It is common business advice to find a job you love so you would never have to feel like you are going to ‘work’. As ideal as it may sound, it does not happen overnight. Following your dreams and passion does not always equate to personal and financial fulfillment, and life gets in the way. However, it is still possible to build a business from your knowledge and passion. It enables you to live the life you have always wanted to live and at the same time enjoying what you do.
When Richard Branson was only 14 years old, the billionaire entrepreneur created his first business, a student magazine. During that time, he thought his school newspaper was stale, so he wanted to launch an alternative. In his interview, he informed that he wanted to be a journalist or an editor. He was not interested in becoming an entrepreneur, but he soon realized he had to be an entrepreneur to keep his magazine running. Richard Branson then went on to launch the Virgin Empire and since introduced several companies under his brand.
The most common reason most people consider launching their own business is that they are not in love with the work they do. While Branson has undoubtedly gathered a fortune throughout his life, he often restates that his emphasis has been launching new businesses since the start. Branson loves to go into companies, stir things up and do them better.
If this resonates with you, then read ahead to find the way to develop a business from what you love to do. The first step in the business development process is to build an idea answering the following three important questions:
- What are you great at?
- What do you love doing?
- Which thing gives you a sense of fulfillment?
Some people are unsure what they love, while others think they are good at so many things and love to explore. This resonates with so many people. Inquisitive people specifically love to explore, and they may even have many passions. It can hard to pick one out of these options. However, it is advised not to spend another ten years figuring out what you want. Try and narrow down your options by following the below-given process.
Step 1: Reflect
Give yourself enough time and ponder on these questions from yourself: What do I love? Which thing would I want to do every day after I wake up for the rest of my life?
These are big questions but reflecting on these topics will stimulate you and you likely come up with a long list or even a concise one. Despite of the length, take time to enlist everything you really enjoy doing and are inspirational.
Step 2: Remembering
When we are young, we instinctively know what we love doing. As we get older, the life demands creep onto us. We are distracted by social and economic pressure, and our internal dreams, interests and desires start to fall sideways. The instincts and ideas we had as children get quieter by each passing year.As Steven Spielberg remarks, “When you have a dream it doesn’t come at you, screaming in your face. ‘This is who you are, this who you must be for the rest of your life!’ [The] hardest thing to listen to is your human intuition—it always whispers, it never shouts.”
Take time and try to remember what you wanted as a child, and the things you enjoyed doing. Enlist your favorite things from your memories and youth.
Step 3: Revisiting
Let the list sit for a week and then revisit it. You have now reflected in the past and the present, and now you’d like to think more about the future. Think about what the whispers are you have been ignoring as an adult. If you have additional things, add in the list now. Pick the one that resonates the loudest with you. Remove or add things in the list accordingly. If your list is lengthy, try whittling it down. Rest the list for another day. Pick up again and narrow it down until you have a short list which feels vital to your existence and inner self.
It is a time-consuming process, and keep in mind that the answers won’t come crashing on to you. It is hard to listen to your intuition, but with time, you’ll listen the voice more clearly in the future.
Things You Must Know To Build a Business You Love
- You don’t have to wait for it to be perfect, you just need to get it started.
It is hardly ever the case you’d be satisfied with something in its initial stages. You never seem to get it ‘done’ as per your own expectations. Because, in your head you feel it could be done ‘better’. You can find a better idea, you can get a better job, and the list goes on. The reason behind is that you may always find that the grass is greener on the other side of the fence. The point is nothing becomes perfect from the day one and your business will be in a continuous growing and evolving phase based on numerous factors, most of which you can’t even perceive at the moment. So, the best advice is to just get started. Successful entrepreneurs know this, and they begin their journey with the same stance.
If you could travel in time and looked a head from now, you may wish you had taken that big challenging step. Similarly, looking back in time, you may even ponder that if you had started on your journey back then, you would be in a year into your destined path today.
- Use your Inner Skills and Strengths
Often times just because we are able to do something, it doesn’t always equate to business success. For instance, if you plan to start a landscaping company, it implies that you are phenomenal in designing landscapes. However, it does not necessarily mean you are also a savvy marketer or great at accounting. It may even be possible you can do certain responsibilities of a marketer and accountant, but the chances are these skills may not be your best suit. Identification of the areas where you will require external sources from the beginning will put a strong foundation for your business.
Now, there’s no doubt that the business owners wear several hats, however you need to consider the areas where your real strengths lie and where you’ll need help. For instance, you can naturally be good at accounting and HR role, so you can hire a visiting accountant that comes in twice a month to fill in those needs.
- Be Afraid and Still Do It
Most of us are discontent with the corporate life and even though we have great salary and benefits and would dream of landing in the world of entrepreneurship. We are unhappy yet scared to leave the comfort of corporate sector and start from scratch. It is scary to say yes to our desire; fearful to say yes to the opportunity and frightening to say yes to the encouragement to believe the ones who vouch for your talents. In fact, in such cases we are afraid of the possibility of success. The reason is because saying a no is quite easier than saying a yes, for the fear of failure.
The smartest advice in this situation is given by Sheryl Sandberg, “‘so please ask yourself: What would I do if I weren’t afraid? And then go do it.” Therefore, it is best to feel the fear and still take the leap of faith.
- You Don’t Need to Start from Scratch
Developing a business from scratch is quite challenging and difficult. If you are dedicated to a specific industry, but are unsure about where to start, you should consider buying the business which are looking for potential candidates. When you purchase an existing business, you already are buying a progressive location, established customer base, and potential salary sooner than when you’d have after starting from the scratch. There are several resources to help you find the available businesses looking for selling out within your location. You only need to research that and consult the owners.
Building a business can be extremely rewarding and fulfilling. Yes, there will be hard work. Yes, you’ll have weak moments when you’d want to give up, but you’ll persevere and thrive. This is because, you’ll be doing what you love, and you’ll be following your dreams. So, it is best not to think too long about the what ifs. There is nothing more fulfilling and rewarding than building a business you love. Simply, identify your top three ideas that resonate the best with you. Find what you love and start building your business towards it. Most importantly, do not be afraid to say yes to your dreams.