Starting my own business had been a dream of mine since a friend first talked to me about it in 2007.
Then the dream became an idea, then a plan and after several months a business was born in 2008.
What I didn't and couldn't plan for was the relationships that would grow from this dream, the partnerships, new friends and the shared respect that comes from other business owners who also had the courage to take their dream and turn it into a business.
Starting our business was much like planting a seed that started to grow as I poured water on it.
Friends who didn't own a business referred me to friends who did.
People who I thought would work with us didn't.
Folks who had never worked with us before welcomed us in.
Owners of successful businesses had lunch with me and talked openly about how they grew their business.
The actions were simple in starting the business, but the journey itself takes courage and some time.
The most brilliant business owners said it the best, "Take the first step, then the second, and then just keep going.
" "Keep going" is now what I tell people who ask me the same questions that I had.
It isn't easy, but it isn't hard either.
Most owners tell me their journey took a few years before they felt the pull of their customers taking them to a point where they felt they had a "real business.
" You can expect when you start your business to hear no many times.
Every step of the way it is someone's job to tell you no.
I heard no from my family, the bank and many others.
Some said no several times.
But some said yes and some said yes after having said no.
The "yes" came most often when I simply told my story of how I could help them and not what I could do for them.
The excitement for me was when I realized that my business is really about helping other people be successful and not about my skill sets and certifications of Project Management or Systems Engineering.
These I realized after many months are really only the tools of my business and not the deliverable.
Forget the elevator speech, people don't care what you say.
They only care about how you make them feel.
Much like the plumber who visited my house recently, he was there because he helped me fix my first problem over the phone.
He did this because he could.
He saved himself a trip on what he knew I could do myself.
I saved money and he saved time.
In the end, when he did need to come out to my home, I didn't care what tools he had so long as when he left my problem was fixed.
Your deliverable will be very much the same, a business solution fully implemented and working in your business.
Instead of the long capabilities speech I used to give when we started, I recommend now to you that you instead talk about your last success and how you helped your last client.
Then just listen to your customer and show them how you can help.
It is okay that not everyone will hire you.
But be glad when someone does and make sure that you view all of your relationships as strategic ones so that they feel you are there for the long haul.
Then the dream became an idea, then a plan and after several months a business was born in 2008.
What I didn't and couldn't plan for was the relationships that would grow from this dream, the partnerships, new friends and the shared respect that comes from other business owners who also had the courage to take their dream and turn it into a business.
Starting our business was much like planting a seed that started to grow as I poured water on it.
Friends who didn't own a business referred me to friends who did.
People who I thought would work with us didn't.
Folks who had never worked with us before welcomed us in.
Owners of successful businesses had lunch with me and talked openly about how they grew their business.
The actions were simple in starting the business, but the journey itself takes courage and some time.
The most brilliant business owners said it the best, "Take the first step, then the second, and then just keep going.
" "Keep going" is now what I tell people who ask me the same questions that I had.
It isn't easy, but it isn't hard either.
Most owners tell me their journey took a few years before they felt the pull of their customers taking them to a point where they felt they had a "real business.
" You can expect when you start your business to hear no many times.
Every step of the way it is someone's job to tell you no.
I heard no from my family, the bank and many others.
Some said no several times.
But some said yes and some said yes after having said no.
The "yes" came most often when I simply told my story of how I could help them and not what I could do for them.
The excitement for me was when I realized that my business is really about helping other people be successful and not about my skill sets and certifications of Project Management or Systems Engineering.
These I realized after many months are really only the tools of my business and not the deliverable.
Forget the elevator speech, people don't care what you say.
They only care about how you make them feel.
Much like the plumber who visited my house recently, he was there because he helped me fix my first problem over the phone.
He did this because he could.
He saved himself a trip on what he knew I could do myself.
I saved money and he saved time.
In the end, when he did need to come out to my home, I didn't care what tools he had so long as when he left my problem was fixed.
Your deliverable will be very much the same, a business solution fully implemented and working in your business.
Instead of the long capabilities speech I used to give when we started, I recommend now to you that you instead talk about your last success and how you helped your last client.
Then just listen to your customer and show them how you can help.
It is okay that not everyone will hire you.
But be glad when someone does and make sure that you view all of your relationships as strategic ones so that they feel you are there for the long haul.