Making money is fun. Actually, allow me to rephrase. Making money from your own ideas is fun. There’s no feeling like making money of something your created out of thin air. That’s the feeling that turns entrepreneurs into junkies, searching for that next buck to be made. It’s what drives us to keep going, keep creating, and keep hustling.
Most people, including myself, tend to overthink what they want to do when it comes to entrepreneurship. If you were anything like me, then you are waiting for that million-dollar idea to pop out of thin air and all you have to do is to claim it. That’s not how this works. Maybe it works for the Zuckerbergs and the Musks, but not for Joe Six Pack or even me. The best ideas come from looking at what can you currently offer the world. What is it you know more about than most people? Do that. If you’re good at woodworking, do that for other people. If you’re a fitness nut, offer personal training services. If your good at accounting, offer consulting services. If you’re good at a sport, offer coaching and training. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel here. Just offer what you already do to a wider audience.
When starting out, finding customers is the most important thing to consider. Don’t worry about a cost structure. The point is not to make money right now. Obviously, that would be nice, but the real focus should be on finding customers and finding out how to keep those customers satisfied. If you focus on the customer, more customers and even more money will take care of itself. I’m a big believer in side hustles because it’s a way to dip your toe into your new interest without the risk of quitting your job. During the beginning, trying to get customers can be a little awkward at first. And it should be. Growth is awkward and the only way to grow is by going through it. Everything that we do for the first time is always a little awkward, and this applies to marketing and sales. So don’t let this discourage you. It’s those who can tolerate this awkwardness that get to the next level. Awkwardness is a way to weed out the weak minded that focus on their own ego too much. This is just part of the process so embrace it and get through it.
When new to the game, take any gig you can get. You need to turn those Bambi legs into strong athletic legs. So, take any job you can in the beginning. This will get your confidence up and encourage you to keep going which is the best thing for you at that time. You’ll also start to sharpen your craft. Meaning, you’ll receive a lot of information on what works and what doesn’t for future clients. This is part of the learning curve. After each job, think about ways to improve your product or service for the next partner. And always follow up with your customers. It’s cheaper to keep an existing customer than it is to find a new customer. That’s why it’s important for customer satisfaction to be at the forefront of your mission.
Making money off my own ideas makes me feel alive. It gives me a hint of purpose in life and allows me to share my ideas to the world. Everyone of us has something that they know more than the next person about, so sharing that knowledge is a great way to improve someone else’s life, while making yourself some cash on the side. Don’t get discouraged by the work or awkwardness, it’s all part of the fun and you’ll be happy you went through it.
Dabbl 