What's Stopping You From Reaching Your Dreams?
The people I refer to as "creative multipreneurs" are happiest when exploring their many passions and prefer to pursue multiple careers or develop multiple profit centers rather than choose just one. Like many people starting businesses they encounter a few boulders in the road to success. The following are six areas that have may hinder you in your pursuit of your dreams.
Timing/Duration
It's quite common for many to express that the time is not right to launch a business, explaining they need to wait until their lives or circumstances have changed in some way. Possibly they're financially supporting a child or spouse through college, or they need to complete required education or training themselves for their new endeavor. You can spend a lot of time frittering it away while waiting for the perfect time to arrive and find that there is no such thing as the perfect time. In financial consideration is a real issue, then start on a smaller scale and just start taking one step after another.
Some get derailed at the thought of the time it may take to get up and running. Do you really know how long it will take to achieve your dream or are you just assuming it will be a time-consuming process? Actually get out and talk to others who have already traveled the path you are seeking. They can give you a true picture and just might become a mentor or lend helpful advice in how to speed up the process.
Age
Another common obstacle for many is age. Many times, people think they are too old to start a new venture or pursue the life of their dreams. They believe their opportunity has passed. They may believe that it will take too long to get a new business up-to-speed. But since time is going to pass anyway, why not be doing what you love?
A less common perspective is when people feel they are too young to start a business, believing they don't have the experience necessary or that no one will give them a loan. The reality is that age has nothing to do with business success. Doing your homework and believing in yourself and your products or services are bigger factors in your success.
Physical Condition
While it is true that we can't always do everything we want, there are many self-employment opportunities for those of us with physical limitations. The Internet and the information age have opened a huge global marketplace for many people, thus creating a level playing field.
Advantages of self- employment for people with disabilities include true independence and the ability to work at home, tailoring your schedule to medical or personal needs. Plus you don't have to rely on anyone else to get you to and from work.
Consent/Support from Others
Consent seems an odd choice of words, as we are all adults here, but no man or woman is an island and relationships with family, spouses, friends, significant others and colleagues impact us everyday. If we are lucky, our relationships are supportive and give us that boost to go after and accomplish our dreams. If our relationships are negative, we can encounter some major obstacles to achieving our multipreneurial goals. Many are not big fans of change, and they don't want you to change, either.
Figure out who your true friends are and who are your foes. Spend time only with supportive family and friends, if you can. You may need to avoid the dream saboteurs for a while, or in some cases, forever. If necessary, find new supporters and keep moving forward.
Benefits Supplied by Employer
There are a lot of people who yearn to become self-employed but stay in their miserable, soul-robbing jobs just so they can retain health insurance and other benefits. This is a false sense of security, because many companies are cutting benefits or putting more of the burden on the employees as health insurance premiums skyrocket.
If benefits are critically important to you, then try to keep the benefits you already have or obtain new benefits as you transition to self-employment. In most states (but not all), your health care benefits are continued through COBRA for eighteen months after you terminate employment. The cost is the same, except that the employer is no longer paying its share—you are.
Another option is to rely on your spouse's benefits; if you are not already on the policy, it is usually no big deal to be added. If you are not married, in some states you can get coverage through your life partner.
You may have to buy new benefits, which can be a very expensive proposition for small businesses—but you may be able to reduce the price by joining an association where insurance is a benefit to its members. Or look for a group plan that is being offered to smaller groups. Another possibility is the use of tax-deductible medical savings accounts.
Planning
Many people who are planning to go out on their own get caught in what is often referred to as the paralysis of analysis. We creative folks love the planning phase best and are not so crazy about routine. By creating multiple profit centers and staggering how you start them, you will leave no room for boredom or routine. There is a point where you do know what you need to know and it is time to make the leap.
Timing/Duration
It's quite common for many to express that the time is not right to launch a business, explaining they need to wait until their lives or circumstances have changed in some way. Possibly they're financially supporting a child or spouse through college, or they need to complete required education or training themselves for their new endeavor. You can spend a lot of time frittering it away while waiting for the perfect time to arrive and find that there is no such thing as the perfect time. In financial consideration is a real issue, then start on a smaller scale and just start taking one step after another.
Some get derailed at the thought of the time it may take to get up and running. Do you really know how long it will take to achieve your dream or are you just assuming it will be a time-consuming process? Actually get out and talk to others who have already traveled the path you are seeking. They can give you a true picture and just might become a mentor or lend helpful advice in how to speed up the process.
Age
Another common obstacle for many is age. Many times, people think they are too old to start a new venture or pursue the life of their dreams. They believe their opportunity has passed. They may believe that it will take too long to get a new business up-to-speed. But since time is going to pass anyway, why not be doing what you love?
A less common perspective is when people feel they are too young to start a business, believing they don't have the experience necessary or that no one will give them a loan. The reality is that age has nothing to do with business success. Doing your homework and believing in yourself and your products or services are bigger factors in your success.
Physical Condition
While it is true that we can't always do everything we want, there are many self-employment opportunities for those of us with physical limitations. The Internet and the information age have opened a huge global marketplace for many people, thus creating a level playing field.
Advantages of self- employment for people with disabilities include true independence and the ability to work at home, tailoring your schedule to medical or personal needs. Plus you don't have to rely on anyone else to get you to and from work.
Consent/Support from Others
Consent seems an odd choice of words, as we are all adults here, but no man or woman is an island and relationships with family, spouses, friends, significant others and colleagues impact us everyday. If we are lucky, our relationships are supportive and give us that boost to go after and accomplish our dreams. If our relationships are negative, we can encounter some major obstacles to achieving our multipreneurial goals. Many are not big fans of change, and they don't want you to change, either.
Figure out who your true friends are and who are your foes. Spend time only with supportive family and friends, if you can. You may need to avoid the dream saboteurs for a while, or in some cases, forever. If necessary, find new supporters and keep moving forward.
Benefits Supplied by Employer
There are a lot of people who yearn to become self-employed but stay in their miserable, soul-robbing jobs just so they can retain health insurance and other benefits. This is a false sense of security, because many companies are cutting benefits or putting more of the burden on the employees as health insurance premiums skyrocket.
If benefits are critically important to you, then try to keep the benefits you already have or obtain new benefits as you transition to self-employment. In most states (but not all), your health care benefits are continued through COBRA for eighteen months after you terminate employment. The cost is the same, except that the employer is no longer paying its share—you are.
Another option is to rely on your spouse's benefits; if you are not already on the policy, it is usually no big deal to be added. If you are not married, in some states you can get coverage through your life partner.
You may have to buy new benefits, which can be a very expensive proposition for small businesses—but you may be able to reduce the price by joining an association where insurance is a benefit to its members. Or look for a group plan that is being offered to smaller groups. Another possibility is the use of tax-deductible medical savings accounts.
Planning
Many people who are planning to go out on their own get caught in what is often referred to as the paralysis of analysis. We creative folks love the planning phase best and are not so crazy about routine. By creating multiple profit centers and staggering how you start them, you will leave no room for boredom or routine. There is a point where you do know what you need to know and it is time to make the leap.
©2006-2010 Susan Henderson Coaching | All Rights Reserved
