We all like to make excuses – Especially when it comes to the things that are challenging. For instance, these two of the excuses commonly made about starting an online business:
1) “I can’t afford it”
2) “I don’t have enough time”
Today I want to respond to each one and discuss why they’re completely untrue…
“I can’t afford to start an online business.”
Trust me. This excuse hits really close to home. I remember what it’s like having to watch every purchase like a hawk, only to see my credit card debt pile up. It’s not very fun.
With that said, I’d like to mention a term I heard awhile back called “The Latte Factor.” While applied more towards saving money, this concept is simple. All you do is eliminate one small expenditure on a daily basis and use this money to fund your online business.
For instance, here are few items people typically buy on a daily basis:
- A latte at Starbuck’s Coffee (Hence “The Latte Factor” expression)
- A pack of cigarettes
- A meal at a fast food restaurant
- An alcoholic drink with your friends after work
Seriously, let’s say you spend an average of $5 a day on one of these expenditures. If you add that up, it’s $150 a month. That’s more than enough to start an online business. To tell you the truth that’s a little less than what I spend on all three of my Internet businesses.
Unless you’re the most frugal person in the world, you can find ways to afford an online business. I like my cup of tea from Starbuck’s as much as the next person. But if I knew giving it up for a few months would make a better future, you better believe I’d eliminate this habit in a New York Minute.
“I don’t have enough time to start an online business.”
Again, I can sympathize with this excuse. I’ve gone through those periods of life where it seems like there’s never enough time. More true if you have a spouse and/or kids.
I know it’s trite, but we’re all given the same amount of time each day. The billionaires of the world like Warren Buffet, Bill Gates, and Richard Branson have a 24-hour day just like you and I. The difference, I feel, is they make the most of what they’re given.
Now, I really don’t know what your lifestyle is like, but I imagine there are ways you could make more time. For instance, here’s I would do to squeeze more time out of a day:
- Stop watching television…Period.
- Eliminate bad time management habits
- Throw out your video game console. It’s a completely meaningless activity.
- Get up an hour early each day or go to sleep one hour later
- Use part of your weekend to do Internet marketing
- Bring a bag lunch to work and use this time to build your business
- Learn to be more productive
Yes, this isn’t very fun…it might even cause some stress on the home front. Perhaps you’ll have to talk with your “significant other” about what you’re trying to achieve. My point is in order to get the best things in life, you often to make sacrifices along the way. But don’t worry. Almost every successful person has done this and I guarantee they’ll say it was well worth it!
What Excuses Are YOU Making?
Like I said, we all make excuses. Even to this day, I find myself giving reasons for why I don’t push past my comfort zone and go for what I want. As you’re reading this, ask yourself what excuses are YOU making. Are they the two I’ve just mentioned? Or are there other excuses that I didn’t mention. Please comment below…
Take Action. Get Results.
The first time I remember hitting this problem was when I told a friend I wanted to write a book and he asked me why I didn’t. Of course I said I didn’t have the time.
But then I decided to go for it, and just as you suggest I got up two hours earlier in the morning (I need my tea and biscuits) and I could not believe how fast that book came together.
Sometimes it is difficult to work out where your day goes, and there are lots of strategies for using time well, you just need to find the one that fits you, and make sure you timetable fun, because it’s at least as important.
Budget is something I find more challenging – I’d be very interested to know what you think are the most important items to budget for. Every time I turn around there is another product or facility at x per month, and x keeps getting bigger!
Hope your journey is going well – aren’t you due home soon?
Time does seem to be a rough thing to deal with. There never does seem to be enough. with planning …and getting up early with your tea and biscuits you can often find some time if it means enough to you.
Budgeting is another matter entirely. I know what you are talking about with all the different products. Many of them are quite attractive. Many of them even work..either to a limited extent or like gangbusters.
The thing is they are not needed. I would say to have a successful online business you need:
1) domain name
2) Hosting (I am not a fan for blogger for people who are serious)
3) Once you start list-building an auto-responder like Aweber.
To be honest, even three is questionable. I like and use Aweber, but I have heard of some free options that are pretty good. I don’t use them, but I know some who say they are great….so 3 may not be needed.
Everything else is a thing of convenience. If you have the $$ they can be great. I will admit I have a few like Market Samurai and UAW that have recurring monthlies that bloat my budget beyond a cup a Starbucks a day, but the fact is…I could do without them. They just make life easier.
One way to control your budget is to only buy the “optional things” when it comes out of profits you make from online work. Then it is more “reinvesting” than anything else.
Hi Steve,
This is so true! A lot of people get really defensive when you mention giving up stuff like TV or some other “pleasure”. The truth is, if you have an internet connection at home – you CAN have an internet business. The only question is: What are you willing to give up?
I think a lot of us stick to our excuses because we’re frightened to leave our comfort zone. But. unless we do, we can’t really achieve anything meaningful in our lives!
A wonderful post, Steve!
Have a great day,
Josip
Josip,
You make a great point. Fear is definitely a factor. I do remember starting out and how overwhelming it all seemed. To be honest sometimes it still seems overwhelming.
The thing that people starting out need to learn is just to do something everyday. The whole process of starting an online business is not as difficult as it seems. Even if people starting out simply play with a Squidoo site (nice and 100% free) they can learn something by trying to promote their pages there and get ready to take the next steps.
Great stuff, Steve! I’m always amazed when people say they don’t have the money for something. We spend so much money on crap! I don’t drink coffee, alcohol, or smoke, so I’m covered there, but I DO buy fast food all the time. I think I’m a pretty thrifty guy, but there’s even a lot of stuff I can save on!
And great point in the above comment about Squidoo. HubPages is another option. And there are even people making significant incomes with Blogger or WordPress.com blogs.
As for not having enough time, yeah, I can understand this. But it all just depends on what your priorities are. Number 1 should be your family, but after that, the average person could really free up a lot of time!
Anyway, great post!
Very true. I have played on Hubpages too, it is certainly another great (free) option. It seems to me hubpages/squidoo is just a personal preference thing. They both get decent love from Google and fast and both have very nice interfaces, They are just different enough that some people like one over the other.
I started on Squidoo first…so I think that is part of the reason i prefer it…don’t really think it is better..just the one “I like”
Blogger and wordpress (free)… well…I think the cost of hosting is small enough to make it worth it to go for pay options. But sure, there is money to be made on those free options…I would argue, though, that if you are making 40$ a month on blogger you could be making $100 with same work on a 10$ hosting site, though. Given REAL money constraints though…they are certainly a fine option.
Time: well, like you said spending time with family…and keeping your job come first. Even working full time online again…i find there is not the time i WISH i had.
But people should be able to free time for some work everyday…even if only 45 minutes….
Hi Steve,
I was generally guilty of the 2 excuses mentioned until I became obsessed with succeeding.
So I use excuses sometimes? Hell yeah. Sometimes, the time issue starts to creep into my mind. Right now I am setting up a new list campaign and am in the process of changing all of my resources. I watch the silly little voice come up saying “You’ll never get that done” and I feel the urge to throw in the towel and leave things as they were, but by learning to note the voice and ignore it I proceed.
It’s SUPER uncomfortable at times to watch your excuses become unvalidated. Such is the life of a successful person. If you can’t get used to being uncomfortable you’ll never become anyone of note.
Thanks for sharing!
Ryan
Hey, we all make an excuse and procrastinate sometimes, but the important thing is that you do realize they are excuses and ultimately do it anyway.
Time of course is always a factor. But it is a factor you can work with. Automate outsource. or simply if you have a hectic life and full time job: allow yourself enough time to get it done. You do not need to go from 0-60 in 5 seconds. If it takes a while, it is fine as long as people have the patience to keep after it for the long haul.
Hi Steve,
This is so true my friend. Many people are good at making execuses like I don’t have time. It is all about managing our time better. The same goes for “I can’t afford it.” If we cut down on simple things, we could use this money to start an online business or anything that is beneficial for us. It is always good to look at the end results and the benefits we will get. Thanks for sharing
Yeah…money should be small enough not to be an issue. Time, I certainly can see as a semi-valid obstacle, but still if you desire something you make the time for it. For most people if a television show came on EVERY night for 1 hour, and people absolutely loved the show…chances are a way would be found to watch it. Anyone who could find 1 hour a night to watch a TV show should be able to find 1 hour to work at an online business.
Of course there could be exceptions….someone with family obligations already working two jobs to stay afloat… such a situation where every spare second is for sleep, I cold respect (and feel sorry for), short of that though…you can certainly find SOME time somehow
It’s those stupid, little things that really get to me – even though I have a coffee machine (which was totally the best investment in a while) – I still will pick up a coffee before work – and then I usually get an energy drink on the way home. Combined that with eating out once or twice and it quickly adds up.
I think it’s great to do it in steps – build a good habit instead of just trying to quit – so with the coffee thing it would just be to always brew my own coffee. Eating out could just be to always remember to pack my own lunch. You can comprise – be a bit frugal – and have all that money to save for your business – you figure hosting and everything costs you next to nothing so you could even just cut it down by half and still be good to go.
Now that I am back home I am daily investor in Starbucks again myself. I am not a coffee drinker (gasp—-i know) but I drink my tea and sit there working online for hours sucking up free wifi.
But all that is besides the point. When I needed to the money to even “make it” online those things were out the window. I believe people should reward themselves with some luxuries, BUT not to the point where it impedes action. If you can’t afford webhosting, but you can afford to go see the new Eastwood/Damon movie…then your priorities are not set right.
The fact that the whole package is less than 15$ a month for the barest minimum and $50 a month for a few “frills” it is really nothing money-wise in the scheme of things.
I have no problems with a caffeine addict passing up “nice” stuff to have like UAW and MS to get their fixes, but the minimums should be in the range of anyone’s budget.
Hey Steve,
I’m happy to say that I have kicked both of those excuses, and without them, there really are no more excuses! That’s why my site has achieved the level of success it has so far – because I work on the site in my spare time and have cut way back on any extra expenses. Thanks for the great reminder!
Quoting Dave Ramsey I see 😉 An online business can be considered a necessary expense. Especially when all you truly need is $10 a year for a domain name. You can find some really good free php hosting with ftp access, c-panel, and tons of other features, and they host your domain name also. So there really isnt an excuse.
On top of that, with the availability of various free scripts out there…. WordPress for blogging, oscommerce and cre loaded for ecommerce stores, etc, there is really no excuse.
Brandon,
Very true. It is so basic and so cheap to get started, that there should be no viable excuse. There are tons of fancy ruffles out there that can add to bottom line costs, but none are needed.
Oh forgot…it WAS Dave Ramsey. I know I read this a few years back, but couldn’t remember the reference.
I admit I had made an excuse “I will not be able to handle this” before I created my blog. But, look back to what I have done so far, it’s not pretty bad.
I don’t know why that excuse got me. I imagined there would be so many obstacles, difficulties I had to go over so I was pretty scared. However, I was inspired and move on.
Just a little story to share 🙂
I think your story is probably pretty common. It is often fear of the unknown…not inability that hold people back.
It takes some guts to try to jump in the deep and and swim, but most people that do it have the capacity to make it if they work at it
First and foremost, people need to change their mindset about building a business. Many see this as a cost as opposed to an investment into their own futures. Your examples of creating time and resources instead of excuses are good ones.
The difference between those who are successful and those who are not is the fact that the successful will do what many others will not. Doing the same things in life day in and day out nearly always insures the same result. If you really want to find a level of success, you will have to get off the sidelines and make some lifestyle changes.
As you’ve pointed out so nicely, it doesn’t take much of a sacrifice to get things going. You simply need to have the desire to roll up your sleeves and make something happen.
Nice post, Steve!
Yup! So much of success is attitude. Luck, aptitude and opportunity all have their places, but without gumption and “git up and go” it is pretty hard to have any decent measure of success.
For me, it all goes back to my ideal of ‘just freakin’ DO IT!’.
That generally always gets me going. ‘Cause actually, if I don’t…nobody will do it for me.
I agree. I always come back to Nikes old catch phrase too. Of all the brilliant quotes from genius over the years “Just do it” has to top the list beating even “the only thing we have to fear….”
Hi Steve,
There are many excuses we can come up with for not doing something. These 2 excuses which you mention are definitely the most common that I have heard when it comes to starting an online business. Heck, I even had them myself before.
I think the “Latte Factor” is an important concept. When we are not careful with the way we spend, it is a wonder where all our money goes. And in truth, it is not expensive to set up an online business if you know what you are doing. It just takes a lot of time and effort which leads us to your point on time.
I like how you remind us that every single human being has 24 hours a day whether they are billionaires or otherwise. This does help to put things in perspective and weakens the excuse of having no time. To achieve our goals, sacrifice is necessary, that’s how people become successful. If we cannot get our priorities right, we will never have time for anything in our lives.
For me the biggest struggle is time. It’s always a challenge to find ways to use my time more effectively. It all boils down to being more productive with the time we have. Your points on time management have given me much food for thought.
Thank you for sharing this great post!
It certainly is not always an easy thing to find the time. But it is doable, slmost no matter what goes on. It may be IMPOSSIBLE to free hours if you have a busy life. But I think anyone from prince to pauper should be able to sake loose an hour if they have the need and desire to do so.
Hi Steve,
I think excuses just mask fear. Or, at least they do for me. I can always find the time or the money I need for whatever it is I want to do.
If I find myself telling someone I’m too busy or something is way too expensive; I know that I’m afraid of something.
Generally I’m afraid I will fail. So, I just set my goals, make a plan, work my heart out and never quit.
It works out far more often than not. I do make excuses but I try to not to let them stop me from moving forward.
“I’m afraid I will fail. So, I just set my goals, make a plan, work my heart out and never quit.”
Perfect attitude Jazz! Like you said, it is possible to still fail. It happens. But more often when you screw up your courage it does end in success, or at least the lesson of the failure ends up being an important part of a future success.
Hi Steve,
The only other excuse I can think of is: “I get lost”
With so many people trying to get into business, motivated by the problems at regular jobs due to the economy, and tempted by gurus about a luxury lifestyle; we can see people with a “job” mentality trying to get into an “entrepreneurship” activity, so the tasks involved might seem overwhelming and confusing. There is no more “send this to the guys at the other department…is not for us”.
I’ve read in several places of people wanting to enter the online business life and asking: “OK, what do I have to do?” with a mentality of the first day at the job.
The transition from one mentality to the other is hard for the majority, but mostly the “living the business mentality” can get people stuck and discouraged, even if they separate time and money for their dream life pursue.
Raul
Raul,
Good point! Many people are certainly drawn by the glamorous allure and do not see the hard word and the fact that their is not a simple “do X to get Y” formula.
Sometimes this bugs me because many of the Gurus that try to shepherd that flock are all the wolves that prey on them. That is actually a valid pitfall. People do have to VERY careful about putting any money into an internet business until they know what they are getting.
But even being preyed on aside… it is a very different mentality that it takes to succeed. much more oriented toward, “faith” that things will work out rather than direct results.
Thanks for the great post. I used to have those very same excuses myself when I was just trying to start out in network marketing. I was so worried about how I could afford it but I made some sacrifices in my life that helped me budget myself more. As far as time is concerned, that is all about discipline. If you want it bad enough, you do what ever you have to do to make work. Like you said, whether its getting up early of staying up a bit later, there is always time for working on the business if you really want it to succeed.
Rahsaan,
You are totally correct. If you want it bad enough you make it happen. Particularly since the entry cost is actually very low.
Thanks for dropping by and commenting! I hope you have a great weekend.
Really cool Steve.
I have heard them all, and you know what is funny? Usually these people with no time or money seem to always find the money to buy some hypey program, signup for the affiliate side or biz op side and then spam you with their link whenever they can.
It really amazes me haha.
Thanks for the post 🙂
Haha,
You are right…that may be because that MUST be “easy money”
Awesome post. It’s so true. We all have 24 hours a day. But some people are willing to sacrifice short term pleasure for their success, while others are not.
The best way, of course, to to experience short term pleasure while building long term success 🙂 And come on, building an online business is way more fun than having a café latte.
Now you made me feel guilty :). Well excuses are always a good way to escape the daily chores like going to the gym, buying grocery, building an online business etc.
But for many people is the simple fact that they don’t know where to start and the fact that they are going into the unknown is just daunting.
I think a push in the right direction, like being fired can really make some wheels turning :))
Alex,
Definitely a great point. fear of the unknown and not knowing how to approach things are understandable fears. Like most things…they are not as “big” as they may be in peoples imagination, but fear is not always rational.
I don’t have time!..That is a big one Steve.
I had that mindset about blogging 5 months ago and now I am so glad I started. I sometimes wish I had started sooner but I procrastinated and made excuses.
Nowadays, I still struggle with balancing time between my blog, family and work but my mindset on blogging has changed a lot. It is more fun now and the great lesson I learned from this experience is if it is fun, it is a whole lot easier to make the sacrifices and fight the fear.
I don’t think I have any major problem with not being able to afford the things I need for my business. Yeah, and I am really looking forward to see how embracing minimalism helps me financially.
Very insightful post Steve.
Later on brother..
Hi Steve;
I missed this list yesterday, because for 2 1/2 days I did not have Internet. So, I want to add a small comment here, since I read the post.
There are two basic reasons for these excuses, one is fear of failure and some are stuck in a situation that the can not commit. Life is not a bed of roses, ever one has a different situation. I hope you did not mind.
All the best
franA
Hey Steve,
I was once saying those 2 excuses many many times until I’ve decided I want to get out of the kind of life other people are living. I also want to make money in a different way and I was determined to get out of what everyone else is doing. It took me quite a long while to get out of those 2 excuses. Even when I’m managing my blog, I still gave myself excuses but I’m more focused on what I want now and getting over the excuses is much easier than before.
First, I have to thank Barb Ling for mentioning your blog in one of her posts. Second, you’re absolutely correct here. I use that first one often, but almost never the second one. Yet I had to learn that I needed to spend some money and use an actual accountant instead of doing it all on my own so that I actually had more time; amazing how that works. :_)
Mitch,
Thanks for swinging by and commenting. I am glad you found me on Barbs wonderful blog! I am a huge fan of outsourcing, specifically when someone has an expertise that I do not have. Once a blog/e-biz starts to get a little complicated it certainly makes sense to have the professionals to take care of the business.
I loved this post, particularly the part about squeezing out more time out of our limited time to do more productive work. I used to think I was the only one who thought Tv and video games were such time wasters …now I guess I not alone 🙂
Thanks for sharing!
I can’t say I “never” watch TV. But I strictly limit it. 99% is crap anyway so it isn’t that hard. Video games I avoid 100%. I could see myself getting sucked in and not being productive if I did play them.
I think most really productive people probably agree, since they struggle to find time to get things done, “total escapes” should be limited and really (at least) worth it.
Bringing your lunch to work could fix both problems. You will not spend money on fast food, and you can work for yourself during your break. BRILLIANT!!!