We all dream about a career or running business that is doing something you really love doing but where do you start?
1) Stop thinking Blogging is enough
I will be the first to admit that in recent weeks, I have been completely sucked in by the myth that Blogging alone leads to a life on the beach, doing sod all. (Why does everyone always use a beach in these examples??) You just can’t.
When I take a step back from this, when I actually think about it, that’s just stupid.
A Blog is just words. (If I actually had more than 5 subscribers, I would probably be worried about the backlash on that statement.)
Now yes, those words can mean a lot of things, to a lot of people and it definitely can be a godsend when you are trying to find information on the ‘stuff’ that you need to find, that very instant. But I would argue that building a following is very different to building a business.
2) Make Cake
Let’s take the metaphor of a cupcake business for example.
We all like cake.
I am 100% sure there are lots of people who are passionate about reading about cupcakes.
But it’s just plain dumb though if all you do is write / read about cake.
You don’t actually make any cupcakes! You don’t make anything. Your customers don’t eat anything.
Also, if you listen to the experts, it takes at least a year to gain any sort of following. Even when you do, if you look at the likes of Darren Rouse, who runs Problogger he has a complete boutique shop of products.
So apologies for ‘stating the f**king obvious’ here, but what did we do BEFORE Blogs?
We probably would have made a few of the things, gone out there and and sold them. Heaven forbid.
If that went well, we then probably made some more. If they didn’t sell, we look at why and we make that better. Or just stop. Maybe the world was not ready for the decapitation cake. (Yes someone actually made this)
It doesn’t matter though. Seth Godin summarises these thoughts in this excellent article.
My take on this is so:
- It’s far better to ship SOMETHING than nothing.
- It’s easier to bake cakes 2nd time around and improve the second batchafter the first go.
- Start with small numbers and increase this gradually.
I know that I am going to have to do this myself over the next few months. Although, from my own experience, it’s far easier to sell “cake” if you have done it before also.
Even if it was bad cake or even cake you gave away. Your customers won’t know this. All they will know is that you have made cake before and have faith in you as a cake maker.
3) Let them have their cake and eat it
Sick of the cake analogies yet? There is more unfortunately.
Hopefully by this point, you will have worked out what type of cakes that you want to make. In other words how to find your passion. The question is, what now?
For me, this all depends on the type of product that you are making (And where I run out of ingredients for the cake Metaphor!).
Types of product fall into four categories
- Digital (Virtual Cakes)
- Physical (Cakey Cakes)
- Experience (The look and smell of cakes)
- Service (Delivering cakes)
One of the best bits of advice I got given was to work out “where do the people, that love what I do, hang out?”
- How do they buy?
- How many of them are there likely to be?
- Are they Local or Global?
- Where / how do people spend money at the moment?
So if your business was delivering cakes. Go to where the people make the cakes. If your business was a service, got find people that need to be served cakes or shown how to make cakes.
My final piece of advice. I know that anything can be done as a hobby or sideline but don’t underestimate how much time is needed to do what you love. Kids, Husbands, Wives, Family and every other commitment is fighting for your time. They will always win that battle.
Or will they??
