How To Start A Business Today
I love entrepreneurship. It allows me to be as creative as I can possibly be. There are no limits. No one controls me. My success is not contingent on anyone who has power over me. It's up to me ... and that is exactly how I want it to be.
When I worked in the corporate world, I came in contact with individuals who are just plain awful people. They gloated about ripping off old people to get a sale, they took no pride in the work they did for people, and they played company politics in order to get ahead.
Of course, this wasn't all of them, but I knew that arena wasn't for me. We are on this planet for an average of 83 years. I would not waste a single moment of life slaving for a company I was not proud work for. Not any more!
Time is the most valuable asset any man or woman has on this planet. You can always make more money. You can always buy more stuff. You can always find someone on Tinder. But, you will never get more time.
Through 8 years of entrepreneurship, I have learned (the hard way) what to do and what not to do as a startup. Nobody has all the answers, but if you put yourself out there enough times, you start to pick up some tricks.
I started investing in rental property at the age of 23. My life would never be the same. The day I quit my mentor's company and went out on my own was the day I began my real journey. I was truly on on my own for the first time. Since I was no longer working for him, he stopped taking my phone calls. I'm so glad he did, too. It taught me to fend for myself. The world was about to toughen me up in every way possible.
Being on your own isn't fun, but it does show you what you're made of inside. The sooner you find out who you are, the easier life will be.
Entrepreneurship is the ultimate personality tester. You will dissect your strengths, weakness, needs, wants, and passions as an entrepreneur more than any other career - I GUARANTEE IT!
So, how do you start a business and become an entrepreneur? This is what I tell people at my seminars and client consultations:
1) Write Your Dream Obituary.
This will help you reverse engineer your life. Find out what you really want. A business is a vehicle designed to get your where you want to go. Find out where you want to go, then build a vehicle to get you there.
2) Create a SERVICE.
Figure out a way to be valuable to valuable people. Your obituary might say you want to be known as the world's greatest grass cutter. So, figure out a way to teach people via a little thing called the internet on how to cut grass. Then, become the one true expert on that industry. Once you become knowledgeable on something you love, teach others how to do it, too. BOOM! You are valuable now! Oh yeah, don't shortchange your service. This is your life. You are the expert. Charge an amount where you are not wasting your time.
3) Write a Book.
I don't care if you're Aunt Sally Mae who nits sweaters in her basement - EVERYONE HAS A STORY. So, use your story as a competitive advantage. That way, you can display your personality, build credibility, and show the world how much you care about a certain topic. The icing on the cake is becoming a bestseller. It's another trophy on the wall and a feather in the cap. As the saying goes in downtown Pittsburgh - "A feather in the cap is worth more than 2 on a bird". (P.S. - I totally just made that up by the way).
4) Market, Market, Market.
Social media has changed business forever. If you are not using social media to generate leads daily for you, then you will be a dinosaur in a few short years. Marketing comes down to positioning and leverage. The book will give you leverage, so make sure you have the right social media strategy to start capturing leads ON DAY ONE!
5) SELL VALUE
You know who you are. You know where you're going. You have a service to offer. You have a BESTSELLING BOOK. You have the social media strategy. Now, you need to close deals. Don't get nervous, sales isn't about taking. It's about giving. The more value you give (like a free book), the more you realize that selling is about helping. Money is exchanged for problems to go away. Solve problems and give value! These are the keys to business. Put yourself in the position to help as many people as you can.
Your next chapter starts now. Can I read it when you're done?
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Mike Fallat
Founder of DreamStarters University
412-496-9448
"I help entrepreneurs write and publish bestselling books to grow their dream business."
