Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

Hi, my name is Paul. I`ve wanted to start a business for a few years now, but I just can`t seem to get over the fear. I`m 47 years old and in an absolute dead-end job and would like to start a bookkeeping business. I already own the software and have taken a few courses in Accounting. Although I don`t have a degree, I`ve worked in the field for over 20 years so it shouldn`t be a problem..........right? Yet when I get ready to try and drum up business, the thought that someone might actually call and be interested in engaging my services grips me with fear and I don`t act. The fact that nobody would be interested doesn`t seem to bother me, so fear of failure seems out. Am I just short on confidence, afraid of the unknown, or destined to be a wage slave? Any suggestions/observations would be appreciated.

It`s common to think that it`s this WHOLE BIG WORLD OF CRAZY SH*T.  But it`s really not.

Whenever a client comes to you, all they are looking for is help, otherwise they wouldn`t need you.  When I first started out freelancing, I thought it was such a big professional world that I wasn`t ready for.  Then after working a year in a professional Manhattan firm, I realized the way most companies do business is actually pretty casual.

People are people, as long as you know how to make people feel comfortable, they will be happy to work with you.

If you tend to rub people the wrong way a lot, you should probably stick with a wage-job.

I can`t remember who posted the reference, but not long ago we had a book recommendation: "The Alchemist," by Paulo Coelho.

It`s an allegorical tale about going after one`s dream, life destiny, or "personal legend." The author speaks about the four obstacles we face, whenever we decide to really follow our passion. It`s a fun, short, easily read inspirational book that gathers together a huge amount of real truth.

The answer to any question is almost always included in the statement of the question itself, when the question is properly phrased. In your own question, you essentially are saying, "How can I start an accounting business when I have no degree?"

I`d suggest that your fear isn`t about starting a business, but about credibility. You believe that the days of the "self-made" man are over, and that unless you have a couple or twenty degrees and diplomas sitting on your wall, nobody will hire you.
 
Following through on that, the next problem seems to be that you`re looking at starting a business as a "replacement" for getting a job. The issue isn`t whether or not anyone will "hire you." The issue is whether or not you can fill someone`s needs, make their life easier, save them money, and so forth.

You`re not looking for people who might be interested! That descends from the employee mindset or mentality. You envision a world of people who are doing "just fine, thank you," and require all sorts of convincing before they`ll "somehow" hand over some money.

No, what you`re looking for are people who hate accounting, don`t like to do numbers, hate tracking their receipts, and freak out about taxes and the IRS. You`re the "white knight," riding in and telling them "Fear Not! I will bring you comfort, peace, and joy!" :-D

Put out a local flyer, advertisement, card on a bulletin board, and title it something like, "Do You Hate Accounting?" Then right below that, something like, "I`ll deal with the numbers---You enjoy your life!" See what happens.

Starting a business includes "stage fright." Most of us are deeply fearful of suddenly being put in the spotlight. We worry that our zipper`s undone, our bra will fall off, we have a zit the size of Delaware on our forehead, and that everyone knows we`re an idiot. If it isn`t one of those, we`ll create a couple of other monsters for people to see, laugh and point, and rush us off the stage.

There`s only one antidote for stage fright----experience. You either get up on the stage and live through it, or you never accomplish anything.

oh my, it seems that yes there is some fear of success. although maybe another item to ponder is: the sheer idea of being the boss, and the idea of running a business. compare that to just being a cog in the vast wheel of many within the place you are presently. again: difference between running a business & just part of the wheel at a company. a mighty big difference. as well as different parts of the brain being used (one easily on auto-pilot vs. the other s huge to stretch to fathom).

many folks will truly want and desire to go off on their own. yet for so many years they have been under the guise of following the leader. being or following when to come into work, when to have lunch, when to leave, etc. now its your turn to call the shots. funny since many are so used to following. different skills to use in that brain.

the more thoughtful idea to go down might be-what are the feelings and thoughts that stop you from getting what you want. strange that it may seem, how was childhood, and what patterns are you still holding unto even in the present time? because we can often times hold unto certain patterns from our childhood and carry them into the work force and into personal freedom, called-being our own boss.

you mentioned your age, as if that could be a deterrent to really getting what you truly want. although i might ponder it being more of old father time attempting to claim some old myth you are holding unto. like teaching an old dog a new trick.....

there is even the sheer notion of claiming lack of experience. sorry to bust your bubble here, but henry ford had only at most a high school education as the major force of thinking was college bound in the company he founded. yet-he was still able to find the right folks who had the expertise to excel him to stardom.

there is no excuse to get what you want. there does not seem to be any real excuse for not getting the company off the ground or up and running and making money for you. other than just one cause or fault. that would be just one source. you. yes , only you can stop the momentum of what you want.





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Christopher (the life coach)

Paul, you`re not the only one biting your fingernails, wondering what sort of nut tries to go do something different. If you do read the Alchemist, perhaps getting it from your local library, the paper-back version may hopefully contain the forward by the author. In that, he speaks directly about the four obstacles to finding one`s dream.

The story itself, of course, includes those obstacles in the discussion between the characters as well:

• The first is our mindset--where we don`t believe anyone should follow their passion. As children we do, but as adults we believe routine, stagnation, and obligation are more important---more responsible.
  
• The second is love--particularly love of those who we believe would be injured were we to "abandon" them in our pursuit of happiness. Real love though, encourages passion and enthusiasm, usually joining in the venture.
• The third is fear, that we won`t overcome the many obstacles we`ll encounter. This is where credibility, background, and knowledge come under fire, and require determination, persistence and courage.
• Finally, we then fail to reach out and take the reward of the journey. It may be guilt, or worry that the reality will be less than the dream, but it speaks to the concept of "killing the thing we love."

Taken together, all these are an elegant summary of the most typical ways people choose to fail, avoid, and ignore what they really want in life. I was very fortunate that I decided at around 14 to be a world-famous rock star. :-D At the time, I saw nothing difficult about it---just go play some music and get famous.

I never made it quite that successfully, but what I learned about standing out in front of strangers, being on a stage, developing and presenting a "show," and so much more---it all taught me about life, choice, decisions, and actions.

From that experience I`ve seen just how terrifying "stage fright" can be. I`ve also seen that there simply isn`t any other way to "get on the stage," so to speak, than to will yourself up there.

We`re all of us so good at Denial. Why not learn how to use it constructively? Instead of denying your passion and desire to start a business, why not deny your awareness of how everyone wants to laugh and point, tell you you`re nuts, and keep you from doing anything different? :-)

Speaking of the contradiction of trying to be conscious of the unconscious mind, I was pondering this today, for the lebbenty-ninth time. The problem is that we have very powerful drivers that move or stop us, hidden in a seemingly inaccessible part of the mind.

On the other hand, we have thousands of years of thought about "omens."

People believe that an omen is an objective event or observation, easily interpreted by simply looking it up in an omen encyclopedia. It`s the same way people believe that the Gypsy fortuneteller actually has a magical crystal ball or unusual tea leaves.

In realty, the Gypsy has an ability to access something subconscious, perhaps psychic, but the conscious mind keeps getting in the way, causing a distraction. The crystal ball or tea leaves (or bones) are a way to fix the conscious mind on something so it`ll stay out of the way and allow the subconscious (intuition) to come through.

Omens are like that. When we look out into the world, noticing something strange and odd, it isn`t particularly because the thing actually is odd. Rather, it`s that our subconscious mind is causing us to feel a "connection" with what we`re seeing. The reason for the connection is that it reflects a communication---a message from the subconscious.

Omens are individual and mean something only to the person seeing the event. Look around you, then notice what seems peculiar and strange, odd or unusual as you go about your day. That odd occurrence is like a backward-written message---a mirror message from your subconscious mind.

If you ponder that strange observation, you`ll almost always get a "weird" thought to do something, look up something, read something, or remember something. And that`s where the interpretation lies.