Are You Having Fun
Yet?
-- by Judith Kallos, http://www.theistudio.com
-- http://www.redtienda.com/english/newsletter89.htm#1If you want your
online business to survive and thrive, you need
to be having fun! At least several times each
week, potential clients call me for business
ideas or suggestions for "things to
sell" online. They don't have a business
concept or a product they believe in. They are
just looking for some way to jump on the online
bandwagon and get their hands on the supposed
riches everyone else is making.
When
asked this question, I tell them my story about
how I got into the whole Web/Internet thing in
the first place. Back in early 1994 when most
folks hadn't heard of "online" and
there were things like IRC, bulletin boards and
very slow modems, I got hooked on CompuServe.
I
remember telling anyone who would listen how much
fun it was to use (the speed of connectivity
wasn't an issue back then) and how I just knew
that this technology would change business and
our world forever. I got used to the "deer
in the headlights" look that came over their
faces.
Needless
to say my family, friends and most of the folks
on the block thought I was nuts! Their eyes would
glaze over after 10 seconds of me trying to
explain how it worked and what the potential was.
I didn't care. It was so much fun, I could burst!
My better half at the time and to this day was
the only one who recognized that sparkle in my
eye to know that I was on to something.
Remember
to Go Home At Night
So, I
opened my little studio in a small rural town's
downtown district in December of 1994. They
didn't want me there. They thought the Internet
was "evil" and I was about hooking up
children with pedophiles, credit card fraud and
creating adult Web sites. But I didn't care - I
was having fun! You name the stereotype and I was
confronted with it. Regardless of the resistance
I couldn't wait to get up and get to the office
and enjoy each moment of every day.
I enjoyed
it even if it meant dealing with people stopping
by with comments such as "You really think
this fad is going to last?" I would reply
"Fad? I'll catch you in 10 years when this
technology has changed the world as you know
it!" The time flew by and each day was a
blur. My better half would have to give me a call
around 7 or 8 to remind me that it was time to
come home.
Starting
my business, growing it and keeping it healthy in
an online arena saturated with experts and gurus
hasn't been easy. But I am having fun!
Incorporating and filling out all those legal
documents and quarterly returns for the past 10
years has been a real pain. But it doesn't
matter; I'm having fun! Dealing with skeptics,
criticism and the ongoing challenges that any
business will present are all there. Who cares?
I'm having fun!
If you
want to start an online business, you simply
cannot do it for the solely for the monetary
gain. Yes, we all strive to make a good income.
But if you're not having fun, you'll never see
the money. It is the "having fun" part
that gives you the courage and wherewithal to
ride the waves of good and bad, ups and
downs--and the inconsistent income when you first
start out.
If you
are not having fun, you simply will not have the
passion to get through the tough times and
decisions that will have to be made. Your
customers and clients will come to rely on your
enthusiasm (which comes from having fun) for the
confidence and encouragement they need to do
business with you.
Go For It
Consider
these questions: What is your hobby? What do you
enjoy doing? Have you invented a better way to do
something? Are you passionate about a solution
that solves problems? Is there a product you've
used yourself and love? Do you have valuable
experience to share?
Build a
business on the answers. It will thrive because
you will have the emotional and principled
commitment to make things happen. Think about
what you have fun doing and think of a way to
turn that into a business. Now you're thinking!
Look, you're having fun already!
The Web
is filled with folks trying to make a buck who
aren't having any fun. You can tell by their poor
presentations, their lack of decent service
levels and questionable commitment to quality.
The ones who aren't having any fun and who are
just in it for the bucks cut corners every chance
they get and complain about the latest challenge
technology offers. Why? Because they don't enjoy
or believe in what they are doing. Just show them
the money! Within a short time their site is
shutdown and they've wasted a lot of time and
money.
People
who are having fun know what I mean. You're on
the other side of this screen with that smirk on
your face because you've been there, done that.
You know that when you are having fun you are
working harder, learning daily and more focused
on your goals than anyone you know. You also
happened to be happier, more grounded and a more
enjoyable person to be around. Your customers
love you and your business thrives because you
are having fun!
I'm
having fun! Actually, after over 10 years I'm
still having a blast! How about you?
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