Do you flirt with the possibility of opening a business for yourself?
I don’t blame you. The mood is right for more than a furtive glance in that direction.
Here’s why
You may not realize it, but the once frustratingly high barriers in the way of launching a small business are now much lower then ever before.
Allow me to layout some key the game changing key points so you better understand why I say this.
To start, we have the internet and a vast array of social media conduits available, so it is relatively easy to instantly cast a wide net in your efforts to reach your market.
This is big
Where it was cumbersome before, you now can precisely target your customer and get your message out better, faster and more consistently.
And.. it can be done at far lower cost than in ancient times when only traditional methods of expensive print, radio ,and TV advertising were used.
Startup
For a storefront business, fixed costs remain, such as rent and utilities, however in a business (like mine) with no employees and creative use of technology, there is a much higher probability of making it beyond the first two critical years, so you can then hit your stride.
Costs can be better kept under control and the use of innovative (organic) means of attracting customers is very advantageous.
If you choose an alterative to a storefront launch and start out with a home based or mobile model, or, secure a flexible sublet or shared space arrangement, you will further minimize your monthly fixed costs and likely become profitable sooner.
Out of Excuses
If you are passionate about an idea and motivated to pursue it, there is every reason to push ahead with a business idea until it comes into fruition.
Even in these puzzling, erratic times.
If financing is an obstacle, there is wider and more competitive access to low rate funding through banks as well as more traditional means such as friends and family, savings, retirement account, etc.
With a Clear Purpose in Mind
Having laid out the fundamental advantages available to today’s aspiring woman entrepreneur, here are simple, timeless elements which are the key to success and finding contentment in business ownership.
You simply must have a clear and genuine purpose for going into business rather just a reason, like making money, or getting out of a corporate job.
An investor wants to see your vision and determination to succeed, otherwise, it will be tough to convince others to invest with you or even buy your product.
Reasons are fine obviously, they convey the logic for doing this or that, but passion and purpose fuel commitment and are powerful persuaders.
People are very perceptive and can tell when their best interests are being well protected.
In launching Lisa Rose, I believed wholeheartedly in the simple concept of helping make a little girl’s princess dream real, even for just a day. I had to look no further than my own two daughters for any convincing of that. Between the ages of about 3 and 9, they played princess all the time without any prodding.
Communicate Simply
All of us walk around with dreams in our heads, and this is definitely one with kids of that age. I could see it with my own eyes and my job was creating the environment to facilitate and communicate it simply.
It Doesn’t Matter What You’re Selling
To prosper in business the product has to be worthy and messaging on target, but what makes it shine is the energy of a clear purpose. It is the “why” you are there. It doesn’t matter if you are selling shoes, ideas, computers, or dreams, your purpose in doing it is what connects with a market and creates a lasting brand.
In what I do, if we capture hearts and imaginations simply by fulfilling a childhood dream, it also fulfills a parents desire to see their children happy, having a wonderful effect on business.
Institutionalize Happy
This is nothing new. In it’s early days, Disney understood it and institutionalized “Happy.”
What I learned over time with endless benefits, is that a good formula for success is to have a clear purpose communicated simply.
This is the key to prosperity.
Customers are less concerned with the exact product you sell them, but they definitely focus on trusting the quality of your brand and the integrity of the person behind it.
We each hold the keys to being content in our lives and joyous about how we spend our days here.
Some of these ideas might not seem like they really apply to both our personal lives and business situations, but in today’s world of constant communication and information flow, it’s increasingly more difficult to see where one stops and the other begins.
So, it might be wise to apply them universally to our lives and keep it simple.
You won’t go wrong