Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

Hi guys,

Just stumbled upon this magnificent site yesterday while i was being bored at work.  And wanted to introduce myself to the group.  I have been searching for the thing that I am destined to do and have been searching for the last 5 or 6 yrs.  Nothing happened yet.  I keep getting these ideas that I would want to do, but somehow never took the next step. I am hoping that being with you guys, I would be inspired and take the next step.  I did read the person who started her online greeting card business and it was very inspiring.  I am hoping to read more stuff on this site and ask questions and along with the rest of you guys, do what I am destined to do.....

I have been consulting in the IT world for 10 yrs now and live with my wife and two little boys ( 5yrs & 10 months old) in the Northern Virginia area.  And am hoping to plung into something more creative ..

cheers

Prashant

Hi Prashant :-) Welcome to Startup Nation...

You`re not unusual at all, when you say that you`ve been having this growing sense of pressure to start something on your own. Nor are you unusual in letting time slip away from you as you get caught up in daily problems at work.

Think about any story or movie you`ve ever seen---particularly those that are dramatic and filled with suspense. The story usually begins with the hero going about their business, not thinking too much about anything other than regular events.

Suddenly, something happens to disrupt the person`s life. At that point, we in the audience (you watching the movie) begin to see large events taking shape. We see the plot of the story begin to emerge, particularly because we see things that the character in the movie or story can`t see.

In many instances, the hero gets a number of chances to see "ahead of time," and move in a new direction. But for the purpose of dramatic excitement, the director or author chooses to have the character remain in place.

Eventually, pressure becomes so strong that the main character is forced to make a change---to make a move. It`s usually at the last minute, and the audience is left on the edge of their seats, wondering if the hero is going to make it.

Life is like that. So you have this growing sense that you`d like to be somewhere else, doing something different. Time passes, paychecks are steady, life is smooth, and so you`ll do it sometime...just not today. We have another thread going, where the question is "before your next birthday...." what?

It`s been my experience that if your destiny is about to change, it will change, regardless of what you`re doing, thinking, dreaming, imagining, or wondering. In some cases, you can begin to make those changes while things are fairly stable and organized. In many other cases, everything you thought was secure just falls apart.

So the best advice is to begin organizing your new life path sooner rather than later. If nothing else, you can begin to jot down some notes about your Life Plan, where you state out loud what it is you really want in life---you, and your wife.

:-)

Hey Prashant!

Welcome to Startup Nation.  Hopefully, you will find what it is you are looking for.  Maybe you already have it in you and just won`t pursue due to fear. This place is a great place to hang out for that.  It won`t be the final push you will need to get going but it will certainly be the catalyst for it.

It all lies within what you want to do about it. If change is what you want, you have to make that choice. At the end of the day its what you do about it or all it is a wasted talent and a broken dream.

You are already on a right track by joining-I hope we can all  assist you in your new found journey.


LT


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

http://www.face2facevideocard.com
"videos can say it like it is"
09-21-2007

www.senatinproperties.com
real estate investments

Thanks so much guys.  Your response means so much to me.  I really appreciate you guys taking somuch of your time to respond.

cheers

Prashant

Hello and Welcome to the board Prashant!  There is such a pool of knowledge around here, I`m sure you`ll find the inspiration and courage to take the plunge soon.

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

Leslie
Founder and President
Charmed Life Products LLC
Grill Charms™… The MUST HAVE grilling accessory that is revolutionizing the American Cook-out AND The perfect gift for any occasion!
Grill Charms
                                                                                                    

Hi Prashant,

Welcome to the forum .

You have been into the IT consulting for a big time and there is not much I can really tell you about, since I too just quit my job and took up the risk of being the entrepreneur. Yeah I said risk because big things involve big risks. But, as Robin Sharma says "The biggest risk is not taking one".

I too have been feeling the itch to start my own thing since I was in engg. college. But, never took steps to realise my dreams. To be honest with you the first step is hardest step. There are lots of questions you will encounter in your mind and will try to answer them. You first step is based on those answers. But, one thing we need to realise that we will not know the path until we walk the path. Once I heard my fellow poster (on this forum and second one in this thread) CraigL saying "Take the leap and the net will appear". I am 26 and I just left my software job. Not because I didn`t liked it but I was somewhere under the pressure of age. I knew once I get married I would not be able to take this risk as much as I can take it right now. I still have 2-3 years to make it stable, which I am very hopeful about.

So, don`t worry. You are such an experienced guy. Just take the leap. Trust me, once you start walking you will start seeing the path. When  I started couple of months ago I had no real idea. What I thought was business was not business. After joining this forum I got so much knowledge that my perspective towards business has totally taken a new dimension,  a paradigm shift .

All the best with your ventures. And do no forget to follow your heart . All the best !!!

Cheers,
Anurag

Anurag, that`s really an excellent post! :-) It`s true, isn`t it...how the net does indeed appear! :-D

What so many people seem to forget is that when they`re ready to start a business, it`s because they have a whole lot of experience about the details. Somehow, just by saying to themselves, "Now it`s serious! I`m gonna be running things!" it seems as if there`s something totally unknown about to happen. No. It isn`t unknown!

You DO know what goes into the area you`re looking at turning into a business! You`ve likely done it most of your life, given away products, figured out how to send them and get the materials. You have skills, knowledge, and wisdom, and likely have run into a lot of people who "run things" but have no idea how to run them well!

It`s NOT a total mystery about starting a business. It`s all about making what you make, doing what you do, and helping people solve problems in the area that you have solutions. There isn`t any magic in running a busines.

• Make something
• Give it to someone
• Get some money
• Keep track of what you`re doing.

Hi Prashant

Welcome to SuN!

I`ve been in the IT industry for....well too many years to mention!!!

With regards to the `thing you are destined to do`...what are your passions? What are your dreams?

Enjoy your journey here.

Andrew

Hey Guys ( Craig, LT, Leslie, Anurag & Andrew)

Thanks so much for writing on this thread.  Really makes me feel so much more confident. 

Andrew,

Over the past few years, I started feeling that I was not of the type who would work with an employer for the rest of my life and retire.  It just did not seem to be something that I wanted to do.  I want to go to the next step in life, do something more than work 8 to 5.  That feeling got stronger and stronger because after implementing a ERP solution a few times, it feels to become a routine.  And more recently, my feeling to start a business got even more stronger because my expenses started to shoot up but my income does not seem to go up.  Blame it on the dotcom fiasco and then more recently, the real estate crash.  I got my first house in early 2005 and you know the rest of the story...

Coming back to passions, I have had several ideas that I would get over the past few years ever since I started feeling about starting up a business. Some ideas that I got out of necessity and some, because I kept thinking of ideas. For example, I thought it would be a really cool if we were to have a computer mouse that would have a finger print reader.  And we have a software that goes along with it.  So, using it, the mouse will read your finger prints and plug the password to any account you would log into..  You just don`t have to remember your passwords for the rest of your life, no matter how many accounts you have..  And you don`t have to worry about another user using your machine when you stepped away from your machine, because their fingers don`t match yours...  Now, isn`t that a cool idea. People who have to remember a lot of pwds like me will defenitely agree with me.. So, I go and research on the net and guess what, those things do exist.  There goes my idea....  And I go on to the next one..  This is an example of my school of thought for starting something.  As i keep going in this journey, I am sure I will be asking more questions related to specific things that I will pursue.

- cheers

Prashant

 

Prashant,
Keep in mind that it`s very hard to, and also rare to come up with an idea so unique it`s never been even thought of in all of history. If people started a business only on the principle of totally unique, we`d have a whole lot fewer businesses. :-) Right?

On the other hand, a huge number of companies have been started, then gone on to make many millions of dollars on the basis of modifications, price, and service differences.

So for example, suppose you DID pursue the biometric mouse. With the rapidly emerging interest in fingerprint and retina ID technology, you likely could "capture" a portion of the marketplace share.

It isn`t important that you totally dominate a market, particularly in technology like computers. Remember that in a trillion-dollar business, even .01 percent is still millions of dollars. And .00000001 percent could likely generate a comfortable income around the $100K/year range.

Not everyone starts a business to become a bazillionaire. :-) Many people just want to control their own income, future, and work environment. As long as the business pays the bills, they`re very happy selling what that make.