Do I have marketable products or skills?

You might think, "Who would be so stupid as to go into business without good
products are skills?" However, people do so all the time, because, many
don't understand the law of supply and demand. When people come to me and
say, "I've got a great idea for a product that everyone will need to use
every day." My next question is, "How many others products are on the
market?" If the answer is, "None." I say, "I hope you've got lots of money
to promote it." Because, no matter how great the need, if there is no
product or service on the market, there is no demand. In order to be
successful, it will be necessary to create the demand curve, which can be
much more expensive than bringing to market a better mouse trap when the
demand curve is already established.

Conversely, if there is a well-established demand curve, it will be
critical to anticipate what will be required to differentiate your product
from the others in order to gain a share of the market. Unless you have a
solid knowledge of the market for your product, you will be challenged by
this necessity that will require good analytical research tools and a viable
marketing plan. Many striving entrepreneurs, lack either access, or
knowledge to use both.

One of the common characteristics of successful entrepreneurs is self
confidence (more on this later). What we may lack in true self-confidence
will be compensated for with ego; usually thinking we know what we don't
know. Ego is dangerous because the ego-centric individual wants the world
to look as he or she wants it to look, not necessarily what it is in
reality. Therefore, perception and reality, but closely approximaate each
other.

Next time: Am I willing to market?

Good day and good work,

Norman

Norman J. York, President
York Career Development, Inc.
3307 Northland Drive, Suite 280
Austin, TX 78731
Austin: 512-502-8258
Houston: 866-502-8258
Cell: 512-656-8239
Web site: www.yorkinc.com

"Your vision will become clear only
when you look into your heart.
Who looks outside, dreams
Who looks inside, awakens"
Carl Jung

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3:54 PM

The joy of being your own person

While it's true that entrepreurship requires thoughtful consideration, there is little to surpass the joy of being able to do your own thing your way. If you buy an existing business that has employees, there is nothing so satisfying as the opportunity to develop a group the way "they" want to be lead. If your bent is to start something from scratch, perhaps your first billing or your first service or product delivery will fill you with an incredible sense of accomplishment. Whatever you do, your success will have much to do with your being enthusiastic, yet at peace with your endeavor. Fear works like a magnet. And the more we work to overcome fear the most attractive we become to the market, the opportunity, the money or whatever we seek to bring into reality.

Yes, freedom isn't free, but it's worth the price. The ability to call the shots and to devote your energy to whatever you love to do, is worth the risk that is required if the reward is to be realized. As you re-read Carl Jung's quote, remember that your vision will become a reality only when you look inside yourself, into your own heart. For within we find the answers, the direction, the insight that we need for success. Or to quote Emerson, "Nothing can bring you peace, but yourself."

Next time: Do I have a marketable product or skills?

Good day and good work,

Norman

Norman J. York, President
York Career Development, Inc.
3307 Northland Drive, Suite 280
Austin, TX 78731
Austin: 512-502-8258
Houston: 866-502-8258
Cell: 512-656-8239
Web site: www.yorkinc.com

"Your vision will become clear only
when you look into your heart.
Who looks outside, dreams
Who looks inside, awakens"
Carl Jung

The price of freedom

As I said earlier, people go into business for themselves primarily to be
free, but freedom isn't free. So what is the price? Working for yourself
requires much sacrifice and hard work, maybe harder than you may have worked
in your old job. Depending on the entrepreneurial direction that you take,
if you're the boss there may be no one else to engage with at your level of
responsibility. Command truly is a lonely job and unless you install
advisors or directors, who understand your business, you may spend many
sleepless hours of soul searching in your quest to make the right, even the
best decisions, with little or no conscious help or support.

And then there's ambiguity. What's that? Unless your business is very
unusual, there will be periods of change and uncertainty, when the market
you're serving begins to deteriorate ahead your anticipation, when the
decision you made turns out to be the worst possible and when faced with
failure you have the courage to look for a solution in areas you've never
explored. When such things happen how will you handle the situation,
especially if your cash is limited and cash flow is difficult to predict?
Such circumstances serve to teach you much about yourself and your ability
to generate creative solutions and find peace within your being. Or as
Kipling said, "If you can keep your head when all about you are losing
theirs and blaming it on you..... You'll be a man, my son." However,
there's a flip side.

Next time: The joy of being your own person

Good day and good work,

Norman

Norman J. York, President
York Career Development, Inc.
3307 Northland Drive, Suite 280
Austin, TX 78731
Austin: 512-502-8258
Houston: 866-502-8258
Cell: 512-656-8239
Web site: www.yorkinc.com

"Your vision will become clear only
when you look into your heart.
Who looks outside, dreams
Who looks inside, awakens"
Carl Jung

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4:36 PM

Should you work for yourself?

Contrary to popular belief, people don't go into business for themselves
primarily to make money. While they do want to make money, their primary
source of motivation is freedom. This is especially true of those who have
experienced hard lessons learned from organizational bureaucracy and who
feel marginalized by unrealistic structure and incompetent leadership.
However, freedom, isn't free. One of the reasons that people often remain
in unhappy work environments is the willingness to accept unhappy
circumstances to avoid having to pay the price of freedom, whether the
choice is to find new more meaningful employment or to haunch out on the
their own in some form or fashion. So, in essence, it boils down to doing
things that many others have neither the courage nor the ability to do.

Next time: The price of freedom

Good day and good work,

Norman

Norman J. York, President
York Career Development, Inc.
3307 Northland Drive, Suite 280
Austin, TX 78731
Austin: 512-502-8258
Houston: 866-502-8258
Cell: 512-656-8239
Web site: www.yorkinc.com

"Your vision will become clear only
when you look into your heart.
Who looks outside, dreams
Who looks inside, awakens"
Carl Jung

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9:59 AM

Make sure they know how

It's important to set realistic expectations and take the time to discuss
why, the reason for doing whatever you are asking. However, of equal
importance is the need for you to be sure that people know how to do the
expected. Don't assume! Ask questions or even require a demonstration of
knowledge or a skill to ensure that the requisite capability is in place.
People are sometimes fearful of telling you or others about a deficiency
that may exist. Even if they are motivated to perform, without what it
takes to do the job, they may flounder until the lack of performance shows
up. Therefore, now there is a problem that might otherwise have been
avoided and corrective action will be required that is always more costly
and time consuming.

Since we live in the Information Age, knowledge is the commodity with which
we are most engaged. For example, we are likely to assume that a certain
type of college degree is indicative of certain abilities that a person may
or may not have acquired in the education process. Having attended a
certain type of training may not necessarily mean that a person has the
tools expected. One of my clients is consistently frustrated that his
employees are unable to cross-sell products even though they have been
exposed to certain types of training. Without verification of the ability
and motivation to perform, your expectations may only be wishful thinking.

Next time: Should you work for yourself?

Good day and good look,

Norman

Norman J. York, President
York Career Development, Inc.
3307 Northland Drive, Suite 280
Austin, TX 78731
Austin: 512-502-8258
Houston: 866-502-8258
Cell: 512-656-8239
Web site: www.yorkinc.com

"Your vision will become clear only
when you look into your heart.
Who looks outside, dreams
Who looks inside, awakens"
Carl Jung

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1:12 PM