Evaluate The Vehicle Your Driving For Success.
How do you know whether you’re presently driving (or considering) a business vehicle that has the horsepower to take you where you want to go? As a direct result of the economic cycle, there have never been more business opportunities available, touting their ability for you to finally earn what you feel you are worth. How do you know if it’s the right fit? How do you know if you’re being sold a bunch of empty promises and when is the right time to trade up if you realize you’ve got an old jalopy? How does anyone know if they’ve paid cash for clunkers?
“Rigga-Rigga-Rigga Tink-Tink-Tink.” What’s Wrong With My Car?
Let me start by saying that if you have been in your current business opportunity for at least 6 months, you should definitely know for certain if the business vehicle will take you to your desired monetary destination. If you don’t, then from my experience, you already know what you should do. I am asked that question often by those that have come to believe their opportunity engine is a “money gas-guzzler” with little hope of delivering on the promises that were sold to them. My advice is that you basically have two choices: either “cut bait” and use what you’ve learned to find a new business vehicle or continue to do the same thing you’ve done for several months and expect a different result, pouring money and effort into an engine that has 2 sparkplugs and 4 flat tires.
You’re Destination Is Paramount. The Clunker Can Be Traded.
Keep in mind that the map you hold is the key. That is, the course you’ve charted in your mind as a result of your entrepreneurial spirit, the burning desire to use your natural skills and abilities to reach your monetary goals. I’m referring to your passion to want something more and to demand a better life for yourself. My point is, don’t sacrifice your dream that you’ve mapped out just because you chose the wrong car. The vehicle that you thought could take you there needs to be discarded as soon as you realize that it’s a lemon. Just make the commitment to take what you’ve learned and apply it to finding a strong business model that will. Also know that every successful entrepreneur has done just that at least twice so whatever you do, don’t let the clunker kill your business aspirations.
If the business model is broken, take note of how you’d fix it and then use that to evaluate other opportunities. But whatever you do don’t wait until you are bankrupt before you make that decision or you’ll have to give up on your entrepreneurial aspirations all together. I just hate hearing about an effort-driven, committed individual who realized too late that they strapped on the seat belt and never got out till they were left stranded in a barren stretch of road demoralized and in financial ruin. Believe me, I was there 12 years ago and I know how it feels.
I also know of many who felt their business engine should just run by itself or expected others to pour effort into the gas tank. High effort is what makes any business engine run. If you’re not filling your tank with high effort fuel then don’t blame the business opportunity because that’s your responsibility.
What Should I look For In A New Vehicle?
For anyone who is searching for a business opportunity you need to stop doing so if you haven’t written a description down of what you are looking for prior to your search. You will begin to set the parameters of a business that will meet your needs if you answer some questions first before you “emotionally” become swayed. It’s much like buying a house in that respect.
How much time do you have to devote to the new venture presently? How much initial start up capital do you have to invest? Where are your interests? Do you desire to be product based or service based? What are your strengths and how do you want to use them? What is your short and long term goals for the business vehicle you wish to purchase? All these questions are incredibly important to ensure a potentially good fit.
Buy Your New Car – Avoiding The Lemons
As you start your investigation it is also important that you evaluate the way in which the information is being conveyed to you. You want to get past all the eye-candy and flowery salesmanship to take a hard look under the hood. Does the engine have any guts? Do they have a highly technical back office operation that provides strong support? What is their “go to market” strategy? What is their strategy for customer/lead acquisition?
I always want to gain information from all angles even unreliable ones and recommend looking up the business name followed by the key word “scam” and see if there are any reports poking holes in the business that “ARE NOT” from competing business opportunities. This will at the very least allow you to ask intelligent questions that deserve an answer. All information is good information but take a sober look now because the next time you gather information might be 6-8 months down the line when you’ve learned about the broken promises the hard way.
Finally, you need to determine if you are being encouraged to conduct your due-diligence or is your “tour guide” constantly selling you like he’s a used car salesman. Most of us love getting excited about making money but the monetary claims and pictures of them in front of their home, car or yacht only serve to make me suspicious if it’s the primary focus.
I get excited about strategies that can be duplicated, a system that will get me up to speed quickly and allow me to passionately plug in what I feel are my strengths to convert my effort into income. I need to see a legitimate “cutting edge” business strategy where I can confidently know that when I pour my “high octane effort” into that tank the engine is going to take me where I want to go. I want to see a proven business mechanism where I can earn while I learn and build my business foundation and competency.
You not only need to find a vehicle with these characteristics for your benefit. You need them so that you can build your organization with a clear conscience. You want an opportunity that naturally motivates you to passionately promote it. Otherwise, you can drink all the company kool-aid you want to, but you’ll end up sounding just like a used car salesman.
Conclusion
So if you’re looking for a new “ride” to drive, make sure you describe what you want out of it and then ask the right questions before you get the keys. If you’re feeling like you’ve got a clunker, know that its never too late to decide that the lease is up. Be committed to giving the experience purpose by using that information to find the right engine that will “burn rubber” when you fill the tank with your passionate high-effort drive.
In parting, I leave you with one of my favorite quotes:
“Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat”
–Theodore Roosevelt 26th president of US (1858 – 1919)
Always remember that we’re all on the same path while at different stages toward our destination of financial freedom. Life is way too short not to help each other get there who are aspired as we are.
R. Patrick Daugherty
The Biz Coach
Owner of Learn2EarnItNow.biz
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