Is a Dream JUST a Dream?

There's an argument going around the Internet about whether a dream has any place in business: some say that dreaming is just wishful thinking and will never get you anywhere.  I, on the other hand, totally believe that if you don't have a dream, first, you'll never get to have a successful business. I'd love to hear your thoughts. So, do you have a dream? It is perfectly acceptable to day dream, sit and dream, dream through the night ... it's what you do with that dream that makes it a part of a business. You must act on it in order to turn it from a sigh and a wish, to something tangible and a value to yourself and others. The first step is to figure out what the dream means to you: is it something that you would like to pursue and make into a reality? If so, then how are you going to do that? Who is your client, how do you want to sell what it is that you are creating? These are all important parts of the creation process. Many of you know my favorite business concepts come from The Wizard of Oz. There is so much to be learned from the stories within the story itself. Did Dorothy have a dream of her time in Oz? Was it just due to a bump on her head? Or was she really there? Throughout the whole movie (book) Dorothy has a clear mission -- to get back to Kansas. Everything she does is focused around the fact that "there's no place like home." Do you know where you're headed, and do you have a clear mission? Dorothy, the Scarecrow, Cowardly Lion and Tin Man all have their own missions, but they have a common goal. To get to the Wizard so he can help them. They things they did to get there probably could have been done by each alone, but it was made much easier and a lot less lonely (perhaps even fun?) because they did it together. Are you involved in programs with others so that you can get to the end of your mission more easily, with fun along the way? Take a lesson from these four friends. Then there's the lesson of just don't give up. No matter what the four went through, and how they thought they were finally coming out on the winning side, some new calamity befell them. The moral of this story is Don't Give Up. Keep on truckin' til you get to the other side. When the flying monkeys came, that just sent them off with more "sticktoitiveness" and determination to get the job done. What do you do when the going gets rough? As kids we all watched the Wizard and sometimes had nightmares about the wicked ole' witch. But for me, it was the start of my dreams -- the dream of being Dorothy and finding my way to the Emerald City where I might actually be a new and better version of the wizard. What is your dream and is it only that or is it a business?

Don't Forget About Us Little Guys!

In looking at ways to grow my business, I am constantly talking with others about what I offer, who I offer it to, and the costs that are reasonable to charge for consulting services. And I am also constantly being told I'm nuts because I want to work with small businesses -- the moms and the pops that are just trying to get started, but don't know where to turn. The guys that are looking for ways to grow but when told it will cost them $1500 (or more) a month in consulting fees, they pull themselves up by the bootstraps and say "I'll do it myself. They have to be crazy to think I can pay that much." I agree, and say much the same thing myself.

I've been there. I know what it means to want help and support, and then be crushed by the thought of what I would have to come up with -- and would it really be of benefit should I come up with it? There are so many coaches and consultants out there that are crying into the wild uncharted world of the Internet...Come to Me, I can help. Yet, how often do you reach out and find that they didn't really know anything more than you already did? I've been in that situation more than I can count. For example, I won a FREE consultation with a well-known Internet marketer who promised that she could get me from $0 to Thousands overnight if I did what she told me to. So, I signed up for this wonderful, miraculous experience and waited. The first time, she didn't call. The 2nd time, after being 10 minutes late calling, she told me I had (this is a 30 minute call mind you) 10 minutes to tell her about my business and what I was looking for. Five minutes into my discussion, she interrupted me, telling me that she was perfect for me and the rest of the half hour was spent telling me how, for $10,000 I could be part of her mastermind program and grow my business. Yeah, right. Right?

I had a relationship building meeting this morning with a young woman that had Googled me and found my listing online. We met and talked. She said she was really glad to meet me, but thought she'd wait until she had her business idea more together and then come back and show me what she'd done. I told her that was fine, but wouldn't she like someone to bounce ideas off of, someone to help her really figure out what she wanted to do? Wouldn't that make more sense than waiting, getting frustrated because she wasn't getting things to come together the way she wanted them to? She told me she'd been to others before me, who had poo-pooed what she wanted to do, telling her it wouldn't work, and then telling her it was going to ONLY cost $150-$200 each time they met to help her figure out what was a good business model.

I nodded, and told her, yes, I'd heard those messages too, and decided that with that kind of feedback I'd do it myself. But, I KNOW without a doubt that that's not the best way to do things. You have to figure out what it is you want to do, and see if there's ways to do it that make sense to YOU and ways that make you money as well. If it's a well-known business model means nothing. Do it the way YOU want to. And guess what...let's meet a couple of times to see if this is something that feels right and oh, by the way, I only charge X (write in less than half what those others were charging). Does that sound reasonable?

It's not about how you fit into MY plan as a business consultant. It's about how you move your business ahead. I am absolutely determined that without all the little businesses out there trying to find their way through the mud and the guck, there won't be too many BIG businesses eventually. If we (as business consultants) only focus on those that are already successful and can afford to pay thousands a month in business development projects, that leaves 90% of the others struggling to do it on their own. I've been there, and I've done that, and I don't want you having to do it too. 

So next time you think there's no one there to help you stop and think doggone it, what about me? What about the little guy? And then think of me -- I'll be waiting to help you climb up that ladder to the next level. Just give me a shout and I'll be there!

In the meantime, take that dream and make it a reality!

Business Success Unlimited