If We Can Do It, So Can You
Seven years ago today my creative partner and I walked out of our jobs at a well-respected advertising agency to open a studio of our own. We announced our new venture with the ad above.
We had no money saved up. No safety nets. No clients lined up.
We also had very little fear.
Perhaps we were a bit naive. I prefer to think we were confident in our talents and experience. One thing for sure, we have never regretted the decision. Which brings me to the true message of this post.
Quit your job.
That advice isn't for all of you, of course. But it's good advice for someone. My guess is you know exactly who you are, too. You want to start your own business. It's a fire in your gut. It keeps you awake at night. But you're afraid. Afraid of failure. Afraid of giving up a good job for the unknown.
Fear is holding you back.
To celebrate my studio's seventh anniversary, I'm offering up seven lessons we have learned along the way. All of them relate to fear in some form or another. Hopefully, it may inspire someone—perhaps you—to adopt a no-fear attitude in the pursuit of a dream.
Realize that the status quo is not safe.
This is the big one, really. Job duties change. Bosses get fired. Accounts are lost. Budgets are cut. Your current job is not nearly as safe as you may think. Starting your own company may actually be less risky than staying where you are. In so many cases, safety is an illusion.
Understand that failure is not the end of the world.
Once you enter the world of entrepreneurs, you'll have earned the respect and support of a whole new group of people. Failure is part of this world. Many successful business owners have failed many times. It's really not a big deal. You'll get far more respect from people for having the guts to follow your dream in the first place. That opens doors all over the place.
Don't just take a risk. Take a calculated risk.
Simply hating your job is no reason to start your own business. Ego is not a good reason, either. If you have talent, experience, and some good ideas on how to run your business effectively, you're half way there. Now plan your enterprise. Channel your sleepless nights into something productive. Having a plan melts away fear and doubt.
Embrace discomfort.
Starting a business can be very uncomfortable. Good. When you're uncomfortable, you're learning. And if you start a business, you'll be learning a lot. One year later, you'll be a totally different human being. You'll have learned skills that will make you an even more valuable employee, should you ever go back to working for someone else. (By the way, you won't want to.)
Share the load with people you trust.
I couldn't have done this by myself. Having a great business partner and a supportive spouse made all the difference in my case. In many ways, they pushed me through times of personal doubt or fear. You'll need that kind of support. You'll also need a good CPA and a lawyer. Surround yourself with a good team of people with the skills and knowledge you don't have, so you can focus on your own talents and abilities.
Don't look back.
Trust your gut. Unless you've made a rash decision, you should stick with your plan. When the first obstacle comes along (and there will be many), you better not look back. You can drive yourself crazy wondering if you've made the right decision. Make your decision and then put all your energies towards making it right. Be flexible, but only in moving forward.
Understand that starting a business is quite simple.
There's no big trick to it. No magic formula. You don't need an MBA or a business degree. A few signed papers and you're incorporated. My partner and I each paid $500 to buy our corporate stock. We've never had to put another dime into the place. We were profitable and paying ourselves the very first month. Which isn't to say starting or running a business is easy. It's the hardest, most rewarding work you'll ever do.
Trust me, though. If we can do it, so can you.
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