Unca' John has a friend (Dr Jim) that helps me with goals and coaching. I talk with him on the phone and we send emails back and forth about my progress. Every once in a while I write a longer status. Listed below is my most recent.
Dr Jim,
I haven't fallen off of the planet.
While I was driving back from Salt Lake City I had lots of time to do a self-evaluation of my first 6 months in business, what I have learned, and what I need to do next.
I haven't had time to do a full write-up of the above, but here are some summarized thoughts (pardon me if it rambles a bit, but I want to get the info out of my head and on to "paper" without worrying about form):
Amount of new business during first six months: zero
Spotcheck has been a source of income, but the company was sold at the end of June, and future income from Spotcheck is unknown (it may be fine, I just don’t know yet).
The phone is not ringing of off the hook.
Email requests are not filling up my in box.
My medical benefits from Health Net run out at the end of August
We’re not out of money, but I don’t want to get to the point of having to fund my business on credit cards.
These are the real-world facts. I am not depressed or discouraged (temporary bouts notwithstanding). I’m still excited about being an independent business person. (As a matter of fact, as silly as it sounds, I’m excited that I’m still excited.)
I have learned a lot. Some of the bigger items are:
There are some business planning tasks I could have done much better if I had known them (I have learned a lot from the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and Lee Hecht Harrison (LHH))
Regardless of what happens, what I have learned and gained from the CPF certification process and what I have learned about being an entrepreneur will help me in the long run.
I have had the wrong focus. As I mentioned last week, Rich J, an entrepreneur specialist from LHH, helped me with a 2x4 across the forehead moment. I have been focused too much on what I want to do instead of what potential clients need. They don’t care that I’m a facilitator. They care about their pain points—what keeps them awake at night. I need to do a better job of finding out pain points and showing how I can solve them. Facilitation can, of course, be a tool, but I need to get out there and do what it takes instead of waiting for facilitation-only jobs. (Maybe I can be pickier later, but not now.)
Part of my first-six-months thought process was that I should put all of my eggs in the facilitation basket. I know the really successful people in business focus on all the eggs in one basket. But the really successful ones you hear about doing this are probably in the tiny minority. I need to spread out the eggs—and find out what my clients need. I have lots of other expertise and experience I can call upon. Facilitation needs to just be one of those.
I have coined a new term for myself during this first-six-months timeframe. Ignoarrogance. A cross between ignorance and arrogance. I was being arrogant towards the other skills I have and tasks I would need to do to help clients, but I was ignorant that I was being arrogant.
An example of this ignoarrogance was in my original plan you and I discussed at your home. I listed Project Management as a fall-back instead of a valuable tool I could use to help my clients. I was arrogant to my own assets.
So, as I see it in the real world of Facilitation Enterprises, I have a revised goal, one helping factor, and one restricting factor. Everything else needs to be in the as-I-have-time category.
Revised goal:
While remaining as independent as possible, I use my talents, aptitude, experience, and expertise to provide valuable services to my clients so I can provide financially for my family.
Helping Factor:
I have the talents, aptitude, expertise, and 28 years of successful experience that allow me to provide an array of valuable services to clients
Action Item:
Work 20% of every day to get better at articulating, documenting, and communicating these assets, but do it in a way that focuses on what the clients need.
Restricting Factor:
I don’t have a contract.
Action Item:
Concentrate 80% of my time to doing whatever it takes to get an immediate contract. Work with employment agencies, on-line services, networked contacts—whatever—to find out what clients need and how I can use all my skills to fill those needs.
“While remaining as independent as possible”
What this phrase means is even if I need to take a W2 contract (as opposed to just doing 1099 work), my whole mind-set will remain that of an independent business man. I am responsible for my career, training, the next contract, marketing etc, etc.
Long Term
I expect to be able to again focus on the long-term goal of being a fully independent entrepreneur, but for now my focus needs to be nearer term. Getting an immediate contract serves the long term more effectively than going deeply into debt, etc.
