When I was 6 years old, I used to walk about 1.5 miles to school and I would have to pass through a playground on the way. One day I was playing near the playground and got a splinter (a 1-inch piece of wood cut through my finger and got stuck under my finger nail). Luckily for me, my mother worked nearby so I went to her and she cleaned my finger and tried to get it out, but the wood had gone too deep.
We eventually found ourselves at the hospital and the doctor told me they would need to give me a shot using a needle to numb my hand, so they could cut it out. When I heard the words needle, I immediately assured them that the pain wasn’t that bad, and the splinter could be left in.
My dad then held my other hand and explained to me that if we didn’t get rid of the problem then it could get worse and cause an infection. ” I know you’re scared” he said, “but we need to push through and do it.” I said okay and the doctor ended up giving me two shots, but it never numbed my hand, so I felt the pain of having a decent part of my fingernail removed.
Looking back on that experience makes me think about all the people that would love to start a business but are held back by fear. Just like that wood in my finger, if you don’t deal with the fear that is holding you back it will likely infect other areas of your life. I know you’re scared, but you have what it takes and here are a couple of things I can say to help you:
Focus on what you’re paying customers really care about. How will your product help them? This takes the attention off you and focuses it on the needs of your potential customer.
Always read about the success stories and successful ideas of others (i.e. magazines like SUCCESS & ENTREPRENEUR). Also having an experienced mentor or business partner who has been successful in their own endeavors helps keep you motivated and encouraged.
Keep your day job and find a way to start your business on the side until it grows to your main income source.
Learn from your experiences. Whether your business succeeds or fails, know that the lessons learned are the real wealth.
You have what it takes, and to be honest starting a business isn’t that hard you just have to work through the initial fear and start.