There Is Only One Certainty About Starting Your Own Business

Guest post by: James Chan
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The "C-H-I-N-A" formula for selling services or products to China - By James Chan

There is really only one certainty about starting your own business: You really have no idea what it is going to be like.

The beginning of a business can be an exhilarating time. Those first assignments or initial customers affirm that you weren’t imagining things when you decided to become independent. It is reassuring, even thrilling, to discover that what you are doing is real and useful, and that people are willing to pay for it. That’s what you thought, or at least hoped. Still, it’s wonderful to be proven right.

It’s also close to inevitable that you will be proven wrong. Some of your ideas will turn out to be too optimistic, a little naïve, or completely erroneous. Many entrepreneurs try out a number of different business models before they hit on the one that works for them. Very few people will be able to get everything right from the outset. Finding out what you have to offer and what people will pay for can never be a one-time event. The world is changing and so are you. You need to be alert to clues about what you might do next.

Reality rarely, if ever, follows our plans. And although we might be tempted to see that as reality’s problem, it’s really ours. Entrepreneurs need to be agile, fast, wily. Indeed, that’s one of the most important advantages we have over large organizations. But because we sometimes isolate ourselves with our own visions, we occasionally don’t respond as quickly as we should to what the world is telling us.

That’s what starting up is all about. You have to pay attention to what you’re doing and learn fast. Some day, you might look back at your mistakes as a beginner and be able to laugh about them. Right now, though, they feel serious, and you feel stupid. You will just have to work your way through them; you haven’t any choice.

Starting out is also when you feel the full impact of what you have given up. You know that you will have to do without the security of a weekly salary. It’s a different thing to have bills coming in and know that you will have to scramble to pay them this month and every month from now on.

Something else you may not expect is how much you miss the identity your old job gave you. You may no longer have been satisfied with the role you were playing, but at least you had a role. Many of us, especially those who held prestigious positions, suddenly feel naked when we are out on our own.

Even more devastating is the subtle evidence of a loss of power. People used to go out of their way to say hello to you. Now they don’t bother because you don’t have the power you used to have. It can take a long time to learn to live without the place in the world that our old employers lent us.

Eventually, though, you will be able to deal with this. The point of the effort is to escape from assigned roles and shape a career that satisfies you. And you have to start somewhere.

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The "C-H-I-N-A" formula for selling services or products to China - By James Chan

About the Author: James Chan

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James Chan, Ph.D., is president of Asia Marketing and Management (AMM), a Philadelphia-based consultancy specialized in advising U.S. firms on exporting American-made products and services to China and forging business relationships there. Since he founded his practice in 1983, James Chan has advised more than 100 U.S. companies in expanding their businesses in Asia. To view his background online, go to AsiaMarketingManagement.com. He is author of the book, Spare Room Tycoon at SpareRoomTycoon.com. Dr. Chan is the expert interviewed by three financial managers in the 60-minute DVD titled "Secrets of Business Success in China." The 60-minute DVD is a teaching tool for business schools and international executives. It is available on Amazon.com here.
Click here to visit James's website.

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There Is Only One Certainty About Starting Your Own Business

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