Hey entrepreneurs, check out this sick list of podcasts. I suggest interview 636 with Kristin Thompson on the Entrepreneur On Fire channel. She offers down to earth, real strategies that will get your heart pumping to go pursue that dream. Here’s a little nugget of advice I loved from her talk; the purpose of a business is profit. What a concept, right? But I know that I have certainly fallen into the trap of little details regarding originality, ethics, product, style, design, copy, material, etc. All of these things are important, but none of them matter if there is no monetization! So number 1 on the to-do list is to find where the money is coming from and do that thing.
Now it’s time for Lindsay’s advice: don’t procrastinate communication. What am I talking about? Banks, loans, jobs, landlords, interviews, hunches, networking opportunities, even simple questions from online followers. If there is anything to avoid procrastinating, it’s responding to e-mails and phone calls in a timely manner. I can’t tell you how many opportunities or great networking I’ve let slip because I’ve put off a simple reply until the response becomes irrelevant. It’s even more essential to keep contact if you are trying to jumpstart a business. Imagine how frustrating it is for clients to ask meaningful questions with no response. It would be a glaring red flag for investors! Show you are committed and responsible enough to follow up. Even a simple “Thank you for your question, I will respond to you shortly,” would be better than no reply at all. Also, feeling totally overwhelmed and unable to pay for your various bills? Extend an appeal. There is an honest-to-god real human on the other end somewhere. You may have to dig through some tape to find them, but they are there to help you. The worst thing you can do is to crawl under a rock in hopes that the situation will disappear. It won’t. The numbers will keep growing until you take action. Believe me, I have made my debt situation significantly better by just talking to someone (did I mention Sallie Mae cleared my balance and gave me a $0 monthly payment?) Did your friend invite you out for coffee? TRY TO GO. Most of my success comes through my friends. Jobs, show opportunities, networking in the gallery scene, international trips, all through good relationships. They matter. Even if you can’t do it this week, plan for next week. Can’t go to that fancy bar? Ask for a raincheck, and suggest old reliable down the street on the next Tankard Tuesday. You will, more than likely, be surprised at how accommodating your friends are, and they probably appreciate the extra bucks in pocket too.
Good luck everyone!
dollarsplease 