The Entrepreneur Forum | Financial Freedom | Starting a Business | Motivation | Money | Success

Welcome to the only entrepreneur forum dedicated to building life-changing wealth.

Build a Fastlane business. Earn real financial freedom. Join free.

Join over 80,000 entrepreneurs who have rejected the paradigm of mediocrity and said "NO!" to underpaid jobs, ascetic frugality, and suffocating savings rituals— learn how to build a Fastlane business that pays both freedom and lifestyle affluence.

Free registration at the forum removes this block.

[HELP] Indentured time=No, action=Yes

Polarbeans

Silver Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
266%
Nov 18, 2014
212
564
I just got out of the office, which is where I work (for someone else). Today I've been at the office 11,5 hours plus I commute 1 hour to the office and 1 hour back. Total Indentured time today is 13,5 hours + 1 hour lunch+ 0,5 hour getting ready in the morning=15 hours give or take.

I feel like life is sucked out of me... I work hard at my office and I never complain, I choose to work there so if I do not like it, I can just quit.

But this is still harder done than said. I'm a little more than 2/3rd through TMF which really has cured me in many ways. Before I hated to commute but now I actually don't think it's so bad. I do all my reading on the train back and forth and then I can implement action when I get home for a few hours before I go to sleep.


Still, a lot of time is put into Indentured time. I can't find myself in this position, even though I only have done about 6 months since I graduated college (go Denver pioneers!) I hate to work like this. I will to do something about it.

I have no mortgage or debt at all. I got some cash stashed away in stocks, mutual funds and some other BS.

I literally have nothing to lose. But there is a thing here: I just started to learn about business online, marketing online and so forth which means I have little to no experience in many fields regarding business.

I've read a lot of books on entrepreneurship (lean startup, choose yourself etc..), took a few courses in college, and soon read through TMF (love it, live it!).

I say this: I will not last in trading 5 days for 2 days much longer.

I'm thinking to myself to start off with what Jim Rohn said: Start part-time. I know this is not the best idea to do but I still feel that I want to start by executing on all the things I've read about so far.

So my short term goal (very short) is to start doing business as soon as I've finished TMF which will be in about 3 days or so. I will then be ready to deliver my first value to people.

I want to really learn online marketing and understand it better in practice so I'm thinking the following to start with:

1. A Niche site
2. Write an ebook series
3. Start a membership site
4. Start writing an app for iPhone or a website
5. Create an online course



1. I've read like 100 guides on how to do this, I devoured Backlinkos all guides, listened to all (yes every single one from start to finish, during work time :D) podcasts from Pat Flynn and Mixergy. So I have a little understanding I think about where to get off here.

2. I love writing, and I constantly come up with topics that I write down in Evernote. I would probably start by putting them on Amazon but could also consider putting the first for free and the others behind a paywall. I don't have much knowledge about the whole payment system here really.

3. A little like 2. and to me this would be more like creating a ton of free content like on a blog and then have a membership site to gain access to more in-depth and more important knowhow. This might be a little bit too much to start with, I don't know. Same as before, membership sites is not something I know a lot about yet. I love the idea and will definitely learn more about it.

4. I know how to code HTML, CSS and some very basic JS. I can read but not write Jquery and PHP, kind of. I have written an app before with Xcode but nothing fancy. Wrote it to a previous business (physical) I had. When I gave away the business I also took down the app. I would probably use my more creative side and somewhat wild fantasy and use that C-objective knowledge I have to write a good tech-spec instead and send it off to oDesk or similar.

5. I just recently started to learn more about this. I got a pretty good mic to use for voiceover and I got no limitations or fears about talking or hearing my own voice. Biggest issue here is to WHAT the course would be about and I would in this case really want to create something that has that premium feeling to it.


I'm not native in english so please forgive my bad grammar and punctuation!


I love this forum, and I think you guys rock and wish you all the best in your ventures!
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.
Last edited:

Solrac

Bronze Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
145%
Jul 6, 2014
255
370
Florida
I'm thinking to myself to start off with what Jim Rohn said: Start part-time. I know this is not the best idea to do but I still feel that I want to start by executing on all the things I've read about so far.
How is this not the best idea to do?
Isn't this the only option, to start part time?
 

Polarbeans

Silver Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
266%
Nov 18, 2014
212
564
How is this not the best idea to do?
Isn't this the only option, to start part time?

For the things listed I believe that part time is the best method for me. But if I were to pursue a real business model I would rather go full-time and give it more focus. With full-time I could get things done more quickly.

Perhaps I'm wrong here?
 

Ninjakid

Platinum Contributor
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
217%
Jun 23, 2014
1,936
4,206
Buddy Guy Eh
I can imagine investing for much time and energy into a job is a shitty feeling.

Perhaps you can work on your business or whatever project you're pursuing at nights. And when it gets some traction, you can bail on your job. The sooner you get your business going, the better.
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

Polarbeans

Silver Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
266%
Nov 18, 2014
212
564
I can imagine investing for much time and energy into a job is a shitty feeling.

In my case it is.

Perhaps you can work on your business or whatever project you're pursuing at nights. And when it gets some traction, you can bail on your job.

Yes this is what I am doing at the moment with learning and reading. But I somewhat feel overwhelmed and don't really know where to start of business-wise. What path should I take and where should I start with all the knowledge I've read up on?

I guess what I am trying to say is what is your perspective on the things that I've listed in regards to my current background?

I the future I would really like to create my own cloud based service, like a SaaS or similar. I think this would fit me because I like selling, marketing, numbers and programming. I think its a great combo for me.
 

masterbrent

New Contributor
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
50%
Aug 15, 2014
2
1
47
Instead of doing it all by yourself, try to outsource the time consuming operations that don't directly make money. Like the writing part and "product development". That's where a lot of people waste too much time. The money making part is selling stuff... copy, positioning, jvs, ppc. Down the line you should even outsource that. If you do it that way you can build a scalable business from the word go. You don't need to put in many hours.

And if you are thinking like that, you won't limit yourself to ebooks and info products.
 

Hackdroot

Bronze Contributor
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
267%
Nov 11, 2014
96
256
51
I'm in your position as well. I read a online comment once that struck a chord with me I'd like to share:

"For those clock watching 8 hours of their day, they will be miserable, working at something for which they have no passion, having intentionally turned their soul off for those eight hours in exchange for money. They will sell half their waking life into misery to benefit the other half of their waking life. And at the end of the day in their "real life", they will find they can not take joy in their "real life", as they anticipate, after sleeping, returning to their job for the next 8 soulless hours of work."

I'm working towards the ability to exit my full time employment which I no longer have a passion for. This is entirely possible for both you and I, dependent solely on our level of commitment and effort. My goal for the next year is to eliminate $22k worth of debt in order to reduce the dependency on my full time income. If I surpass that, great.

Like you, I've delved head first into reading everything I can about startups, motivation, and business.....and therein lies my problem. I've spent so much time reading that I'm taking NO action. I'm a trial by fire type of guy, and think well on my feet, under pressure, so I've decided to simply go forth with something and learn as I go rather than continue to exhaust myself with information overload. So no more research for me until it directly applies to a business or product I'm actively working on. That's the next challenge.

I second guess myself out of a million ideas and am no longer receptive to opportunities. In order to address this, I've adopted a practice recently discussed on this forum. I carry a notepad everywhere and write down ideas (no matter how stupid) at every turn. I've yet to reach 10 per day, but it's getting better each day. Any time I experience an emotion of frustration, anger, anxiety, or the like, I immediately take out my notepad and think of something to write down. Even if it's just a brief description of the problem, it's a snapshot of my mental state that can be reflected upon later when a possible solution may be more likely to present itself. Every time I second guess writing something down, I remind myself of some of the 'absurd' products and ideas that I would not think twice about pursuing (The Snuggie, Pet Rock, etc).

Once I have a good list of ideas in my notepad (I've set a 50 item limit/2 week deadline whichever comes first, to ensure I take action on something), I'm going to sit down and weight them out. Sorting out which ones hold the most promise and can be executed within my spare time with limited financial risk.

I am also catching up on three years worth of 'Shark Tank', which is a great for motivation. Plus, the whole family loves it and it's giving my daughter exposure to alternatives to the 9-5 lifestyle.

So best of luck to you. You are not alone.
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

Polarbeans

Silver Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
266%
Nov 18, 2014
212
564
I'm working towards the ability to exit my full time employment which I no longer have a passion for. This is entirely possible for both you and I, dependent solely on our level of commitment and effort. My goal for the next year is to eliminate $22k worth of debt in order to reduce the dependency on my full time income. If I surpass that, great.

Awesome! Why do you want to do after you've reached your goal of paying back your debt?


I've decided to simply go forth with something and learn as I go rather than continue to exhaust myself with information overload.

I think this is very well put. I'm looking to do the same thing as well as I find myself having the commitment to change, but I get overwhelmed with information

I second guess myself out of a million ideas and am no longer receptive to opportunities. In order to address this, I've adopted a practice recently discussed on this forum. I carry a notepad everywhere and write down ideas (no matter how stupid) at every turn. I've yet to reach 10 per day, but it's getting better each day.

I see what you are doing here. This is however not really a problem for me, I've carried a notebook and a pen with me for as long as I can remember and I have a whole box filled with ideas and stuff that I've written down over the past years.

I need to pull myself together, decide on something to start with and then just do that. Regardless of what is "the next big thing". I've traded stocks for fun the past 8 years or so and I believe I am above average when it comes to stocks in particular and especially market psychology. I would never chase a golden cow when it comes to stocks. I set up a strategy and follow it through to the end. I want to do the same thing with starting a business online.

I really enjoy programming and think it is really fun. Therefore I am looking to start some kind of website or SaaS. But I feel that a website is just a channel to sell something, be it information or something else. My point is; I want to go with something that will teach me the broad spectrum of online marketing, copy, traffic generation etc, how to charge a customer etc.

I want to produce something that I can be proud of and that others find value in. I want people to come to my channel and think: "Wow this is guy provides a great source for [insert niche]. I will bookmark this page and sign up to that newsletter."

I want to provide honesty and not some cheap sales crap just to earn a few bucks. I don't care about the money initially, I want to have something that teach me the ways of the web as I go! :)


I'm leaning towards a niche site. If I research a niche that I like, I'm ready to put at least a year into providing stuff through it. It brings a lot of opportunities: getting traffic, copy, writing, pod cast, video... the list goes on. And through this I can learn a lot I think. What are you guys thoughts on this?


Btw, thanks for the great replies so far!
 

Hackdroot

Bronze Contributor
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
267%
Nov 11, 2014
96
256
51
Awesome! Why do you want to do after you've reached your goal of paying back your debt?

Then I will work on replacing my full time income. When the time comes that I am comfortable leaving my position to pursue my business full time, that will be the next step. I've worked in IT as a unix systems administrator for 20 years, so problem solving is my business. It also gives me an advantage when I have to learn new online technologies. I also have a programming background as well.

I have a mortgage and family, so it will take some time, but time I have. I just need to make sure I make the best use of it. I don't yet know what direction my first attempt will be toward, but I'm not really interested in reselling. I have an idea for two physical products,so I suppose my next step will be to do a mockup and test the market on both. Research on how to test physical products before manufacturing is something I need to read up on.

I'm afraid I can't give you any advice on your path since I'm new at this as well. Just leverage your strengths and keep moving forward. On the front cover of my notepad I have written "What will you do today to get one step closer to your goal?". This is how I hold myself accountable, and even if it's a small step, small steps add up.

There's an old kids joke I tell my daughter when she faces a seemingly insurmountable task. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. ;)
 

Polarbeans

Silver Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
266%
Nov 18, 2014
212
564
but time I have.

Did you read TMF yet? :)

I'd say like the book: time is what we don't have. It's more or less the only thing limited. This is why I need to set my mind on a particular task, focus on that alone and learn from it!

I have an idea for two physical products,so I suppose my next step will be to do a mockup and test the market on both. Research on how to test physical products before manufacturing is something I need to read up on.

Sounds cool. I would suggest you read up on MVP and stuff first instead, test your market. If enough people click through you should look further and perhaps produce a small batch. Then you can see how that sells. Forget everything else like logos and stuff.. Just pick a name, go with something simple and try it out. Your first product will most likely not be a hit anyway so you might as well just try it out today:)


I like the elephant analogy:)
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

Hackdroot

Bronze Contributor
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
267%
Nov 11, 2014
96
256
51
Did you read TMF yet? :)

I'd say like the book: time is what we don't have. It's more or less the only thing limited. This is why I need to set my mind on a particular task, focus on that alone and learn from it!



Sounds cool. I would suggest you read up on MVP and stuff first instead, test your market. If enough people click through you should look further and perhaps produce a small batch. Then you can see how that sells. Forget everything else like logos and stuff.. Just pick a name, go with something simple and try it out. Your first product will most likely not be a hit anyway so you might as well just try it out today:)


I like the elephant analogy:)

Yup, read TMF in two days. What I meant was that I have spare time after my work day to focus on this. I'm certainly not trying to drag the process out, lord no. Now that winter weather is here, driving to work every day sucks even more.

Marketing and sales is where I have NO experience unfortunately, so that's where I'm going to have to work a bit harder.
 

Post New Topic

Please SEARCH before posting.
Please select the BEST category.

Post new topic

Guest post submissions offered HERE.

Latest Posts

New Topics

Fastlane Insiders

View the forum AD FREE.
Private, unindexed content
Detailed process/execution threads
Ideas needing execution, more!

Join Fastlane Insiders.

Top