5 Traps to Watch For When Starting a Business

Trap 1 - Let someone else's fear prevent you from going for it. How many people have you talked to that tried to persuade you to stay on the sensible side of the street?  While it’s good to listen to useful advice, if you have a dream and a plan to follow, don’t let their jealousy or trepidation bring you to a halt. Devise your plan and follow it through.

Trap 2 – Moving too fast.  When you are starting a business you are going to want to be a Capital “S” Success right now. Tomorrow feels like it is too long to wait. It can take months, even a year or two to really put in place the resources need to do it justice.  It’s a dance… just like the old saying “2 steps forward, 1 step back.”  You absorb ideas; you try out concepts, some of the steps work while others fall to the wayside.  Patience, friend, patience! 

Trap 3 – Brain overload.   Is your head about to explode? Everywhere you look you’ll find advice and information: good, bad, try it this way, try it that.  It takes time to sort the details. If you allow yourself to get too inundated with info, your instinct may be to turn tail and run. Relax.  Just step away from the computer, put down the book and take a walk.

Trap 4 – Freaking out “I can’t do this!”   Stop right there… you will get through this wave of self doubt.  The thing to remember is we don’t have to aim for perfection. Do the best you can but get it done.  If the fear of not being good enough stops you cold- then lighten up on yourself.  You’ll get better as you go but if you never go, never take the next step, you won’t have the chance to improve. 

Trap 5- Procrastination. We all know putting things off doesn’t make them go away. It just makes us feel bad.  Try this: 

1. Make a list of the tasks you’ve been avoiding.

2. What on the list could be done in 10 minutes, 20 minutes, 30 minutes?  What will require longer chunks of time?

3. Tackle one or two of the 10 or 20 minute tasks.

4. Now look at the one thing on your list that takes the longest amount of time. Usually if it has moved from task to project status, you can break it down into smaller steps – again 10 or 20 minutes.

5. Do it again.

Starting a business is exciting, hard word. It’s not for everyone. But you won’t know until you give it your best shot.