EnTrends

ALACAZAM! HOKUS POKUS!
PRESTOCHANGO!

No, not those four magic words. Granted,
they might coax a rabbit out of a hat, but
they won't do a thing for you if you're trying
to get a business off the ground.

HERE THEY ARE

The four words to which I refer are not magic
in and of themselves, but when you string
them together and take them to heart, they
can do wonders for your business. In fact, if
they are heeded, not only can they help your
business prosper, they also have the
potential to help you live longer, keep your
marriage strong, help you maintain a solid
reputation in your community, and keep you
sane. The words are, "Dream Big, Start Safe."

DREAM BIG

If you're pursuing your own business then I
don't need to say much to you about
dreaming. Most likely your dreams of
financial freedom, time freedom and being
your own boss were what prompted you to
investigate owning your own business in the
first place. All I'll add is my exhortation to
you to cling tenaciously to those dreams.
Don't ever let them go. All of the great
discoveries this world has ever known were
once dreams. All of the incredible business
successes that have ever existed first existed
in the minds of those who created them.

START SAFE

The second half of the magic phrase
deserves a little more attention here. The
reason for this is because of a terrible
temptation that faces everyone who wants to
break away from their jobs and strike out on
their own. It is the temptation to let those
dreams cloud the reality of the time, the effort
and, most importantly, the money it takes to

achieve them.

Let's focus on the money part. As you've
been dreaming, have you also taken the
time to carefully think through the details
of getting your business started? How
much is it going to cost? Do you have that
much money? If for some reason the
business failed, how much of an impact
would the financial loss have on you?
Would it cause you to lose your house,
your savings or even everything you
own?

You are the only one who can answer
these hard questions and yet they must be
answered. I think some folks don't take the
time to deal with them because they're
afraid of the answers. They're afraid they'll
discover that they're not ready to go into
business for themselves and that's the last
thing they want to hear.

By starting your business without
carefully considering the costs, you will
quickly discover how easy it is to get in
over your head. That's when the dreams
fade and the nightmares begin. That's
when, due to the financial pressures under
which you placed yourself because of a
lack of careful planning, your business
begins to suffer, the stress begins taking
its toll on your health, your relationships
become strained, your reputation takes a
hit, and you start feeling as though you'll
go crazy.

IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THIS

Dream big. After all, if you're going to be
dreaming anyway, you might as well
dream big. Envision yourself becoming
everything you want to become and
achieving everything you want to achieve
through your business. But start safe.
Think through the costs of getting a
business started. Make sure

you have the financial resources available
to get your business started off on the
right foot. If you don't, either postpone
the start of that business for awhile, start
it on a part-time basis, or open your mind
to the possibilities of other types of
businesses you could start that cost less
and yet would still be able to help you
turn your dreams into reality.

"Dream Big, Start Safe." Let these four
words be your guide as you examine the
many business opportunities that are
before you.

Are they really magic? Please take it from
one who once got caught up in his
dreams and got in way over his head. Had
I started safely with my big dreams in that
business, I could have made several
years of heartache and pressure
disappear.

------------------------------------------------

Michael Gifford and his wife, Shannon
have more than 30 years combined
experience in operating successful home
businesses. They are the owners of
NoBizLikeHomeBiz.Com, an unbiased and
objective resource for home business.
Visit http://www.nobizlikehomebiz.com.
Michael can be reached at
expectgreatness@nobizlikehomebiz.com.