THE DREAM IN ACTION

I was reading an article in Fortune Small Business magazine and I started to question the Web 2.o draw. The article was, “Old Dogs, New Tricks – How smart entrepreneurs find innovation and profit in sleepy industries. (May 2007)” Why is it that so many of us 20 somethings immediately think web start-up when we here or think about being an entrepreneur? Why does it have to be some sexy idea that nobody has ever thought of? Why does it have to change the world? The article featured a man who bought up tired, less than successful radio stations in small markets, and another who ran a airport parking service. Sure, it’s been done before BUT that doesn’t mean that you can’t run a very profitable company that is equally as fulfilling that isn’t called Google or Zombie or del.icio.us or Ooxma. What about Jeff’s Dry Cleaners or Rich’s Rugs or Uptown Mattress Shop? The main thing is that you like what you are getting into, that you are passionate about the business that you starting. If you are a software developer or a computer science major, get after it, make up a crazy name and make millions by selling one square inch of advertising space, s,how Zuckerberg who’s boss! But just because you’re young, smart, motivated and starting a business doesn’t mean it has to be cutting edge and innovative. After all we all, don’t we all need a mattress?

For those of us struggling to figure out just how we’ll “do it on our own”, the largest struggle is that in the mean time you have to work. It’s not all bad, the training is good, the experience is good, the money (relative to starting your own business) is easy. However, it’s just not as satisfying. I woke up this morning with a very simple metaphor for comparing a job to a start-up or your own business. A job is like Renting. You get out of it exactly what you put it. When renting you pay your check (hopefully) and you are allowed to sleep under that roof for the next month, in your job you go…everyday…and in return you get a paycheck every 2 weeks. Seems like a fair trade right? We’ll when you start your own company you go…everyday…maybe the entire day, but in return you get more than just a pay check. Just as in home ownership you get not only a roof over your head but you get the appreciation on your house and you get the satisfaction of ownership. Same in business, you have something growing under you that maybe if you’re one of the lucky ones will continue to grow without you; you get the satisfaction and the reward of ownership and knowing that you are providing jobs for others, that you are providing a product or service that other people enjoy, need, want and gladly part with their money for. Just as renting is somewhat of a black hole…well maybe a job is also?

What if we built out the actionstalk.com forum for us to discuss theories, ideas, and inspirations just like we do now and slowly built it out into a community of aspiring entrepreneurs to discuss anything along those lines. Getting good hits on the Internet is all about building a community of like minded or like “interests” people. What a great community to build and be involved in. I think we should avoid being just a small biz resource site with biz plan templates and fund raising tricks, but more of a place to ask questions and get answers. We could even reward people points for answer questions in a helpful manor…

Think about it, and always remember in the business world only Actions Talk.

Actionstalk.com

Oh, by the way I’m buying actionstalk.com. Obviously.