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.