in corporate America. But it falls into the same category as "customer service" in that, they all think they have it, but seldom do. The most innovative companies in the world are microBusinesses. They're small, nimble, and can implement change instantly. For example, you’ll need to be aware of market changes, new products, competitive forces, and be able to adapt or adopt as needed to those changes before you they adversely affect you. Business is dynamic. Micros have to innovate too!

I'd love to hear your comments! Do you have questions on this post? Please feel free to post a comment here, or e-mail me, or let’s talk on Twitter or Plurk.

four rules for successful self-employment

I have, on occasion, been chided for my choice of careers. Not for being a writer, but for being a freelance writer; for working solo, without the benefits or “stability” of a larger company. When things have gotten slow, I’ve had people close to me say, "you probably need to think about getting a real job." (Many freelancers have heard that one!) I’ve heard, "don’t you want more than this?" And once, when I mildly suggested self-employment to a friend of a friend who was suffering badly from job-related stress, I received a rather brusque: "Yeah Lloyd, that’s fine for you, but not just anyone can have their own business ya’ know!" (Hmmm, I beg to differ.)

I once had a self-employed friend who was doing rather well at the time, say to me:

“I don’t’ consider what I do a real business. I could never consider it a real business until I make enough money to have an office, a good health insurance policy, at least three weeks paid vacation every year, an assistant to do the menial tasks, and a company car.”

I laughed, and expected her to laugh with me. She didn’t. She was serious. And today, she no longer has her productive microBusiness -- she works in a cube farm dodging downsizing bullets, accompanied by a number of other paranoid cube farmers with bad attitudes. (No thank you, I’ll keep doing what I’m doing.) Which leads me to...

Four precepts of the self-employed.
1. Get your head right! By that I mean: Know who you are, and what you want to do. Believe in yourself. Be committed enough that you won’t let the naysayers break you down and undermine your confidence. If you don’t possess a large measure of fortitude, you’ll have a tough time making it in a microBusiness. That’s rule one—the BIG one. Here are rules 2, 3, and 4 for an even brighter future.

2. Define success on your own terms. Will your success be measured by wealth? Prestige? Freedom? Quality of life? Being able to watch your children grow? Or... something else. You need a mental picture of where your business will take you. Just be sure you’re in business for the right reasons.

3. Realize your weaknesses. We all have weaknesses -- but don’t dwell on them. It’s better to exploit your strengths. In other words: Do well, that which you do best. Find experts in other areas to handle the jobs that you’re not very good at. Marilyn Vos Savant once said, “Success is achieved by development of our strengths, not by elimination of our weaknesses.”

4. Surrender to failure. Back in the day, you would frequently hear speakers and other gurus (there's a term I don't hear much these days.), preach that failure is not an option. Today, we’re a little more enlightened. Failure is often a component of success. Be a realist and admit to yourself that failure can happen. Surrender to failure—don’t fear it. Fear of failure is a powerful emotion that can stop you dead in your tracks. It can keep you from completing projects, starting new ones, and moving forward. If you surrender to failure, you won’t fear it. If you don’t fear failure, you’ll be courageous enough to innovate and to push your ideas forward. And without forward movement, there can be no progress, no personal growth, no success--of any kind. Failure sometimes happens (I’ve failed many times), but I subscribe to the Japanese proverb: Fall down seven times, get up eight.

For an interesting read on failure, quitting, and discovering success, read Seth Godin's little book, The Dip.

what is a microBusiness?

Click here for a rather thorough definition of microBusiness.

Do you own a very small business? Would you like to start one? You've probably come across the term microBusiness, but perhaps don't understand exactly what it is. You can look far and wide for a definition, but you won't find much of a consensus.

That's why I wrote my own definition; and who better to do so? After all, I've been a microBusiness owner forEVER! I owned an mBiz before it was cool. I owned an mBiz when you tried to hide the fact that you were working from the basement--or (horrors!) the kitchen table. I ran a microBusiness when the neighbors called it, "your little moonlighting thing". Today, microBusinesses are huge! But they're still little. Now people work from poolside, their cars, the coffeeshop, the airport, hotel rooms, or in the woods along US 90, halfway across the Florida panhandle while on a 200-mile bicycle trip.

Please, read my definition of microBusiness; if you see yourself in there somewhere, then let me help you develop an mBiz of your very own!

passion: the microBusiness motivator

Remember the last time your boss made you feel small, you swore that you were going to quit and start your own business. You’ve dreamt of starting your own business for years. You’ve secretly mentioned it to those closest to you. Maybe now is the time.

Okay, what business will you start?

Not a day goes by when I don’t witness at least a dozen ads—from TV, popups, on the radio—screaming that I can become fabulously wealthy by starting this business or that. Get-rich-quick schemes abound. Magazines and newspapers are full of work-at-home opportunities. Franchisors all have the “best business plan ever”. You can buy all kinds of books containing ideas for business start-ups, and many provide instructions to get you rolling. Sounds good (although I must admit, I certainly haven’t read many of them), but reading a shopping list of ideas strikes me as an unusual way to make the big decision of what business to start.

There are thousands of ideas floating around, so what business will you choose to start? How many will you research before you take the leap? How will you know if you’ve made the best choice? And the big question, at least for me…

How does anyone get excited about someone else’s microBusiness idea?

When I’m out talking with mBiz dreamers, I will sometimes hear a statement that goes like this: “I would love to start my own business, but I don’t know what business to start.” Most often, this is not a good sign. In my experience, if you’re going to be successful you need to be passionate about your start-up idea. You need to have envisioned yourself operating your business. You should have built a knowledge base around your business concept.

I think the most successful microBusinesses are an integration of living and working. They’re organic. They’re symbiotic. Some of the most important reasons people want to start an mBiz is that they are hungry for authenticity, values, dignity, and a measure of freedom.

The most successful mBiz owners are those who love what they’re doing. They’re passionate about their idea. They enjoy getting up each morning and going to work, even if it's at the kitchen table. Can you really be that enthusiastic if you’re borrowing someone else’s business idea? Perhaps, but I believe you’ll have a great business, a more enjoyable business, a more sustainable business if your idea starts within you. I believe that a microBusiness is a personal thing; and passion for what you’re doing is the best business motivator.

successful mBiz people watch their money

Most of the mBiz people I’ve spoken to over the years didn’t create their businesses because that saw it a get-rich-quick plan that would soon have them building new houses and buying new cars. They did it for autonomy, passion, and quality of life reasons. And most learned early on, the importance of monitoring their spending habits. MicroBusinesses can be adversely affected by micro-fluctuations in the bank balance.

Part of living the good life, the mBiz life, is to keep free from onerous debt. Poor spending habits will weigh you down emotionally and economically; they will put your business in jeopardy, and take away your freedom. Today, during our country’s economic instability, staying productive while keeping a close eye on spending is even more important.

Here’s a story written a couple years ago by Hugh MacLeod on his Gaping Void site. I think it illustrates how success for soloists, freelancers, and other indies and mBiz owners, can cloud our thinking at times. Also, Terri Lonier, from her site Working Solo, recently wrote about Navigating an Uncertain Economy in her weekly newsletter “Working Solo Minute”.

Continue to market your business wisely, stay ever-vigilant of how your dollars are being spent, work hard, and deliver more than you promise to your customers, and you’ll be prepared to weather the difficult times.