Why you should spend 1 hour each week working on building your own business.
You know who is great at starting a business? (Besides Richard Branson.)
Someone who already works in a business.
Someone who has seen how their employer’s business runs.
They know how their current business wins and how it gets beaten.
They see the flaws to be fixed and the opportunities to improve.
In other words, the best people to start their own business are people just like you. (And Richard Branson.)
Always Be Planning
You should always be thinking of what your own business would look like.
- Think about the systems and processes.
- Think about the customer you will serve.
- Think about your values.
- Think about your culture.
- Think of who would be on your team.
- Think about the epic company parties that aren’t yet restricted by a buzz-killin’ CFO. (I hope Kid Rock, Beyonce and The Rolling Stones are all playing at your party, and asking you to sign their foreheads, because they know you are a rock star!)
Imagining the details of your own business is how you build your own life raft. That way, it will be ready to use when you are ready to jump. (Or if your current business sinks or you get thrown overboard.) You can use your boat to save yourself, create your own epic adventure, or sail off into the sunset.
1 Hour Per Week
Spend an hour per week thinking about building your own business.
Take it from your InstaSnapTok time.
Then, every year, you will spend 52 hours working on your own business.
10 years into your career, you will have spent 520 hours working on your business.
And 2 decades into your career, you will have spent 1,040 hours on your own business. #mathwhiz
That’s how a steady drip of thinking, formulating, and crafting turns into a business started by a veteran with 20 years of experience, a vision, and a valuable network of industry experts, coworkers, partners and suppliers.
I know this approach works. Because it is how I started The Weaponry nearly 10 years ago. And it was the best career move I ever made.
Key Takeaway
Spend a little time each week thinking about what your own business would look like. Capture your ideas in a notebook or a Google Doc. Add a little bit each week. It is a great way to slowly plan your own business before you need it. And if you never need it, it will provide a great roadmap to improve the business you are currently in. It is a win-win that could lead to the greatest adventure of your career.