Committing and No Longer Selling Myself Short

[Gareth]

The websites that I created 8 months ago are starting to bear fruit.

Plant your seeds now.

Between you and your dreams are problems. The faster you attack problems and solve them the sooner you get to your dreams. Every problem has at least 1 or more positive solutions. A problem can be an opportunity. Look for the opportunity.

Don't get frustrated at the problems, just get used to solving them.

And take 10 times the action you thought you needed to take (props to GC)

 

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[InspireHD]

After wanting to start a business since 2003, it's finally becoming real!

I'm currently employed full-time as a police officer. It's hard to put that fact out there because in today's world I feel like I have to protect myself. It's a job that pays well with awesome benefits, but it can be a drag. I don't wake up excited to go to work and it's hard to relate to people when you don't feel like you get a lot of support outside of the job. It's not fulfilling to me anymore. It scares me to think that one day I'll wake up and regret not starting a business because "my job paid well and I was comfortable."

Back in August, 2016, a friend was visiting and while he was here, we went and visited his cousin who is a retired accountant. After talking to him about business, the stock market, and day trading, he said something to me that I will never forget. He said, knowing that I was a police officer, "you're selling yourself short."

Years ago, between police jobs, I worked for my uncle who ran a business. After talking to him earlier this month, I decided I was going to do what he used to do. He told me he would help me as long as I committed to it.

I hate to be vague at this point, but in the future, if it takes off, I could see myself going into more detail and helping others get started.

During the start-up phase, I've spent about $500, which includes filing for an LLC, buying the domain name for my business, buying a business landline, and setting up a PO Box. In a couple weeks, I'll have to spend $160 for a registered agent, and I'm projecting that I may have to spend another $250 for a software license.

I'm sure you're thinking that "you don't need all of that! Just go make some sales." The reality is that I actually do need it. Maybe not the domain, but it's going to be needed in the future so I bought it now while the name was available. Maybe not the software either, but it's a quality-of-life issue that my uncle is recommending from the point of experience. I haven't bought it yet so I may change my mind.

As of right now, I am waiting for my paperwork to come back from the state. It should be another two weeks. After I have that, I will open up a bank account, fill out some more required paperwork, and then put together a packet of information and apply for some certifications. This is all required and for my benefit in the long run. Then, the fun part begins with making sales.

I will be starting slow to get accustomed to the process and learn how the system works. I'm still learning a lot and will probably make some mistakes.

Short-Term Goals
1.) To make my first sale to learn how the system works.
2.) To make at least 10 sales to prove that I can do this.
3.) To earn enough money to payback my startup costs and get back to breakeven.
4.) To generate enough average profit per month to pay my monthly expenses. This will set up the opportunity to go at this full-time.
5.) To earn enough money to resign from my job as a police officer.

This opportunity has given me focus and direction and I am incredibly excited to get started. I'm looking forward to updating this thread in the near future with lessons learned and some stories of success!

Thanks for reading!

 

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[InspireHD]

Life Is Short - Take Advantage Of It

If you read my introduction to this post, you know that I am a police officer. I may be in the minority in that I am not entirely proud of what I do. The job is not physically demanding, but it's mentally and emotionally exhausting. I've had days where all I want to do is isolate myself. I've had days where all I want to do is sit down and turn my brain off. When I worked nights, I could barely get myself out of bed and function because my sleep cycle was so screwed up. I'm constantly fighting through periods of anxiety and depression. I read an email from work that an attorney wants to talk to me about an arrest I made and it bugs me for hours because I know that when I go back into work I have to deal with talking about it and possibly defending myself to someone who isn't happy. It's hard to please everyone and it's a direct result of the work I have to do.

When I'm away from work, it's the last thing I want to think about. It's not the way I want to live. It's not the way I want to be remembered.

The other day a coworker and I got called to the home of an elderly couple. The wife had fallen off her bed and her husband was not able to pick her up. We got there and she was not able to move or speak. Whatever her illness was, it had taken over and consumed her life.

Afterward, we were standing outside and started talking about how short life can be. If you think about it, that lady was once just like us. Waking up every day, working, making dinner, spending time with her kids, etc., but now, she's barely able to function. It really makes you realize that we have to take advantage of every day that we have. Don't let another day pass by without doing something toward your dreams and goals.

I have seen some of the worst things imaginable that make me reevaluate everything I'm doing. I have dealt with some very nasty and dangerous people, but helped many who needed a hand. Just to share a few of my experiences:

• Gotten involved in many fights
• Had someone spit on me
• Heard a guy kill himself by putting a shotgun in his mouth and found him an hour later (I could hear the slug whiz by up above me)
• Called to the scene of a guy who shot himself in the forehead and was found 2 days later
• Called to the scene of a guy who died at least a month before he was found (trust me, it was not a pretty sight)
• Investigated multiple suicides by hanging
• Came upon the scene of a 3 vehicle crash. The passenger of one car broke his hip and leg from the impact on the door
• Came upon the scene of a train crash into a car. The driver died 4 days later
• Assisted at the scene of a vehicle vs. motorcycle crash. The motorcyclist was pronounced brain dead and died the next day
• Responded to the scene of a van vs. motorcycle crash. The motorcyclist died at the scene, in the middle of the road, from not wearing a helmet
• Responded to so many heroin overdoses. Some of them would have died if not provided emergency medical intervention
• Responded to a home for a son who overdosed on heroin and died in his bed. He was found by his mother the next morning.
• Assisted at the scene of a heroin death where the girl's boyfriend dragged her body across a yard and put her in her parked vehicle, then called for help
  
• Spoke to a girl who has been addicted to heroin for years and would rather die than deal with the withdrawals and struggle of beating the addiction...again
  
• Investigated countless natural deaths
• Conducted CPR on several people
• Had to give several death notifications to family members
• Responded to many medical emergencies for people who could not function on their own
• Picked up many elderly people who had fallen and couldn't get up

All of this is sad, not only because of the circumstances, but because they are people too. All of them were once children, innocent and full of life. Some of them were people who may never have realized the full potential of their life. Some of them were people who decided they had enough of the daily pressures of their life, medical issues, or personal problems. Some of them were just out enjoying the day.

When you realize how fragile life can be, it makes you step back and reevaluate where you are in life. Sure, I make a very comfortable salary for what I do, but it's not fulfilling. I can retire early, earn a pension, and have great health benefits, but the real value I want to add to this world outweighs the early retirement and benefits.

Do you want to wake up when you're 80 and still be searching for that first business idea?

Do you want to go to bed when you're 80 reading your 386th business book looking for more inspiration before you get started?

Stop worrying about failure. Stop worrying that it's not the right idea. Stop worrying about losing some money. Make a decision and run with it. Learn as you go. You will learn so much by doing that thing you want to do.

If you want to sell on Ebay, pick something from your house, take a few pictures, and click that Sell link. Doesn't sell? Who cares, relist it. Pick another thing and list it.
Want to import from Alibaba? Take the time to research and start a conversation with the supplier.
Want to create an app? Start learning how to code and code that app while you're learning.
Want to do web design? Read the web design thread by @Fox and start selling your services.

You know, several years ago I didn't know how to play the guitar. I decided I wanted to learn so I asked for one for Christmas. I didn't spend hours reading books on music theory. I didn't spend hours watching videos of others play so I could be inspired. I watched some tutorials, learned how to play some songs, and those songs taught me how to play the guitar. Am I good? Not even close, but I can at least pick up the guitar and put together chords to make it sound like I know what I'm doing. By the way, I still don't know what music theory is.

My point in all of this is to not waste another day. Take advantage of the days given to you. Think about what you want your life to look like. Think about what you want your legacy to be. If you have an idea, if you want to add value to someone's life or to the world, you have an obligation to do so. It is your duty to create that thing that creates value in this world and inspires others to do the same. Go after your dreams. Don't wait another day. Do the thing you have always wanted to do. Don't let fear hold you back and don't give up.

Most importantly, take care of yourself.

Life is short - take advantage of it.

 

[malindi]

I think you are doing things in a smart way, but then again, sometimes not being smart or reasonable is what propelled us along in our business, it is a different way of doing things, kind of crazy and not for everyone (especially if you are supporting a family), but this is how we started, would be interested to hear other people's stories, whether you started out part-time or worked on your business in the evenings etc..

When my husband and I started we both went full time in to the business immediately and we had no money to begin with. We soon got a bit of capital from a relative (we discovered that if you want capital, ask your friends and family, just ask everyone until you get what you need) and then we had to hustle real fast and make a product, make sales and just see what happened. We started on the 3rd July 2014, got funding on the 4th July 2014 and had a product ready to go out to market by October 2014 (we make chocolate bars, and when we started, we didn't know how to make chocolate or mould chocolate or anything to do with food or food businesses). This method is pretty crazy and v v stressful, but I have to admit it was a giant kick in the a$$, we had no choice but to make sales and to make them straight away, we had no choice but to learn how to make chocolate and to learn fast, we got 100 shops on board in the first year and a national distribution deal at the end of the first year.

Our first product ended up not being what the market needed, but we learned from that, made a new line of products and then discontinued the old ones. The new ones out-sold the old ones by 500% in the first quarter. I guess what I am sharing is that business to me has felt like they say 'jumping out of a plane and constructing a parachute on the way down', it's lots of mistakes and kind of just going for it. Has anyone else found that? It has been two of the hardest years of our lives, but we have learned so much.

 

[InspireHD]

The startup process has been full of obstacles and quite frustrating to say the least. Looking at it now, I wish I would have gotten started sooner and maybe done things a little differently. As much as LegalZoom has organized everything and made the process simple, I have quickly found they charge you quite a bit (and possibly overcharge for some things). It has been a learning experience given this is my first time starting a legitimate company. I'm not entirely sure I would use them again. There are cheaper options out there - or possibly doing it yourself.

When I first filed for my LLC they gave me a 30 day window, but was told my paperwork would probably come sooner. Sure enough, they used every last day they had to get my paperwork to me. It's what I paid for, but I had a suspicion that they were just holding onto my paperwork when they could have shipped it out faster. They really didn't need to spend a week reviewing my paperwork when 90% of what they sent me was a template or in a generic booklet form. It was quite underwhelming when I opened the packet.

The next step in my process was opening a business bank account and I couldn't move forward until it was opened. The goal was to do it yesterday, but hold on, let's throw an obstacle in the way. Yesterday was President's Day and banks were closed. I've only been waiting 30+ days, one more won't hurt.

How about opening it today? I guess that's the next best thing, right? I have to work the next couple of days so I don't want to delay this any longer. I drove 16 miles to the bank I want to use. Sorry, the business banker isn't in today! You have to be kidding me! Fortunately, they worked their magic and had their Vice President of the branch help me out. *click click click* Oh sorry, we can't validate your business right now because your state's website is down! WTF, SERIOUSLY!?

I didn't have time to hang out in the area as I had to be somewhere so I drove all the way home to wait until I had to be where I had to be. As soon as I got home, the website was back up. Story of my life! Then, I had the idea that when I was done doing what I had to do, I would race back over and try to get it done today.

It all worked out and I got there right on time. The bank account is opened and things are starting to move forward again!

Once I got home I started registering for the next account that needed to be opened. Now I just have to wait up to 10 business days for the system to talk with the IRS and migrate everything into their system. So, I wait some more!

Everyone should learn this lesson. Quit waiting to start your business. Problems may pop up when you least expect them. I wasted nearly 13 years wanting to start a business. Don't do that! What I am doing has been slightly complex with quite a few steps in the startup process. In the beginning, I did not imagine that I would run into so many obstacles.

Once everything gets up and running, I won't be thinking about how much I've had to wait, but either way, it's been a wild ride for sure.

 

[amp0193]

I guess what I am sharing is that business to me has felt like they say 'jumping out of a plane and constructing a parachute on the way down', it's lots of mistakes and kind of just going for it. Has anyone else found that? It has been two of the hardest years of our lives, but we have learned so much.

This was my favorite post that I read today.

Action trumps everything. You can't possibly forsee every pitfall and mistake in advance. Do, learn, pivot, repeat.


Your story reminds me of the start of Banana Republic. I think you'd enjoy this book: Wild Company: The Untold Story of Banana Republic: Mel Ziegler, Patricia Ziegler: 8601416256429: Amazon.com: Books

 

[InspireHD]

Every day that I have the opportunity to work on my business, I write down a list of things I need to do. The inspiration for that came from Vigilante's thread, Can a $2 tool help make you a millionaire?. Between a small notepad, a slightly bigger notepad, and a Five Star 5 section ringed notebook, I like the ringed notebook because it keeps everything intact.

At this point, I'm still waiting for my paperwork to come back from the state. I'm slightly anticipating by the end of next week. The girl on the phone stated about 30 days, but find their turnaround time is around 21 days. It has now been 14.

Since I can't do anything until I get my paperwork back, I spent a couple hours yesterday and today designing my website. It's amazing how DOING leads to learning. I'll probably leave the website as my "Under Construction" landing page until I make a few sales and get a feel for the system and my process.

Yesterday, I called Chase Bank to inquire about their veteran's business bank account.

Person 1 - "Let me transfer you to our business center."
Person 2 = "Let me transfer you to our business specialist."
Person 3 = "Let me transfer you to an account specialist. Here's the number in case we get disconnected..."
Me = "That's the number I called to speak to Person 1!"
Person 4 = "I will find the answer for you. Please hold. (a minute later...) My supervisor told me you need to call a branch directly."
So I call the branch directly.
Person 5 = "Let me transfer you to a banker."
Person 6 = "Our business banker is not in today."

Incredibly frustrating. I was 80% ready to ditch Chase since it was becoming difficult to get an answer.

I called again today and spoke with the business banker who was super helpful. It's amazing how much more pleasant it is to work with someone who provides value and has the answers. At the end of our conversation, he thanked me for my service and said he looked forward to meeting me to help my business grow and achieve the American dream (he actually said that).

For anyone who wants to know, Chase has a veteran's bank account that waives the monthly service fee and there is no minimum account balance. They give you 200 free transactions per month. Any additional transactions incur a $.40 fee. The account process takes about 1 hour and when you walk out, your account is ready to go and you'll get your debit card the same day. They just require your EIN, Entity number, LLC paperwork, two forms of identification, and proof of veteran status.

 

[InspireHD]

Keep after the business, and good luck.

BTW, you make multiple references to starting to add value. Whether you feel like it or not, I hope you realize that most people believe that what you currently do adds value to lots of peoples' lives, whether they realize it or thank you for it.

That said, life is definitely too short to keep doing something that makes you depressed, and I can't really blame you for not wanting to spend every day dealing with felons and lawyers. Felons, maybe, but getting interrogated by lawyers

I read this when you originally posted it, but I never really had the right words to reply. It's nice when we get thanked, but it's almost like those thanks never have time to sink in. One minute you're getting a thank you and the next minute you're responding for a drug overdose or domestic. The value provided never really has time to sink in.

I've taken some time to think about it and some of the passing thoughts in my head are telling me that I don't completely believe in what I do. Talking to my coworker made me realize that the job isn't fulfilling and that it's okay to believe that there is more out there for me. There are times I enjoy it and times I hate it. And I could spend hours talking about it, but what it comes down to now is that I feel like I'm at a point in my life where I am ready to create something for myself. It's all about living the dream. It's about leaving a legacy. It's about proving people wrong that you have to be lucky or have things handed to you. And if there is anything I learned from this forum and all of you guys, it's about providing true value in the world.

After a slow start, which I expected, I finally got moving on my business today. I spent a few hours on the business and learning the process and systems. I don't completely understand everything just yet so I am basically dipping my toes in trying to figure it all out without making any huge mistakes. I'd rather lose $50 than lose $3,000 upfront. I started feeling a little anxious when I realized I would have to make a phone call to another business, but I overcame it and made the call. It turned out that it really wasn't that bad! The guy was cool and he ended up calling me back with the information I was looking for. And then later in the day I called a business directly about a part and will hopefully have my first sale soon!

I'm off work tomorrow so I'll be able to spend much more of the day doing research and getting up and running. I imagine once I have more experience and figure out how the systems work that I'll be able to scale my own time more efficiently.

 

[InspireHD]

Finally have some good news to report. I won my first contract!

I still have some things I'm trying to figure out, but I pretty much have about 2.5 months to fulfill the contract. It shouldn't take that long. I just need to figure out how to do everything correctly to ship the product. Even if I end up losing money on this transaction, it's giving me the opportunity to see the entire sales cycle. I think there is going to be a cost added that I didn't account for -- and that's what I'm trying to learn and figure out how to handle it.

The goal right now is to see this through to the end until I get my payment. From there, it'll prove that I can do it! I think @Andy Black said, if you can make one sale, you can make two. Or was that 100? Anyway, I'll ramp it up and go after winning more. Knowing the entire cycle will give me a better idea how to more accurately quote prices and get a good flow going and to see that there is no big scary monster waiting for me at the end of the tunnel.

I've also been working on redesigning a website for my friend's business. I've been working on that every now and then as I'm still learning a lot. I've been working with her on some concepts and trying to get her to take a wall of text down to simple explanations that are easy to understand and refining her pricing to narrow down the options. She's really been dealing with information overload to the point where she is trying to justify her pricing to potential customers. She does really great work. I think she's underselling herself by a lot, but she has been really receptive to my suggestions, which is good -- almost like I'm consulting her (new business opportunity?).

So, goods things are coming around. Trying to stay humble and just do the work. I signed up for an Audible account and have been listening to Sell or Be Sold by Grant Cardone. It has been a pretty good book so far. If anyone has any suggestions for audiobooks, please let me know! I still have one more free credit that I'm looking to use.

 

[InspireHD]

This is exactly what I've been thinking about it. I think I have the echoes of you, @MJ DeMarco , and @AndrewNC in the back of my mind when it comes to the idea of hurdles, obstacles, and mountains. That is why I have been fighting through the resistance.

I recently finished the audiobook, The 10x Rule by Grant Cardone. He basically says he loves having problems. Having problems means you're growing and moving forward. If you never had problems, then you would just be doing what the average person does. The average person avoids the problems and they stay in their comfort zone. Every obstacle I've run into I've overcome (so far) and it has given me the experience to be able to get over it in the future. In fact, what seems like such a big obstacle in the beginning is no longer an obstacle when I get around it.

When I was really putting my foot down to figure this out, I basically had to say, "screw it! I need to figure this out!" I was getting anxiety because I hated feeling like a fool reaching out to the buyers and other departments to ask them about their systems and how to do things. I created a "Courage List" that I wrote down the action I took every time I overcame my fear of doing something. All of them are making phone calls and actually talking to people. And this has helped me realize two things:

1. I actually learned a lot by talking to them, and
2. There are some really nice people out there who will take the time to help if you ask.

I'm sure some new fears will crop up soon when I get back to selling; however, right now, focusing on this one shipment, when I have a question, I just pick up the phone and call. I don't even think about the fear of talking to someone or have the fear of feeling like an idiot. I just call and talk.

I'm currently listening to "The Magic of Thinking Big" (recommended in the book thread) and the author states that the cure for fear is action. It's the simple act of doing that thing you're afraid of doing. That is so true! You'll gain the courage to keep going and then you no longer feel that fear anymore.

I also started re-reading Unscripted again. I need that kick in the butt again to keep going. My real-life job is going downhill fast and I need to get myself out.

 

[GMSI7D]

The websites that I created 8 months ago are starting to bear fruit.

Plant your seeds now.

it reminds me of an Eben Pagan program called " seeds of your success"

this is about innergame and outergame , not just business

you have to be the best you to have the best results with the best conditions

the problem with success seeds is that we don't really know when the harvest will come

or whether it will come at all because of bugs ( problems ) and so on



sometimes it is better to do nothing that to take action and quit along the road

either we do nothing or we do things completely

that's why i do not commit to fastlane

because if i quit, i will be very upset and very angry after a life of failure at 40

very angry

so i only do things that i am sure to finish


" do or do not, there is no try " master yoda

 

[MidwestLandlord]

Our first product ended up not being what the market needed, but we learned from that, made a new line of products and then discontinued the old ones. The new ones out-sold the old ones by 500% in the first quarter.

This is a hugely important comment right here. I hope everyone reads it.

There are two companies I'm involved in right now, that didn't listen to this advice. They offer repair services, and did OK with the service they sold. However, both of them were turning away customers that kept coming to them for services they DIDN'T offer, but easily COULD offer.

But both business owners didn't choose to offer the new service, because "that's not what I do"

They didn't react to what the market was telling them. Now they do (thanks to me haha), and it looks like both are going to sell much more service.

@Andy Black has a story in one of his radio interviews about this too. An electrician that wasn't selling appliance repair, even though he had the skills and customer google searches showed him the market was there.

(btw @malindi , if you put an "@" in front of someones name, it will show up as an alert on their end, so then they are less likely to miss that you responded to them. @amp0193 for example. Hope that helps)

 

[InspireHD]

So, it's been about another month. I've been overwhelmed with trying to figure out the next step and I've been distracting myself when I should be taking action. Earlier in the week when I was off work, I started digging in and figuring it out piece by piece. I have a better grasp on it and was ready to get moving forward and ship the first product. I got everything set up today to ship and then found out that every single little box I had needed a new label on it. Talk about another obstacle! Going through the proper system that generated the labels was only giving me 3 size options. And, guess what? None of those 3 sizes worked for the size of the box they needed to go on. Either they were way too big or way too small.

I was feeling overwhelmed again. Why is there so much resistance with everything I've been doing?

Instead of just throwing my hands up and giving up, I said to myself, "what can I do to make this work?"

It only took a few minutes to come up with a solution. I took a screenshot of the information I needed and then went onto the website of a label company and used their free templates to figure out the right size and be able to generate the label in there. I went out to Walmart and bought a pack of the labels and then printed them 6 at a time. It took me a good 3-4 hours of the day to figure out this label thing. But, progress is progress!

I'll definitely be taking a loss on this first order now that I had to put labels on every single box, but I'm still learning. I know what to look forward to in the future. I tried to go back in to prepare the shipment, but had a question on one section. I called the help desk again, but nobody answered. I'll have to try again next week.

So, with all of this discouragement and obstacles, I'm still not 100% sure this is all right for me. But maybe I'm giving up too soon. I don't know. I just don't know why there has been so much resistance with the amount of things I have needed to learn along the way. Maybe it's a sign that I'm moving in the right direction. Something has to give, though. Something needs to happen so I can really start to move forward with a prosperous future.

 

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[Andy Black]

Thank you so much for the encouraging words! It means a lot to me!

I've been thinking long and hard about what I'm currently doing and I think in the beginning I might have gotten in for the wrong reasons. I was expecting that I would be more able to reach out to my uncle for advice, but he is so busy with his own business that I've been forced to figure it out on my own. It felt like my ticket to freedom. But, because of that, I've had to become more resourceful and really dig deep with figuring out what needs to be done. I feel like I've come a long way, but I also know that I've barely scratched the surface with what is possible. I just don't know how to take that next step. It doesn't feel like I have a good foundation set -- like I'm just wobbling on stilts.

And since I haven't taken the massive action that I thought I would or that I need to be taking, I haven't given it all I got to really say it's not working. I think that is what is causing me to hesitate too.

With all that said, after working today, I came home and checked my email and found two emails requesting documentation. I am probably going to requote one of them and see if I still get the award, but the second one looks promising. They usually don't ask for documentation if they aren't going to award it to you (as far as I know). And that second one will be a good one if it all works out. My turnaround won't take nearly as long as the first award did. So, there are some good things in the works right now and I should know within the next couple days how it works out.

I've been putting in some good work with my friend's website. It's turning out well, but I keep playing with it since I'm a bit of a perfectionist. I'm trying to get it finished so I can start moving on to paid websites.

You misunderstand.

Your uncle is too busy in his business to help you because he is doing what you're doing. He's being resourceful and figuring things out.

He's not going to say anything to you that will magically make things easier.

You're going to have to put in the work, every - single - day.

"It doesn't get easier. You get stronger."


And being a perfectionist can have its place, but not if it's stopping you from shipping.

The market doesn't pay for busyness. Wrap it up and go find a paying client.

HTH

 

[MidwestLandlord]

I've been thinking long and hard about what I'm currently doing and I think in the beginning I might have gotten in for the wrong reasons.

Stop thinking so much. For real.

And wrong reasons? Nah.

You want freedom, that's a good reason.

But,

You became a "copper copper, crime stopper!" to provide value right? Thought you could make a difference? Change the world, if only in your community?

Now THAT'S a good reason. Providing value. Best feeling ever is providing value. Money is just a side effect of that.

It really sounds to me that you're struggling with "where's the value?" with this government contract thing. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Your uncle is too busy in his business to help you because he is doing what you're doing. He's being resourceful and figuring things out.

This ^^^

He IS coaching you, by showing you what it takes.

It doesn't feel like I have a good foundation set -- like I'm just wobbling on stilts.

Yeah, completely normal feeling.

I just started a new biz. No idea what I'm doing haha. Not a clue.

I've had at least partial ownership in what, like 9 different businesses over the years? I STILL feel like I have no idea what I'm doing.

I feel that way because you know what? I DON'T know what I'm doing. I do have skills that transfer over well to this new venture, but a lot of skills that don't transfer at all, and so much new stuff to learn.

Embrace that feeling 'cause man, you're gonna feel it A LOT. This shit is hard.

 

[InspireHD]

Just another monthly update.

Quoted 9 contracts in September. Had a buyer reach out to me for one, plus an older one from a few months ago. I sent in the required documentation that they asked for, but haven't heard anything. It has been 3 weeks since they asked. I don't know if that is standard, but the last time I was asked to send them paperwork, I was awarded the contract within a couple days.

I also made the decision to go after web design. I bought @Fox 's course and started being more active in his facebook group. I think his course will provide a positive ROI. I've already learned a lot and started a 2nd redesign of my friend's photography site. It has been an uphill battle learning how to navigate the theme I'm using, but I'm learning a ton and I think it's turning out well. I've been working nearly all day for the past few days on the site trying to get it just right. I've probably spent more time working on the site in the past couple weeks than I have worked on my contract business in 6 months. It has just been more enjoyable and feels more tangible. Plus, Fox's facebook group is an incredible network and even talking to him a few times, he genuinely makes you feel like he wants you to succeed and instills the confidence that you will if you do the necessary work.

The plan is to keep the contracting business running, but honestly, I've been so immersed in web design that I haven't taken the time to keep consistent with quoting each day. I want to get this first site done so I can move on to reaching out to other businesses, and also get my own site developed.

My listings on eBay are still running as well. A few people have looked at them, but no buyers yet. I dropped the price of one of them today to try to get a quicker sale. I'd rather have the money than to try to extract every cent out of the thing.

I took off work yesterday and today so in total I'll have 7 days off in a row by the time I go back to work. I actually feel like I'm free and it's so nice to feel like I'm in control of my time working on what I want to work on. It would be nice if I didn't have to think about my work weekend approaching.

 

[G-Man]

overcame it and made the call.

 

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[InspireHD]

There is a point where you have to just say "F it" and go after what you want. If you've been around long enough, you already intrinsically know what you need to do.

Ask yourself, what advice would you give someone else?

If someone said, "I'm afraid to pick up the phone," what would you tell them?
- You have to overcome those fears. Just do it. Nobody is going to hurt you. Just pick up the phone and call! Do you want to succeed or not?

I had that moment today. I got off the phone with my uncle and felt a renewed sense of motivation. I've been dealing with a lot of stress in my personal life and feeling some discouragement that I'm running into a brick wall with this business. The more involved I get, the more questions I have. The more questions I have, the less work I'm doing. I'm trying to not lose sight of what I'm trying to accomplish.

Since I had a bunch of questions, I had to make a bunch of phone calls to the buyers until I got through to someone. Once I did, it was quite amazing. I ended up talking to him for about an hour. He was super helpful, gave me great advice on where to start and what I should be doing while I'm still new, and provided some insight on what he does, what he looks at, and some behind-the-scenes information. He was completely honest when there was a question he couldn't answer and directed me toward a resource that may be able to provide those answers. It was later in the day so I'm going to try and make that call tomorrow, although I have somewhere I need to be late morning.

With more answers, came more questions. Honestly, before getting into this 3 months ago, I didn't know what I didn't know. I have a lot more to learn about the whole process so I'm going to seek out those answers as quickly as possible. I spent about 2-3 hours after the phone call doing research, but never really found a good answer. It will most likely come down to reaching out to more people and being persistent until I get those answers.

So, even though, on paper, I didn't get much done, I still feel satisfied. I have a better vision moving forward. I feel like I took advantage of today and was productive. I might be starting a business in a field that is super complicated and might not have been the best choice for someone's first business, but I think, once I get moving, it has incredible potential. Once I start seeing those breakthroughs, it's going to be awesome.

 

[Walter Hay]

Without going into too much detail right now, I decided to come out with what I'm doing in case it may generate some feedback and lead to some guidance. My business involves government contracting as a vendor. My expectations going into this was that I would make a bunch of phone calls, quote a bunch of contracts, and then maybe I'd have a little trickle of income here and there. Two weeks is really nothing in the longer view of things, but when I was expecting contracts to be awarded automatically, I quickly came to find out that even a computer doesn't award things when quoting is closed. The last couple days (1-2 weeks after bids close) I've finally been seeing some contracts awarded. Based on the quotes that companies are winning with, there is no way I could even come close. In fact, one company I source from doesn't lower their prices for anyone and someone put in a bid $20 lower than what the item actually costs. I have no idea how they did it. A week or so ago, I had a company tell me they wouldn't give me a quote because they bid on contracts too.

My experience with tendering for government contracts might help you understand why you are not getting sales.

My importing business handled among other things, items used on a very large scale by various government agencies. Almost all contracts were granted as a result of a tender process.

I knew that our prices were competitive, while still allowing good margins, because I had the purchasing side of things in China sewn up. So I quoted on a number of the big contracts and never won. I found out (legitimately) what the successful bidder quoted, and next time round quoted well below those prices, while still determined to maintain a good margin. I wasn't going to work for the government!

Still no contracts. I then decided that on one where my margin was biggest, I would quote at cost. I was beaten by 1/2 c per unit. Repeated the process, quoting at below cost, just to find out why no success. Again, beaten by 1/2 cent per unit.

The answer? The system was being cheated with the help of INSIDERS who had access to the quotes before they were assessed. I wasn't going to waste more time, and I certainly wasn't going to start bribing INSIDERS.

In passing I should add that from time to time, smaller contracts were awarded outside the tender process and I got some great orders at very high margins, because the process was fair and honest.

Walter
P.S. I operated via franchisees in 4 countries and the story was the same in each of those countries.

 

[UncommonWay]

If you need some help, my day job is as a contract specialist for the government. As long as it's not something I'm working on or buying, I can try to answer your questions.

My business involves government contracting as a vendor. My expectations going into this was that I would make a bunch of phone calls, quote a bunch of contracts, and then maybe I'd have a little trickle of income here and there. Two weeks is really nothing in the longer view of things, but when I was expecting contracts to be awarded automatically, I quickly came to find out that even a computer doesn't award things when quoting is closed. The last couple days (1-2 weeks after bids close) I've finally been seeing some contracts awarded. Based on the quotes that companies are winning with, there is no way I could even come close. In fact, one company I source from doesn't lower their prices for anyone and someone put in a bid $20 lower than what the item actually costs. I have no idea how they did it. A week or so ago, I had a company tell me they wouldn't give me a quote because they bid on contracts too.

I'm also trying to figure out how I can do more. My motto right now is all about taking action so I know I can do a lot more and be more efficient with my time. I'm not satisfied with my level of action taking in March. Not really knowing if I'm doing this right and trying to figure out a routine is what is holding me back. It feels like I'm running through quicksand and tripping over my own feet. It's a struggle, but I'm still going at it.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to a better April!

 

[Qstyle]

I just read your thread, it's great to see you keep going on after all the hurdles you've already taken.
Seems you're preparing to tackle even more so I like the energy you keep putting in.
As Andy Black mentioned, take a breath when you seem to start drowning. We're all grinding away at our problems, you're not alone.
Keep it up!

 

[InspireHD]

I'm posting this a day late, but wanted to say that yesterday was a good day. My first official payment was cleared into my bank account. It was a slight loss because I didn't take into account having to relabel everything and I was also double charged shipping when I bought the product since they came in two shipments. That was my fault. The labeling was because I really didn't know what I needed to do. It's also probably why I won it in the first place because I was the lowest cost from only adding the shipping in once.

Since getting back into it, I've quoted 2 more contracts. There is a certain criteria that I'm looking for when I review the contracts so a lot of them I pass. Generally, I would say on average there are about 20 new contracts everyday so I'm having to pass on a lot of them. Some of them I'll research and decide it's not right for me right now, whether it's me still not really knowing what I'm doing or just that the contract is out of my price range or they want a quick turnaround that I can't handle. I'm trying to get a good understanding of everything without having to break the bank also.

Where I learned how to handle one thing, another thing comes up that makes me question how to handle that as well. For example, one of the sections talks about how to pack the product. Since I worked through that, now I know how to do that one. Well, then I run into others that are in a code that I have to look up, but then it's talking about special boxes, which I don't know if it's just a regular box or that they want a specific type of box. I'll have to make a phone call and figure it out.

When I look at what I'm doing and try to commit to it, I realize that I'm really not doing enough. I'm not spending hours every day trying to source contracts. I really don't know what else to do. I can get through the one supplier's contracts in about 20 minutes. Maybe 30 minutes if there are a few I'm quoting, but Tuesday I quoted 2, Wednesday I quoted 0, and today I quoted 0. I'm not going to get anywhere with this if I don't start figuring out how to get more involved. And I'm often wondering if I need to start seriously considering something else that I can take more directed action toward.

I look at a lot of the people doing well on here and they could spend a considerable amount of time building something. I'm spending less than a couple hours a week and it's obviously not getting me anywhere. I don't feel like I'm moving myself to be inline with my goals. If I want to gain freedom from a job, I can't continue going this way only quoting 2 contracts a week.

Ever see the movie War Dogs? Great movie, but I'm definitely no where near that level of energy. It would be pretty awesome, though, to have some kind of operation like that.

 

[Andy Black]

You're right (I've said that before!). I really have what I need now to get started with web design. The big numbers of FBA that he spouts are enticing and I feel like it's either web design or ecommerce that can lead me to where I want to be. It would literally change my life if I had even half the success in web design that @Fox has.

The other ideas I have can wait until I have the ability to focus on a side project. I was actually laying in bed last night with my eyes closed trying to go to sleep and had an idea for a book to write pop into my head. In fact, it's the second idea for a book I've had. I almost jumped out of bed to write down the idea so I wouldn't forget it.

Regarding courses, I have been contemplating Fox's course. I feel like it would be a good way to learn from the best and start with a foundation.

Focus. Forget books. Don't take *any* courses yet.

Get a client (even if a non-paying one).

Do it by Friday.

 

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[InspireHD]

Stop thinking so much. For real.

And wrong reasons? Nah.

You want freedom, that's a good reason.

But,

You became a "copper copper, crime stopper!" to provide value right? Thought you could make a difference? Change the world, if only in your community?

Now THAT'S a good reason. Providing value. Best feeling ever is providing value. Money is just a side effect of that.

It really sounds to me that you're struggling with "where's the value?" with this government contract thing. Correct me if I'm wrong.

When I sit in a car for ~10+ hours, bored out of my mind, I have a lot of time to think.

Becoming an officer was a childhood dream. I'm not really sure what the motivation was. It was just really exciting to me. It was always the mystery of the job that kept me curious. However, now, I just don't feel fulfilled. The recklessness and selfishness of some people blows my mind. I'm ready for a new challenge to propel me further, to keep me excited, to create something bigger than myself.

I was talking to a guy yesterday while I was on a call. He was a retired trooper from a different state. After telling me who he was, he began to thank me for what I do and told me he couldn't imagine doing it today. His exact words were, "the job today just seems like you're always at war." And he was right. I can compare the job today to 10 years ago and it's nowhere near the same. I just don't see a way out unless I can create a business that allows me to control my own time.

Yeah, completely normal feeling.

I just started a new biz. No idea what I'm doing haha. Not a clue.

I've had at least partial ownership in what, like 9 different businesses over the years? I STILL feel like I have no idea what I'm doing.

I feel that way because you know what? I DON'T know what I'm doing. I do have skills that transfer over well to this new venture, but a lot of skills that don't transfer at all, and so much new stuff to learn.

Embrace that feeling 'cause man, you're gonna feel it A LOT. This shit is hard.

This is encouraging! haha I appreciate you taking the time to be open about that. I don't have the network or the background of 'being in business' so I don't know what kind of emotions I'm expecting to feel. All I relate to is what the average person considers that this struggling, pain, anxiety, and nervousness is bad. I guess that is where everyone gets the notion that you have to know everything before starting, but I know that isn't true anymore. I always feel like I need to be an expert or I'm not good enough. It's been a huge learning opportunity and I look forward to picking up and having the success like everyone else.

 

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[OldFaithful]

Interesting thread @InspireHD, please keep us updated. Thanks!

 

[Gareth]

sometimes it is better to do nothing that to take action and quit along the road

This really depends. Nothing wrong with exiting from something that doesn't work. By taking action, even if things don't work out...you learn!

No action means limited possibility for practical learning

 

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[G-Man]

Life is short - take advantage of it.

Keep after the business, and good luck.

BTW, you make multiple references to starting to add value. Whether you feel like it or not, I hope you realize that most people believe that what you currently do adds value to lots of peoples' lives, whether they realize it or thank you for it.

That said, life is definitely too short to keep doing something that makes you depressed, and I can't really blame you for not wanting to spend every day dealing with felons and lawyers. Felons, maybe, but getting interrogated by lawyers

 

[OldFaithful]

The answer? The system was being cheated with the help of INSIDERS who had access to the quotes before they were assessed. I wasn't going to waste more time, and I certainly wasn't going to start bribing INSIDERS.

Wow, that's terrible. Admittedly, I was beginning to think along the same lines as I read the OP's posts.

@InspireHD you can keep grinding away at this project, but I think I'd be having some serious doubts at this point. I tend to always encourage other members to keep pushing and never give up, but in this instance...idk.

Best wishes.

 

[InspireHD]

Glad you're seeing some traction on this, even if it's not a winning bid yet. Are you still going after the micro-purchase awards?

Technically, yes. I haven't been working on the business so I haven't done anything else since earlier in the month. I'm sort of at a loss for direction, as sad as it sounds. I'm beginning to see I had no real vision moving forward as I don't entirely know what is possible. I think I've had a very narrow mindset and that I'm not quite thinking big enough. When I was working with my uncle years ago, I was doing the exact same thing I'm doing now and I am not entirely sure that what I was doing was productive for his business -- which is why I think he dropped the accounts and I no longer worked with him after that. It's much more clear now, but it's more or less an obstacle I have to get around. It's like .01% of what I can do so I can't just say "it doesn't work for me" and flip-flop to something else.

I'm getting the itch to try other things that are more internet/computer related like web design, lead generation, etc. But, honestly, I have no idea how to start lead generation from zero. I don't even know if I know what that is. As much as I'm good with a computer, I am clueless when it comes to becoming a "producer" of something, like podcasts, youtube videos, lead generation.

I've also been bouncing the idea around in my brain of trying to get into investment management. I'm a big fan of Warren Buffett and have been investing my own money since 2003. I love the idea of buying businesses that are undervalued. I've had good success with my own accounts in the past. Within the last several years, I've had yearly returns of 42% and 33%.

At the same time I hear @MJ DeMarco yelling at me through his books. Maybe that's something for another life.

I was watching a couple videos with Elon Musk and it leaves me in awe how big he thinks and the magnitude of what he's doing. Watching SpaceX launch a rocket is incredible. It makes me think, "What is the biggest thing I could do that seems impossible?"

Also, the past few days I've been listening to the How I Built This podcast (which I highly recommend). It's very cool listening to how people built their businesses and it really shows you that they are just like everyone else. They had an idea that they went after and never gave up.

This went on a major tangent, but I needed to get some things off my mind. I appreciate the help you have given me in PM and I hope to pick your brain a little more.

 

[Andy Black]

So, it's been about another month. I've been overwhelmed with trying to figure out the next step and I've been distracting myself when I should be taking action. Earlier in the week when I was off work, I started digging in and figuring it out piece by piece. I have a better grasp on it and was ready to get moving forward and ship the first product. I got everything set up today to ship and then found out that every single little box I had needed a new label on it. Talk about another obstacle! Going through the proper system that generated the labels was only giving me 3 size options. And, guess what? None of those 3 sizes worked for the size of the box they needed to go on. Either they were way too big or way too small.

I was feeling overwhelmed again. Why is there so much resistance with everything I've been doing?

Instead of just throwing my hands up and giving up, I said to myself, "what can I do to make this work?"

It only took a few minutes to come up with a solution. I took a screenshot of the information I needed and then went onto the website of a label company and used their free templates to figure out the right size and be able to generate the label in there. I went out to Walmart and bought a pack of the labels and then printed them 6 at a time. It took me a good 3-4 hours of the day to figure out this label thing. But, progress is progress!

I'll definitely be taking a loss on this first order now that I had to put labels on every single box, but I'm still learning. I know what to look forward to in the future. I tried to go back in to prepare the shipment, but had a question on one section. I called the help desk again, but nobody answered. I'll have to try again next week.

So, with all of this discouragement and obstacles, I'm still not 100% sure this is all right for me. But maybe I'm giving up too soon. I don't know. I just don't know why there has been so much resistance with the amount of things I have needed to learn along the way. Maybe it's a sign that I'm moving in the right direction. Something has to give, though. Something needs to happen so I can really start to move forward with a prosperous future.

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