For years I have helped friends and family members try to get their businesses on track. Most often, I provided the help for free with the pure desire to see others succeed. My husband is a man with many, and must I say, random ideas. He lacks the fear of trying new things, which I admire. I on the other hand, over-analyze the pros and cons of everything I want to do. You see I said what I “want to” do, versus what I do.
I find people I have spoken with have difficulty monetizing their abilities. What should I sell? What should I charge? Will people really want to pay me? Am I good enough? Why would they pick me over the next person? I struggled with some of these questions myself. I came to realize I was my biggest critic. Some of the people I am helping, come back because they NEED to. Yes anyone can learn what I do – administration, Word, Excel, party planning, decorating, and so on. I help others with math, but at some point the tutor is no longer needed. This does not mean my services are obsolete, but that my services were effective and the student has become enabled with a useful and repeatable process.
Do you know what really sells? Convenience. If you can figure out how to improve just one thing in someone’s day-to-day life, then you have a marketable product or service to start with. Word processing is not rocket science. Accountants may not have the same value as engineers. Some people just don’t have the time to do the clerical work. How would you, if you are spending day and night trying to build your brand? Or if you are like my husband, you just hate paperwork.
So once I understood the demand, I knew where to start. I determined who my future customers were. My services are needed by entrepreneurs, by small businesses, and by individuals within the creative realm looking for someone to steer them in the right direction on the business side. How do I form a business in the state of NJ? What licenses do I need to have to do “xyz”? I want to form a non-profit but how do I do it? I don’t understand why I do not see any profits, or these numbers just run together on a page; what does it all mean? I need to hire more people but how do I keep track of their time? I need a letterhead for my bank but I don’t even have a logo. How can I keep track of my vendor bills? The point is, as production or innovation increases, the administration and finances of the business drop further down on the priority list.
As long winded as this post can be, what is one last thing I can leave you with for the topic at hand? If you find you are more creative and innovative but lack in execution, then brainstorm with a few close friends or colleagues whom you trust to give you honest feedback. Bounce some pros and cons around and figure out what the next steps are to succeed in that field/industry. Be sure to include at least one person you believe is a “task taker”; You know, that person who loves to make lists about lists. They will help you to stay on track with the business aspect of your goals. Why build up such a dynamic business for it to be destroyed by failure to file paperwork? Why distribute your proprietary information without protecting it with copyrights and patents? Establish a solid foundation before you build, otherwise you may need to start all over again.
Signed Jasmine Foy, The Designated Conduit
~Bridging Creativity and Execution~