Don't go it alone! Just stop it...please!

You are desperately trying to figure things out for yourself. Career decisions, business and idea decisions...overall LIFE decisions. But most folks reading this are focused on trying to make an idea or business flourish. Just by reading this, you are obviously open to seeking counsel. That's excellent...as it's the first step.

The people who are actually going to turn an idea into any real income, and ultimately create a business for themselves that is sustaining, are the guileless, shameless copy cats. The people who research who/what is actually succeeding, and copy it. Sure...making some tweaks that fit them uniquely, but all in all...copying! Call is 'modeling' if that's more palatable.

That is NOT what most people do (stick with me here and I'll show you some folks who are!). They dip their toe in the water and then try to do things from within their comfort zone and reinvent the wheel...and fail. I run with a pack of entrepreneurs that are sole proprietors. No employees. Most have no real office. And they all make personal income into 6-figures. They are all...WE are all...copy cats. We tirelessly research who and what is working and we model it for ourselves. There is no shame in that (though credit should be given where it's due).

Sure, we have some inherent skills and abilities, just like you. No different than a NASCAR driver, ultimately each driver is unique. But they are all in basically the same car. Nobody will even get on the track without a comparable car.

Go look at 48Days.NET. We built that community and put it out as a service to people who want to pursue ideas and businesses. Now over 2,800 have joined. Look at all the folks trying to promote themselves and their product or service. Most of them are trying to join the race and their car is a Chevy Citation. They'd be lucky to even make it to the town the race is happening in. Really, go look at the forum postings and blog entries where folks are promoting their product or service or 'opportunity.' Notice how few comments they have to their forum and blog postings. They are wasting their time. It's like the numbskulls on that American Idol show. You know they watch the show themselves and see the talent and skill and training required. So why on earth do they even try? Granted, some are just trying to get the chance to be on TV. But you see many of them totally dumbstruck that they didn't succeed. Have they never recorded themselves and actually listened? They stink! Go take some voice lessons or join a choir. Do your homework!

They aren't paying attention. They are not seeking counsel. They are clueless. And it's so unnecessary. I have a new venture I'm working on and while I already have a vast amount of experience in the area, I took two full days of doing research on the business model. I know all the comparable models that are working and I'm copying the pieces that fit. Additionally, I'm showcasing everything to multiple business leaders for their input. When I come out of the shoot, I guarantee you I'll succeed. Not because I'm brilliant. I'm just smart enough to know that if I want to race, I need to get a viable car. Anyone can buy the car.

I hear what you're thinking..."What if I can't afford the car?" Well, I'm not going to lie to you. If you don't have some money, even a little...to invest in seeking counsel and wisdom, then you might wait and save up some. Most successful business start ups did not require lots of start up money. But a few hundred or a few thousand spent on a business coach, or even taking a mentor to lunch...a membership with a business building group...attending a seminar...is priceless. Find a self-employed person or a business owner. Tell them right away that you want honest feedback from them. You want them to take off the gloves and speak to you as if it was their family that was going to rely on your idea or business to put food on their table. Then lay out your plan or business or idea. And thank them if they tell you it stinks. Ask them how to make it better. Pay them all you can. They've done it, they know the score.

At the least, go find some people or companies that are succeeding and research them. Model them. I'm not talking about internet marketing 'opportunities' that tout someone you've never heard of who made $10,000 in a week with no skills and no time invested. It's a lie.

I mean someone you know enough to trust. Someone with references. Real world people. There are hordes of people in any town that nobody knows...who are fully self-employed making good money. Go find them and inquire with them. They'll be honored and you'll be saved from a lot of waste and frustration.

I want you to succeed. I can't stand to see someone's dreams, passions, calling and value to the world...squashed because they just didn't put things together right. It's like a justice being thwarted in the court room due to a stupid technicality. And it really bothers me when these folks just end up thinking they have nothing to offer and can't expect to ever be more than an 'employee.' It's not their vision that's faulty, just their method of executing.

Here are a few people who are simple, like me. They just sought counsel, were good students, and put things in place right:
Deb Ingino
Joel Boggess
Jay Peroni
James Dibben

These folks get it. All they care about is doing it right. If they are going to spend a second or a dime of their own, they are going to pursue best business practices and make sure their efforts get them a return. Click on their names, go ask them what they did and are doing.

All the big, successful names you know in business. They were good students. Probably not in school, but in pursuing their ideas.

Stop all your efforts and go gain an understanding of what kind of car you need to succeed in the type of racing you want to do. The race doesn't go to the brilliant. Just to the obvious.

Sincerely,
Captain Obvious (that's about all I can viable claim for myself!