I want to share a business secret with you. It’s a secret that you may know already – a least mentally. Yet it’s a secret that often separates highly successful businesses from the less successful ones.

Are you ready? Okay…

No matter how well developed your business is; no matter how many years you’ve been doing it, how many customers you’ve served, how much money you’re making – your business will forever be a work in progress.

I heard this years ago from a colleague and fluffed it off with the usual, “yeah, of course!” But I was missing the juice of it. Only recently have I gotten a clear understanding of what it means. And only recently have I taken a close look at how having an unfinished business is the secret to success. [ continue reading & share your thoughts → ]

I’ve always been a do-it-yourselfer. I’ve taught myself a great many things by taking this attitude.

When I bought my first house, I completely gutted it – down to the timbers in most rooms. In other places, we removed and moved walls. For instance, I created a large, walk-in closet in our huge bedroom where there was once a little coat room.

When it came to moving plumbing, rerouting and adding electrical, drywall, replacing subfloor, moving my toilets and bathtub drains – I basically did it all. And in most cases, I took to each project never having done it before.

But at some point, you have to live in  your house. And that means it has to get done – as my wife might say, “be livable.”

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So, you want to start working with clients – great!

Depending on who you listen to, there’s so much you need to do in order to successfully launch your business. It doesn’t seem to matter whether you’re a life coach, business consultant or holistic healer, launching a successful business takes time, energy and even a little bit of money.

More than anything, you need a plan. You need to know what you’re about and how your service will help other people. That’s the first step. Some would say you next need a business plan, a marketing plan and a clear revenue model (you do need to know how you’re going to make money, after all).

But I think it’s much simpler than all that.

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Let’s face it, our economy here in the U.S. is in trouble. As a nation, and as individuals, we’ve out-spent our means and overextended our lives while saving less than ever before in history. And after decades of being inflated, it appears our economy is entering a readjustment period. This isn’t, necessarily, a bad thing. Yes, people will lose jobs, companies will go under and house will foreclose.

Yet if you run a small, independent business, the economy has far less impact on your business than you think. So you’re likely not facing the doomsday that’s being talked about with every newscast and editorial.

Unless you believe you are. But remember, as a service provider, you have much more opportunity in these times than corporations do.

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Oddly enough, I was outside the box thinking about thinking outside the box just the other day.

What I discovered was something interesting…once I was outside the box, I was free. I could run, dance, play all I wanted. There were no boundaries, only wide-open spaces. No responsibilities, no deadlines, and no structure. Just unabated freedom.

But that wasn’t the interesting part. Being footloose and fancy free was fun, for a while. That’s right, for a while.

After a short time, however, I got board. I started looking back at the box. I moved slowly toward it. And when I got near, I peered inside. I realized the box wasn’t that bad. It provided structure and boundaries that made me productive. It also gave me sense of purpose since I was responsible for my clients, my family, myself.

Soon, I saw the box not as a prison, but as a container. A container with limitations, sure. Yet as romantic as it sounds to be completely free, it’s the limitations that give our lives meaning. Without them, we’d never accomplish anything.

You see, what I’ve learned is that our boxes aren’t bad things. They’re quite the opposite, actually. They give us perspective on where we’ve been, where we are and where we want to go. It’s good to think outside the box, otherwise you’d never grow. And the funny thing about growing is that soon you should out grow your box and need to build a larger one.

Are you thinking outside your box? When’s the last time you built a larger one?

I love being inspired. This morning, I read Biana Babinsky’s post, Stop Cold Calling. In it, she offers a three step plan for those starting out with online marketing.

1. Define your target market
2. Create/revise your web site to make it an effective sales tool
3. Use online marketing techniques to drive your target market to your web site

These three steps are a really nice beginning. But if I’m a small business or independent service professional, you might be asking, “Aren’t I doing this already?”

It’s likely you’re not. The way to tell is to look at how your website came into existence.
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