Hi from Glenn!
I hope you are well!
Today I want to celebrate entrepreneurs, because we are the true free market.
One of the true joys of my life is being able to have a business with my son. I love him dearly and am extremely impressed with his work ethic and intelligence every single day. I honestly don’t know how I could run my businesses without him, nor would I enjoy what I do half as much.
I could not work this closely with my son if I weren’t my own boss. I love being an entrepreneur. I love the freedom it gives me. I’m able to work from anywhere in the world. Yes, I work a lot, but I work on my own schedule. And yes, I probably could’ve made more money working for a corporation, but now I am able to put my full energy into efforts that I truly believe in. Plus, I am not reliant on an employer who makes me do things I don’t want to do, such as get the jab or say someone else’s pronouns - nope, nope, nope.
In today’s world it is easier than ever to be an entrepreneur. You don’t necessarily need start-up capital. You don’t have to pay for an office or employees. Nor does the job need to be full-time. You can easily start a side gig that brings in real money. And this side gig—or side hustle—can then turn into something bigger.
Here are some of my recommendations for starting a business . . .
Serve Others. Capitalism has a bad reputation, but this bad rap is misplaced. The free market simply means you need to serve others. In a free market, you have to understand what people need and want and then figure out how to give it to them at a price they are willing to pay. It’s about service to your fellow man. I recommend the book Business Secrets of the Trappist Monks: One CEO's Quest for Meaning and Authenticity, by August Turak. It is one of my all time favorite books.
Serve Yourself. If you go into business just to make a buck, it’s more than likely you’ll fail. Yes, I just said that capitalism is about serving others—but you also must serve yourself. By this I mean do something you truly care about. Do something that will keep a fire in your heart even if profits are slow to come in. If you do this, you have a better chance of staying motivated long enough to make it a success.
Failure is Part of It. Schools teach students to be employees, not entrepreneurs. There is a big difference. Schools teach children to not fail. They teach that failure is bad. But failure is simply part of being an entrepreneur. Try your best, make mistakes, learn from your mistakes, pivot, and try again. Stick with it and you will eventually (probably) succeed.
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Pivot. Too often entrepreneurs fail not because they have a bad idea but because their business model is wrong. If you like what you’re doing and others like it but you still aren’t making money, then sincerely analyze your business model. I recommend the book, The 1-Page Marketing Plan: Get New Customers, Make More Money, and Stand Out from the Crowd, by Allan Dib.
Very Low Overhead. One of the most significant drains on cash is overhead, which is the monthly expenses you incur, such as rent and employees, regardless of whether you make any sales or not. I had a friend who started a business that had $100,000 in monthly overhead, plus he had to personally guarantee the rent (a big chunk of that amount) for five years! Needless to say, it turned into a very painful lesson for him. So, instead of going the high-cost route, do something simple from home on your own. When you need help, examine closely whether you need to hire someone. Maybe you can work out an arrangement with an independent contractor who has his own business. Be very careful with overhead.
Don’t Let Your Voice Be Owned. Many, many entrepreneurs have found out, to their dismay, that when they rely on traffic from Google, Facebook, Instagram, or another internet platform, the rug can be pulled out from under them in the blink of an eye. What happens if you work hard to create a YouTube channel and then all of a sudden they ban you? Or if you work hard to rank highly in Google’s search algorithm, and then they suddenly change it and you suddenly don’t have traffic from Google anymore? These behemoths don’t care about you, and they don’t care if your business lives or dies. If you say anything they don’t approve of, they will intentionally kill your company. Instead, develop an email list. Email is not controlled by any outsider, thus you can’t be censored or rug-pulled.
Cooperation, Not Competition. People in the business world focus too much on competition, when cooperation is much more important. By concentrating on the competition, you are fixated on what other companies are doing instead of what you should be doing. My cooperative relationship with Marjory Wildcraft, for example, has helped my business tremendously. I, in turn, do my best to help her.
There are so many simple ways you can start a business these days. If you have something important to say and are a good writer, start a Substack page. It’s free and it’s simple. I also recommend listening to Pat Flynn’s Smart Passive Income (SPI) podcast. Pat is a classic and is very good at teaching—and entertaining you at the same time.
And if you can find something to work on with a loved one, even better!
I wish you much success and lasting enjoyment.
Glenn Meder
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Coming from a background of raising children and teaching (now part retired and single - I do some tutoring, have written a book which did not get marketed), my skills are pretty much those of helping and serving others. However, I have a huge block against doing marketing. I can write cover letters and resumes, but absolutely do not want Facebook or other social media and am not very proficient on the computer. I think you left out that - computer and social media participation, whether or not one finds them safe or desirable, are essential, and much of the business time is spent on self marketing. I have trouble with the marketing part. Yes, I can serve others, even without a "job", but truly believe that much of service is not to exclude those who cannot pay and that money cannot be the main issue (even though it is very good to get it). The service comes first.
Excellent message Glenn! I couldn't imagine working for a boss ever again after leaving Corporate in 2016 🤗 While it has it's hard learning curves, the time freedom makes it all worth it!
We are in a time of service for others that also completely fulfills our soul
Christine Cardoza
www.oasisofhealingspa.com
Waterloo, Ontario