Better Than Getting By

There’s a big temptation when trying to start a business to want to wait until everything is perfect.

Back when my first band was trying to get off the ground, we had a real problem with this.  We wanted to get our stuff completely together before we played for anyone.  We wanted to wait until we sounded better.  Until we finished our EP.  Until we designed and bought T-shirts.  The list goes on.

We missed a lot of opportunities to play and gain valuable experience and connections.  Sure, we might have had an awful set or two.  It might have been embarrassing.  But maybe someone would have taken pity on us and given us some valuable, game changing advice.  Maybe someone would have seen potential and offered to work with us.

The same is true with business.

I’m in the process of starting a DJ business right now, and I can’t come up with a name for my company.  It’s killing me.  (I’m taking suggestions, by the way)

I can’t make a website, because I don’t have a name.  I’ve been afraid to start making cold calls, because I don’t have a professional website to send potential clients to, or business cards to give them.  Also, cold calls scare me.

I went out on a limb though, when my college put out an ad for a DJ for our Spring Fling.  I explained that I’m a new company, but I’m willing to work for cheap.

They hired me, and payed me $400.  Not bad, for cheap.

My services were worth that to them, despite the fact that I have no business card, no website, and not even a name.  I felt like I had pulled one over on the college.

The truth is though, I did good, professional work, and at a price that they liked.  After that, the rest didn’t matter much to them.

How many opportunities are you missing by not putting yourself out there?  By waiting to be PERFECT?

Be sloppy.  A messy business that makes you money is much better than a flawless business with no income.

Just start something.

Photo Credit:  DVIDSHUB