Having good ideas to start an online business is not easy, this is obvious. Good and profitable ideas do not grow on trees.
But, believe it or not, this issue of imagination is not the main obstacle that many potential entrepreneurs have when starting an Internet business.
check now Successful American Business man Story: Alex Reinhardt
What most frustrates and prevents many people from moving forward are their own fears. Yes, that fear of failure that always visits us when starting almost any new activity in our lives.
At the beginning, just before taking that first step that takes us towards a new horizon, is when the most doubts and fears arise. But luckily, today we have digital environments such as the Internet that offer us more opportunities than obstacles.
Of course, you just have to overcome your fear of failure and jump into the pool.
Because a brilliant business idea can sometimes be held back by our inability to face the problems that may arise, hypothetical difficulties that are sometimes only in our minds.
How can I implement my ideas to start an online business without falling because of my fears?
We have all had at some point those negative thoughts that have made us believe that our innovative business ideas were not really viable.
check now Successful American Business man Story: Alex Reinhardt
Make no mistake! Don’t let fear cloud your entrepreneurial spirit. Luckily there are many of us, and more and more, who have decided to take the step of starting an online business and the support network that we have set up is getting bigger and bigger.
Leaning on those who can contribute their experience to motivate you and help you make your ideas to start a business come true is of great importance.
It is with this intention that in this guest post we have the collaboration of She is a Coach and seeks to help all those online entrepreneurs who want to dare to take that step.
So, if you are thinking of taking the plunge and you can’t move forward, this post from Concepción can be very interesting for you.
What are the biggest obstacles when starting an online business and how to overcome them?
It is often said that beginnings are always hard.
But I think this is especially true if, in addition, you are entering a totally new world for you, as is often the case for many of us who choose to start an Internet business.
Who teaches us to start an online business?
Actually, there is no formal training possible, although if I’m honest, I think it’s almost better for us. And it is that lately, higher education fails in the most basic: flight hours and experience are missing .
In other words, to tell the truth, the world of developing your project on the Internet, starting from a business idea and making it work from scratch, reflects the entrepreneurial character very well.
In the end we learn, but based on practice and, above all, because we are capable of finding our lives to discover at all times what our project needs.
However, if you are just starting out, especially, or have only been around for a short time and the results are not as expected, you may not see what I am telling you as an advantage.
Perhaps you would prefer to have a guide, a treasure map or a route that shows you the way.
Well, here comes the good news: in this post, especially focused on practice, you will find the solution to some of the obstacles you will encounter along the way.
Because, although it may seem otherwise, in the world of online entrepreneurship, you are not alone .
There is always someone more advanced or ahead of you, who can, with their experience, help you overcome any situation you are facing right now.
Therefore, it is a matter of you finding them and trying to emulate their achievements. Of course, always based on adaptation and not plagiarism, since on the Internet, as in any other area of life, what is authentic sells more .
With this purpose and in case my experience can be useful to someone, then I will try to guide you so that you can identify what obstacles you are facing at this moment that do not allow you to move forward with your idea to start an online business , and how can you overcome them
Are you ready? Here we go!
What obstacles can stop your entrepreneurial path and how are you going to solve them?
The truth is that, over time, through relationships with other colleagues, and even through the experiences of my clients, I have discovered that there are always commonalities that unite us.
And some of them are:
- The doubts
- The fears
- The indecisions of the beginnings
So, let’s see now, which of them are the most common.
Doubts about your business idea are killing you
At first, your idea to undertake online is too intangible .
You perceive it as something ethereal.
Also, you feel lost, because there is no map that shows you which way to go, or how to do it.
So, in your mind they do not stop spinning, the most varied situations about what could happen if you try.
However, keep in mind that if you don’t try, you are already losing. You will never know what would have happened with that business idea and, in addition, reproaches will appear and the “what if…” will torment you.
What to do to avoid having to live this situation?
There are two alternatives that you can implement as soon as you finish reading this article, which can help you if you find yourself facing this block. Neither of the two are exclusive, so you can do both.
You already know that the more sugar, the sweeter!
1º The first of the actions that you can carry out is to define your vision
Try to develop your idea to start an online business with as much detail as possible. From the beginning, how would you like to start, where, what evolution would it have, how far you would like to go and where you would like it to be in a few years.
This will become your roadmap and will help you make decisions that are more in line with what you want, for your own good and that of your business.
Obviously, over time, your vision can change, so you will have to be flexible and adjust it, but to begin with, it will avoid a lot of that doubt.
2º The second action that I recommend is that you try to validate your online business idea before jumping into the pool
Thus, you will have something clearer if your revolutionary idea can work and you will feel more confident.
To do it, use your imagination and experiment.
You can tell your idea to your possible future market to check reactions; Or even, you can put together a minimal service and offer it to, depending on the response, consider whether it is valid or not, or find out what adjustments you should make to it to fit your audience.
Do what is necessary to stay calmer and eliminate doubts. Of course, keep two things in mind: do not drag on the situation, making checks, and limit yourself to making it as simple as possible, otherwise it will not be worth it either.
The world is cruel and you do not have the resources to start an online business
Well, it’s true, not that the world is cruel, that there is each one’s opinion, but it is true that it is as it is and that each one of us was dealt some cards. So, based on that, let’s play the game!
What I want to say is that it is not worth making excuses , because we all have resources, either in time or money. We may be missing more than one of them, but always look for the positive part and keep what you do have.
Even so, it must be recognized that resources are usually limited and, with what it means to undertake on the Internet, you must be very attentive, because you can be tempted to start investing without a good plan and, finally, exhaust your resources without got what you wanted.
So, what are my recommendations for you to solve this issue?
It’s quite simple: invest in what matters .
“Great, Conchi and how do you do that” – you may be wondering.
It is about measuring , evaluating , reviewing and making important decisions. This is what developing your idea to start a business is all about .
In other words, for each action you take in your business, you have to keep track to be able, in this way, to adjust your resources and allocate them to what is important.
And importantly, what do you think I may be referring to? Well, neither more nor less, to what gives you better results or that helps you to advance in the achievement of your objectives (depending on the phase in which you find yourself).
Perhaps talking about results sounds like numbers or quantities, but if you are starting, for example, investing in what is important may mean hiring someone to help you define your message , create your brand branding, or help you with the development of your website or blog
Whatever it is, set priorities and use resources wisely.
I am insignificant, who would trust me?
Did you know that many times we have our worst enemy at home ? And I don’t mean the environment, your friends, or your relatives. I mean: yourself.
You will have already heard that relationships on the Internet, when selling, for example, are based on trust. Well, if you yourself don’t trust yourself, your possibilities, or your business idea… we started badly.
You run the risk of hiding, of not talking about your project and that way no one will know about it.
I know from experience that at first we lack knowledge. Some have never heard of Digital Marketing , others have never had their own business, others start completely from scratch, because they have just reinvented themselves…
Also, the online world is constantly changing and you have to be willing to constantly continue your learning process.
There are too many obstacles to begin with, or so some may think. However, there is a solution, so be very attentive, if you find yourself in this situation.
How to overcome this obstacle to move forward?
The first thing you should do is an analysis of yourself.
Be realistic and detail, in a list, what are your strengths, your weaknesses .
But, above all, make a list of all those things that you need to develop your business idea to start online and of which you still do not have much mastery, or none.
The next step, before reaching the most obvious, would be to determine an order of priority for each of those areas in which you should deepen.
That is, you do not need to know everything at the beginning .
It is possible that, if you have created your web platform , but you still do not have an email list, before starting to learn how to get visibility, you should start by training yourself on Email marketing to be prepared when your first visits arrive.
And finally, obviously, it is about starting your training.
The best thing is that you propose to train in one specialty at a time, since the one that covers a lot, does not squeeze.
Don’t be brave and put your feet on the ground! Also, keep in mind that training also implies putting into practice what you have learned, otherwise it will not really help you and you will have been wasting your time and money.
Not knowing what will happen to your business idea drives you crazy!
Not everyone manages uncertainty in the same way and believe me, if this is your case and you want to start an online business, you are going to have to start getting along much better with it.
In reality, what happens is that, if you are a bit negative, your mind always flies towards the worst possible scenario (failure, that your idea to start a business does not work the first time, etc.) and of course, so anyone launches, right?
You yourself, in this situation, set limits. You even sabotage yourself, disguising it as procrastination, or what is the same, leaving for tomorrow what you can do today. Or working on contingencies or emergencies, without advancing on what really matters.
But, as in all the cases that I am presenting to you, for this one there is also a solution.
What can you do right now, if you go through this situation?
Step number one: would be to commit to your goal and then take responsibility for your results .
You have to start looking more inward and stop throwing balls out.
If you have a brick wall, mentally speaking, that prevents you from advancing in your project, remember: you put it there yourself, so you can also tear it down.
Step number two: would be to define your niche very well , including finding a micro niche for your business idea .
In this way, you will lose part of that “respect” that you have for starting an online business, since you will do it small and it will be easier for you to assume what is happening.
Also, think that to grow and broaden the horizons of your business, there is always time!
You are full of people with good intentions and valuable content
“Marketing or Online Business are not exact mathematical formulas”
Do you feel lost because you no longer know who to follow or pay attention to?
For this reason, the techniques or strategies that work for one do not have to work equally for everyone, since it will depend a lot on the type of market you are targeting, or the sector in which you operate .
However, when it comes to learning and training, and with this I return to the previous point, you have to be very careful and be very selective . Today, there is a lot of high-quality information, but we are back to business as usual: resources are limited .
The hours of the day cannot be increased by magic, so we must do the most possible in the ones we have.
You will understand that, then, it is not very feasible to go around following a thousand and one blogs, magazines or various publications, right?
The real consequence is that you end up more disoriented than you started with and unable to apply anything they tell you.
So how do I prevent this from happening to me?
If you don’t want to burn out before the hour, I recommend the following: select, select, select.
It’s good to have references, as I said at the beginning, but 3 or 4 is more than enough.
Of all the subscriptions that you maintain, filter and keep those that serve you the most , or if you are more sentimental, with those that you do not want to get rid of under any circumstances.
Those people with whom you feel the most connection or feeling will give you more than those who don’t tell you anything and it is much more likely that you will end up applying what they tell you, because after all, it is a matter of skin.
Then over time and as you progress, you will expand references in other areas or replace them, according to your needs at any given time. But for starters, focus!
It blocks you to think about being recognized on the street and asking for autographs
No, it’s a joke . However, there are many people who are blocked when it comes to taking the plunge and for their business to start to have a certain reputation.
For this reason, they may even postpone important actions that publicize the project, hide behind the computer screen and not show their faces, if they are very shy, or not talk to anyone about your idea .
Obviously, the consequence is the poor results you will get, if this is your situation, since the visibility of your business is largely responsible for reaching your goals.
«A greater visibility, more visits, more subscribers and customers.»
For this reason, and before moving on to the most practical solution or recommendations, I would like you to remember one important thing: it is impossible for everyone to like you .
Despite what you may be thinking right now, I’m not saying it to comfort you, it’s just a reality. But, that can be offset by some of the advantages of the Internet.
Before I was talking about niches, well, the Internet gives you the possibility of targeting a very specific niche of people with whom you really connect, anywhere in the world.
This does not happen in the same way, with a traditional business, right?
Let’s take advantage of the opportunities!
What to do so that your business is not affected by these blockades?
The first thing I would tell you is not to try to pretend to be who you are not to make everyone like you, because now you know that it doesn’t work. Be yourself and, at least, you will feel comfortable and good with what you do and what you say.
In this way, even if you do not believe it possible, or do not know how it can be, you will transmit your essence, confidence and reliability. And that’s how you’ll really fall in love with your audience.
Secondly, I advise you to dose yourself . Start small and feel comfortable giving your best in everything you do. There are different ways to generate visibility, so you can start with the one that overwhelms you the least, or the one that puts less focus on you.
For example, if you have a hard time recording videos, start with something simpler. Of course, keep advancing as you improve yourself, or else you will stagnate.
This is a measure that helps you not to generate stress from the beginning, or to block yourself so much that it does not allow you to even take the first step.
Now perhaps you have already identified what blockage you are suffering from, so I advise you… get down to work!
But, before I say goodbye, I still want to go a step further and share with you one of my favorite TED talks, which always motivates and inspires me when I listen to it.
Start now! Overcome fear and start starting a business or project
Oh, and if you think you have any other fear for which you don’t see a clear solution, leave me your comment below and it will be a pleasure to continue helping you.