Tag Archive | work from home

I Hereby Pronounce You Business Owner and Entrepreneur!

Aug31

How long did it take you to fully commit to being an entrepreneur?  Did you take one giant leap, or did it take ten tiny ones before you were able to dedicate all of your efforts to your business?

I went through many steps to get to where I am today.  I started my business before I got pregnant.  I wanted something to do on the side.  I worked on it through maternity leave and afterwards, worked in my career and my business at the same time.  I obviously couldn’t manage both, so I left my great paying regular full time job for a part time job so that ‘just in case’ something went wrong I would have something to fall back on.

It wasn’t until I fully committed to entrepreneurship that doors really started to open and opportunities presented themselves.  There was always a reason to not do something because I wasn’t 100% committed to the business.  Now that I am, things are flourishing. 

I came across a quote recently that really made a lot of sense to me.  I’m not usually one for long quotes, but this one rings true for entrepreneurship.

“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative and creation, there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now. ”  ~ Goethe ~

I had to read it two or three times to really let it sink in. If you’re going to expend only half your energy in starting your business, then you’re not fully committed and you’re only going to get half the results.

It’s scary to fully commit.  It took me a while to make the full leap.  I wish I could have fully committed sooner as I know I would have seen the results sooner and I’d be a year ahead of where I am now.   But everything happens for a reason and I needed the security and I needed to build my confidence that I was making the right decision for myself and my family.

We are our worst critic.  We fill our heads with self-doubt and believe things that are really not true.  That little voice in our head that makes us hesitate and draw back so that we can’t let ourselves succeed can be deafening.

This quote isn’t just applicable to starting a business, but to any new idea or opportunity that presents itself.

What project are you waiting to start because you aren’t sure of the outcome?  There are no guarantees in life, or business.  Only calculated risks.  Do your homework to make sure risks are minimal and then take the leap.  Otherwise, you’ll only ever be where you are.

 BLOGGER BIO:

The preceding is a guest post from Sandra Eamor, Business Optimization Consultant at Seamor Consulting. This is a post from the YRSBiz Blogging Circle.  The York Region Small Business Club helps small businesses in York Region connect online and in York Region.  Their goal is to provide free or low-cost opportunities for local businesses to connect and engage with each other and ultimately to help small businesses succeed. 

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‘The Good Slippers’: a note for budding womEntrepreneurs.

Jun1

The following post was written by the very creative Dana Goldstein as part of a Guest Blogging circle created by the York Region Small Business Club. The YRSBiz helps small businesses in York Region connect. Their goal is to provide free or low-cost opportunities for local businesses to connect and engage with each other and ultimately to help small businesses succeed.

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My alarm clock – both internal and external – goes off at 6 am everyday.  Some days I am eager to get on with my life and other days I am exhausted beyond belief. I am just like everyone else who works, has a family and likes to socialize.

What makes me different is that everyday I get to follow my passion.  I love my work so much that it is never just a job. I’m not changing society or saving the planet, but some days I feel like I am doing something just as great.  Some days I am strapped to my desk with such a heavy workload that the only fresh air I get is when I pick my kids up at school.  Some days the phone doesn’t ring at all and I wonder when I will get my next client.  I make mistakes that require me to start from scratch.  I have gone beyond a client’s expectations and made someone cry tears of joy.  I have felt cold and isolated in the office, but I have also been grateful for some solitude.

For me, that is what life is like as an entrepreneur.

Good days and bad, challenging days and easy ones, early mornings and late nights: these are all part of the working life.  The difference for me is that I am working for my family and myself. The risks I take are family decisions, not corporate ones.  I don’t get a regular paycheck, but I can take an extra long lunch.  Some months there is enough money to make an extra payment on the credit card; sometimes there isn’t enough to cover my extra long lunch.

I happily accept it all because I am solely responsible for how much income I generate. Like everybody else, I get ready for work in the morning. I have good hair days and horrible hair days.  Sometimes I rediscover a favorite blouse in my closet; sometimes the blouse I really wanted to wear has a stain I didn’t notice before. I am confident about my work, but I may be nervous before a big meeting.

Lucky for me that I work from home and no one knows that I feel so great because I’m wearing my good slippers.

BLOGGER BIO:

Dana Goldstein owns Digital Shoebox, a full-service media transfer business. Since 2005, Digital Shoebox has been creating custom DVD slide shows for small business, weddings, big birthdays and other special events. Dana’s slide shows can bring a smile to your face and tears to your eyes all within the first 30 minutes of your video. You may contact Dana through the following channels:

Website

www.digitalshoebox.ca

Twitter: @digishoebox

Facebook: www.facebook.com/digishoebox

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