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Every once in a while, when you get going on your own business, you fall into a rut. Mine happened to be personal but it pretty much consumed my entire existence for the past month. Needless to say, I didn’t concentrate on work much… You could kind of say it was a stress induced vacation!

Yesterday and today, I have been fighting to get back on the horse. Looking for new website builds and SEO work, maybe a few consulting gigs. I was (and am) a little stressed out about where my car payment is going to come from, but we will see.

I thought about putting in a couple applications to see how the job waters were around here, being that I have been out of them for so long. Then I started making phone calls.

I contacted a couple people I have worked closely with before, seeing if they needed anything or if they knew of anyone who does. I called a consultant who throws work my way every now and again. And I received a check in the mail that I didn’t think would ever be paid. But the fact remains, I have end very well qualified leads to follow up on Monday morning and one appointment.

So, when the waters seem bleak, make sure you call those you are familiar with, and ask for help.  Tell them you have been slow lately and were wondering if there was anything they needed from you.  It might prove worthwhile for the time being.

Then again, maybe that is God’s way of saying you (I) need to get a job! (I have to admit, not worrying about getting paid every Friday would be a lovely thing…)

So many times in life, we hold on too long.

There might be that Transformer that you had growing up as a kid that to this day you can’t get rid of – even though it is selling for $4,000 on eBay.  Or maybe it is that stock that made you a ton of money two years ago but is taking a nose dive at the moment.  Sell it or keep it…  That’s a tough question.

Startups are the same way.  Your baby – the startup you  bootstrapped for two years – is faltering beyond belief.  You aren’t making enough to feed the family, let alone pay your employee’s salary; but are still holding out for that one big account that will make your life less miserable.  There is always that hope that one day you will hit it big and everyone in the goddamn country will want your product or service.

Let me tell you…  That is a worthwhile notion.  There always seems to be a way that things work out for the best – but it isn’t always what you intend.  In over one year of blogging, I don’t think I have ever posted about failure in startups or how damn hard it is to get a business going.  I always talk about what to do, or where to get ideas, or what to think; because that is how I got started.  The truth is: entrepreneurship isn’t for everyone.  Bills and mortgages and employees need to be paid.  That is a fact of life.  But who am I to say that it is for everyone.

A couple posts ago I wrote about the number crunching strategist.  It is true that number crunching is often what does a lot of businesses in, but the analytics and numbers are what keeps a company afloat.  If the company isn’t making any money then something needs to be done.   Whether it is a retooling or a different product focus or whatever…  Business are just that — businesses.

So for as much as you hear me ranting about building a better life and starting your own company, I will be the first to agree it isn’t for everyone.  If you are looking for advice, start small.  Run a secondary home based business in your free time and try to develop it into something that will replace your income.  Or if you like working 80 hours a week and your wife doesn’t mind…  you can do that too.

Either way – take care of you and yours.  And always look out for what is in the best interest of your company, your family, and yourself.

On JDsPodcasts.com, I released a podcast called, “Generating Business Ideas.” Sometime last week, I was reviewing the number of times all the podcasts have been listened to and was incredibly surprised… “Generating Business Ideas” was listened to over 3000 times!

So over the weekend, I sat down and put together a complete audio series devoted to the subject!

From the initial stages of dreaming about your own business, to harnessing your thoughts and experiences (coupled with outside influences), to getting a target market together – it is all covered. In fact, the one and a half hour audio series contains more information than you will find in most books… All tailored for the individual who is looking to better his/herself by starting their own business.

I am pretty excited about Business Ideas Unlocked for a couple reasons. The first being I think it is a terrific achievement for this blog. How long have you listened to me ramble about starting your own business and building a brand… Now it is all condensed in audio format.

The second reason is that I think that the Business Ideas audio series is a great place to start for potential entrepreneurs and founders. I tried to layout a process that is both meaningful and concise, while still trying to play on each and every one of your own experiences.

I hope that you enjoy the audio series and it helps spur some entrepreneurial thoughts in your own head. Rob May (from businesspundit.com) and I are going to be working together on one of his sites offering similar content.. But I wanted to give you guys first dibs on the Business Ideas Series!

Here is a chapter from the Business Ideas series to give you a taste of what is in store!

 

 Who is Business Ideas Unlocked for? [5:37m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (56)

Download now for only $9.97