What is it that stops many of us from opening our own online business? 

ARTICLE  2 OF 3     

     Originally, I had a question when I started to write this article. I pondered this and asked myself, "How do I address the problems that face entrepreneurs when they are trying to decide whether or not they hit the 'GO' or the 'STOP' button on their plans?" I do not feel that these barriers can be discussed adequately in one article and that is why I decided I had no choice but to break it down into a series of articles. The next question came to mind almost instantly; "What is the biggest killer of dreams?" It is the 'F' word. Not a swear word but the word fear. It will do more to disrupt someone's ambitions than any curse word.     

     Let's give a break down of this word. In the Strong's Greek concordance (biblehub 2017) it is called 'phobos' and one meaning has it as: "withdrawal, fleeing because of feeling inadequate". That hits close to home. I can actually recall feeling exactly like that. If you dream constantly about a better life and success, you likely realize that your current employer or job will never be able to fully fuel your dreams so they can take off for the skies. You already have the makings of an entrepreneur. The problem lies with the fear-based feeling of being inadequate and therefore thinking your success is unlikely. Many out of fear-based mentality, will start to rattle off excuses as to why they are not the one to start an online business. The title was a real question for me, "What are the obstacles to starting my online business?" I had to look at a few issues that constantly kept rising to the surface for me. 

• TECH SKILLS                               

     An online business centers around technology and many will say they do not know much about computers. Okay, that may be true but let's go back to childhood. This example will apply to just about everybody. Before riding a bicycle for the first time, I did not know anything about how to ride a bike. If your situation was like mine, you had a brother or sister who were all too happy to push you and let go so they could have a good laugh as you crashed into the house, a fence, tree stumps, or just fell down. There were bumps and bruises but within that week, at only 4 years old, I became a proficient rider. I had a choice to be afraid or the choice to take action. The excuse of not having computer skills can be remedied by going to paid courses from private individuals or a local college, or even free community classes that are offered at different times. With minimal computer knowledge, online courses can be found to learn computer skills. If that seems daunting, have a younger kid from your neighborhood or your family personally teach you. Get past that reason because it is not a good reason for success to be denied to you. 

    Another aspect to consider is the growth of the internet. In its infancy, many of the software to do things online required extremely tech-savvy users who could create their own code and programming. That limitation simply is not the case anymore. An entrepreneur can join an already existing company while others may buy the wide variety of available software, including programs to build a website. The point is, the tools needed to fill the gaps are available. There is also much education available on the internet to help entrepreneurs establish the working structure of their company as well as how to become known and branded on the internet. The fear of not be able to build your online company should be aggressively countered. We should be able to enjoy technology, not be afraid of it. Joining with a good online partner is still one of the best the best options for an entrepreneur but more on that later. 

• MINDSET

     Otherwise known as the negative mindset, one might say things like "I have tried things like this before and failed" or they will have loved ones and friends that unduly affect their decisions and cause them to reason;  "My family and friends tell me it is a stupid idea so it won't work." The fear of failing can be paralyzing if allowed. From a time before the internet, I remember the example of one man who had a 'do not quit attitude'. He opened five businesses that all failed and went bankrupt but he kept pushing instead of quitting and on his sixth business, he did better. Indeed, it was very successful, but he would have never known that if he had quit after his first, second, or even third failure. He reasoned that if others could do it, so could he. His example struck me and I have always remembered it. He later became a politician in his state who would eventually rise to fame when he became the 16th President of the United States of America. His name is Abraham Lincoln. He didn't allow those around him that were not supportive, to deter his ultimate success.

     Toxic people will undermine our success. Often, friends and family think they are safeguarding us and keeping us well grounded by helping us to avoid the possibility of souring disappointments and losing money. It is easy to fall prey to these well-intentioned but negative people in our innermost circle. They have the most influence over us. When getting their start, many successful entrepreneurs often had to purposely distance themselves from the negativity of friends and family. Those negative people were very critical and downplayed the importance of the creative spark and the dreams that these successful entrepreneurs have. When I was getting my start in the field, a wise and financially well-off friend of mine once told me, "Don't take advice from broke friends". That is good advice but regardless of their income level, from that point on I saw to it that any who had a negative attitude toward my business plans were no longer included in that part of my life. While I didn't completely shut out these friends and family from my life, when I was with them and enjoying being in their company, that simply was not allowed to be a topic of conversation. To enable the growth of the correct mindset and environment, it is critical to distance yourself from these kinds of negative influences, especially those who are in our innermost circle of influence. Unfortunately, some may have friends or family who do not respect that boundary and repeatedly express their unsolicited disapproval of your business plans; despite being previously asked not to. If someone does not respect your wishes, be open though to the possibility of having to give those individuals a warning and then enforcing the consequence of cutting them completely out of your life until you are established or until they correct their bad behavior. Allowing the best chance for dreams to come true is far more important than allowing someone close to you to selfishly mistreat you this way. Thankfully these days, with the internet it is even easier to surround ourselves with those who have the right mindset for our success. They can help foster that mind shift within our own selves so our progress is not needlessly hindered.

• RIGHT FIT

     Many will worry and are afraid that they won't be able to figure out what exactly to do for an online business, which will ultimately lead to them flopping as an online entrepreneur. "What will I do?", they ask. This will take some soul searching, however, it can be narrowed down by looking at the online community today. Online consumers are wary and tired of those who try to 'fake it until you make it'. They make unrealistic claims, hide behind fake online persona's, or they are full of hype and glitz.

$$  $$ $$   $$ $$

They will use flashy pictures and well put together presentations that simply are not applicable to the majority of people. They want consumers to buy from them but they are not genuine and prey on emotions to get a sale. Today's online consumers are looking for real people who they can relate to, who they feel they can trust. The more savvy consumer will even do research on who they are considering buying from. With these 'glitzy' online personalities, the end result is that this style of marketing usually does not end with a purchase being made. What does this mean for us as an online business owner who wants to be different? Simply put: be yourself. Build relationships, be genuine and do not make unrealistic claims or promises. Your life story and the reason for starting your online business is one of the most powerful ways to present your company. 

     Whatever direction you decide on, let it be something that is from your life, something that is personal to you or even a passion of yours. You do not have to lie, you can be professional while showing the real you who is totally approachable, and you can share your experiences, not a bunch of fake stories. This will attract other people whose stories are similar to yours, and maybe some whose stories are not like yours. What happens is that a potential consumer sees the real you, and that is attractive to them; flaws and all. This trait will endear consumers to you because it would mean you are not yet another con artist fake who is making preposterous claims on the internet. In all honesty, this makes it easier for us as an online entrepreneur when we can keep it real.  

SUMMING IT UP

    Fear can leave us paralyzed or we can decide to act instead. For those who choose to do nothing, they will still be in the same desperate place 2 years, or 5 years, or 10 years from now, unhappy and regretting the mistake of doing nothing. We cannot allow fear to steal our dreams. When asking "What are the obstacles to starting my online business?", the hope is that you will be able to see how important it is to cross FEAR off that lists. With some diligent searching, the ways to overcome the lack of computer skills or the uncertainty of how to build the online structure needed for a successful company can be found in the online world, however, if the crippling negative mindset is not dealt a death blow, forward progress will be hindered or stopped. As for the question of how shall my business be showcased, it will center on your life story as the core of your business and you will provide what is needed for your customers from there. 

   Part of the problem with the startup of a scalable online business can be the many tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars that often are needed to lease or purchase software, determining what is actually needed, building and hosting a website, getting reliable email and social media platforms. Advertising is another concern; when, where, how, and who to? How much do I spend? Also, once set up, testing to identify problems can cost tens of thousands of dollars by itself. Most people cannot afford that. While joining an existing company is better for that reason, which one would that be? Will they provide everything, are they reputable, do they offer support, and do they care about their members, or is all about them making money for them? Many times the level of reward and compensation leaves the newly started entrepreneur with something that is no better than the awful job they have or left. It is important to look at factual reviews of a partner company, what is their driving ambition, and how do they support their members? Is staff available to help when needed for platform or user problems arise, is it affordable to your budget, and is it a realistic way to make income without sacrificing your soul? That company will have to be able to help with tecnological challenging areas, help to create the needed minset for success and be a right fit for the entrepreneur. It will take much research to find that company, but this search is a most important quest and not to be lightly considered. Once that good partner company is located, the foundation for building an online company will then be in place to allow for online success.   

                                - DORR TOTTEN -             

P.S. - To avoid being taken in by another unscrupulous online offer, I did my own research and the decision was easy for me to partner with Stuart Ross and Jay Kubassek of The SFM company. If you would like to investigate for yourself why I chose them over so many others, then click the link at the end of this sentence and sign up to receive a free introduction to SFM that could change your life -  Obstacles to Starting My Online Business

References:   

Strong, J. (2017), biblehub.com. Retrieved from http://biblehub.com/greek/5401.htm  

P.S.S. - if you would like to reach out to me as well, please do. It would be a pleasure and I am available to answer your emails at MyGravityDreams@Gmail.com . Thank you - DORR TOTTEN -