Who you are, what you know, and whom you know are the basic ingredients needed to develop your business idea and launch your company. Master of TACT has lived that very principle, starting its operation in the founder’s basement office with a clientele comprising a handful of friends with their own contracting businesses. Prior to that, Martin had launched a computer consulting company with no formal computer science education and no IT certifications. Fast forward to today, and Master of TACT has completed over 2,000 small-business assistance projects for more than 1,500 entrepreneurs and small- to medium-size businesses. How can you do the same?
Consider this cautionary tale: One young entrepreneur we coached several years ago came to us with a notebook full of business ideas and barely an outline of a business plan. As professional coaches, we at Master of TACT help clients move toward self-determined goals; however, part of that process involves asking deep questions designed to challenge and enhance thought processes. Instead of following age-old advice of counting his blessings – that is, considering his knowledge, abilities, available resources, and professional network – he insisted that his next step was to secure startup capital, even though his business idea was one that involved a few clicks of a mouse to maintain an online blog. Unfortunately, when he caught up with us many years later and we asked about his progress, he was still telling the same tale about not being able to raise capital and had barely even touched his blog.
In all that time, we had helped a homeless man launch a cookie company and move across the country to grow it; assisted several high-school graduates start their respective businesses with only their ideas and a healthy drive for success; and guided numerous other entrepreneurs through various growth initiatives without new capital infusions. What does this mean for you?
The moral of the story is to start with who you are and whom and what you know. Thinking about who your competition is will stop you in your tracks. Thinking from a place of deficiency or lack – what you don’t have, what you think you need – will present a mental block from which you and your idea may never recover. Telling yourself that you’re not in the right circle or don’t have enough information to make an informed decision will lead to indecision and analysis paralysis. Remember that a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, so let’s start with what you’ve got, leverage it and build on it.
What’s your bird in the hand? What traits, qualities, knowledge, skills, abilities, talents, resources, and social and professional networks are in your inventory? What steps can you take today toward your fulfillment of your dreams? What altogether new dreams might some action today inspire? Share some ways you’ve applied this notion to a product or service idea you’ve been nurturing. We’d love to hear how your experiences might influence and inspire our readers and clients. Comment below or contact us to share your views.
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