by Bonnie Andrews | Featured Contributor
Money.
It’s a double edged sword, you know?
We earn it. We spend it. We grow it. We lose it.
I’m tellin’ ya, we’d all be living in a tropical oasis sipping pina coladas if I had a dollar for everytime I’ve heard someone say
“I would LOVE to, but I don’t have the money…yet.”
I hope you’ve never said that?
Maybe you have?
Either way – it’s time to set the past straight and bury that awful excuse forever.
Because you DO have enough, even if it’s nothing.
Whether it’s starting a blog, a retail store, a service related business or other…
Making your dream happen isn’t about resources on hand, it’s about resourcefulness. {Tweet this}
So let’s get started, because today, you CAN be one step closer to your dream business.
9 Ways to Build Your Dream Business with the Cash You Have {Even If It’s Zero!}
#9 Bootstrap to Build
Take control. Make the cash happen. Be brave.
Business isn’t just about loans. There’s so much power in bootstrapping.
Use the skills you have now to create contract jobs and opportunities for yourself.
Taking your next idea from a dream to reality by pure sweat equity may seem daunting, but there is absolutely no stronger foundation for success to build on.
#8 Shift Your Mindframe
This isn’t about what you DON’T have. It’s about what you’re building.
You’re building a future. You’re building a dream. You’re building your very own reality. Penniless or loaded, buidling always starts at the ground and moves up.
You can’t be obsessing about what you don’t have. You absolutely have to start thinking about everything you CAN leverage to make this happen.
We’re not afraid of hard. We do hard things everyday. Now it’s time to make them matter.
#7 Leverage
Get your personal finances in order to leverage what you do have. If you can’t live without a new handbag, a latte & lunch out, your Netflix account or those killer shoes at Anthro – then you don’t want your business badly enough.
You would be shocked at how much you can leverage when you simply buckle down and take control of your personal finances. It doesn’t take much to start something and grow it big.
#6 Start with a Blog
Start teaching your perfect client. Blogging is a very powerful foundation for any business and it’s very affordable. It may cost a few hundred dollars a month to run a profitable blog compared to thousands of dollars to rent a space, keep inventory etc.
Build your dream with a blog and establish your clientele early. A blog is a fantastic way to get into your dream business without the immediate overhead. In fact, if you blog the right way, it will fund your dream business as you go!
#5 Trade
Trade is a powerful catalyst when you’re bootstrapping your dream business. Take inventory of the skills you have and ways you can package them to trade with other individuals and businesses.
Don’t ever discount the talents and services you can offer for trade. It’s a great return on investment when you’re just getting started. And you’ll find when you put yourself out there, you’re not the only one looking for trade opportunities.
#4 Focus On ROI
Return on Investment. It’s a term not many keep in the forefront of financial decisions.
Before you make any purchase, ask yourself, “What kind of measurable return will I get on this investment?”
Especially when cash is tight, it’s so important to make sure the purchases you are making will have a direct impact on your bottom line. If they don’t, if the return can’t be measured in revenue increase, then wait to make the purchase until you’ve increased your cash flow.
#3 Sell One Thing and Do It Really Well
Choose one service or product to rock out of the park! Too often we get this idea that more translates to more.
- More services equals more revenue
- More products equals more profits
- More options equals more customers
It’s simply not the case. More is a mess. {Unless you’re Amazon or Walmart.}
Focus on refining one service or product to create a killer, fantastic customer experience. This not only helps you carve a nice niche for yourself, it also helps simplify expenses and increase profits.
#2 Negotiate
Negotiate everything. I’m not talking about heckling or snarking. I’m talking about negotiating. Anyone who thinks straight realizes that everything can be negotiated. If negotiating scares you or if it feels like a ‘bad’ word. Here are a few tips you can rely on to negotiate with confidence and respect:
- In the business world, negotiating is expected. It will never hurt to ask with tact.
- You’re not begging, your being assertive
- Make a genuine connection and find a common ground
- Use your assets to leverage negotiations: pay early, pay all at once, deliver early etc
#1 It’s Your Dream!
What’s more enticing than a dream that can become reality?!?
Do it. You’ve got this. Now is the time to unleash your passion and drive and quit being afraid of what you’ve never tried.
Free yourself and start making a difference for the clients you’ll serve and the products and services you’ll create.
It’s time to get off the fence and make it happen.
It’s about what you DO have and creating a game plan to make it happen.
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Bonnie Andrews – Blog Expert & Business Maven at Hobby to HOT!
Want a Blog Coach?! I’m a spitfire, no-nonsense, energizer bunny, git-r-done kind of girl. Don’t worry – I may spit fire, but I don’t bite! I’m all smiles and motivation 🙂
For ten years I’ve worked behind businesses of all kinds from startups to million dollar brands: writing, marketing, advertising, bootstrapping, product development – you name it, I’ve seen it {and done it!} I know what works and what doesn’t; I know what it takes to run a business online and off.
I’m a sucker for Good & Plenty candy, potato chips are a sore weakness {Ruffles to be exact} and I love me a good happy dance alongside an Apple-Mango Martinelli!
Blog coach, business woman, mom, wife, friend and women’s entrepreneur advocate – just like you, I do it all! So let’s do it together.
Come rock your blog with me!!
Let’s connect! {I love following back…}
Blog – Twitter – Pinterest – Instagram – Google+
3 Replies to “9 Ways to Build Your Dream Business with the Cash You Have {Even If It’s Zero!}”
Latisha
AWESOME article. And very inspiring! I am a big dreamer and have a lot of plans for my business. However one of my downfalls is that I don’t blog (even though I know I need to). SO MUCH COMPETITION and so much work trying to keep up. How can I become a successful blogger and stand out?
Bonnie Andrews[ Post Author ]
Thanks Latisha 🙂 Great question.
Not blogging isn’t a downfall, just think of it as an opportunity! It is a lot of work and that’s ok! Girl, we know how to work.
Here are two bits of advice:
1)Come hangout with me at Hobby to HOT! You’ll find a lot of encouraging info there.
2) Know your audience/clients better than they know themselves – this goes for anything blog or business.
There really isn’t a lot of real competition in blogging/business because there are very few people who know their audience well/better than they know themselves. When you can speak simply to needs and wants with a clear solution, you’ll find your niche and traffic a whole lot quicker than you ever imagined 😉
Hope I see you on the blog soon!
Bonnie Andrews[ Post Author ]
If you have any questions, I’m here in the comments and would love to chat it up! Ask away… 😉