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Get off Your Ass and Follow Through with your Business Idea

I have this buddy who sat me down over a “couple” drinks and told me about this really cool product he wanted to create.  I loved the idea.  So instead of just letting this one go I went online and found all the supplies we would need from China.  We could made a bunch (way more than we needed) for  a few hundred bucks and some sweat equity.

I didn’t want to hijack this project so all I did was forward him the information. Nothing Happened.  Every time we would get together we would talk about it, and I would remind him that I got him all the info he needed and he would say “Yeah Bro, I know.”  Well about a week ago I saw an infomercial for the exact product that he was thinking about.  I called him up and told him about it and his heart was broken.

Everyone Has Some Sort of Business Idea

At one time or another everyone has come up with an idea that would make this world a better place.  Maybe it was a website idea, a product, a way to make your current job easier/more profitable, etc., but then you made up some excuse not to follow through on it. These excuses usually fall into the following categories:

  • It is too hard to create
  • I don’t know where to start
  • It already probably exists
  • It is too expensive to get started

The Idea is Too Hard to Follow Through On

I am in the middle of completing of a website that is/was WAY above my head but I took it in chunks and surrounded myself with those people that could help me. It took longer than expected but it is done (you may have seen the site if you follow me on Twitter, but I will introduce it fully here next week).

Get off Your Ass and Use Google.  I just googled “How to build a motorcycle” and within 5 minutes I found an e-book how to build a custom built bike! If I could find out that information in 5 minutes then don’t give me excuses that your idea is too hard.  Why a motorcycle? There was a commercial for one – I do not want one.

For the most part people aren’t coming up with ideas that are too difficult to at least take the next step.

I don’t Know Where to Start

There is a saying,

A Thousand Mile Journey begins with One Step

You need to get off your Ass and find that first step.  It may become clearer after you Build a Mind Map!  Start with YOUR idea in the center and build branches and sub-bracnhes outward the picture will become clearer.  Alternatively, talk to a friend that may be able to extract the ideas from you.  Hell, contact me and as long as I can use you as a post I’ll talk it out with you!

It Probably Already Exists

Probably? Get off your Ass and find it. If google doesn’t know about it, it either doesn’t exist or the market is wide open. Probably is not a defense for not following through on your idea.

It is too Expensive to Get Started

Since most ideas have nothing to do with non-profits this may be the only viable excuse.  That being said it is your responsibility and get off your ass and determine the expenses associated with getting started.

Lets take the custom built bike idea from earlier, the e-book was only 15 bucks but looking into parts, a shop to build the bikes, etc. might make this a bit out of my league.  But that should be at least looked into.

Have you ever left a business idea on the shelf only to be pissed at yourself later on? Did you follow through on an idea and now are running a successful business? I’d love to hear some stories. 

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28 COMMENTS

  1. This is a great post Evan. My husband has had many business ideas that were later developed by someone else, so I need to show this to him.

    I did finally follow through on my blog idea, but it took me a few months, and a little bit of courage. (I was afraid everyone would hate my writing and mock me.) But, I decided to grow up and give it a try. I have no idea where it will lead me, but I am so glad I tried.

    • Use my share button and get it to your husband! If he wants to talk one out have him email me I’d love to inspire him

  2. Nice kick in the pants! You are right. We do sit around talking too much about what we would do or could do instead of getting off our ass and doing it.

    I am sitting on a business right now and need to get off my ass. It is actually started, but I don’t market it, take care of it, nurture it like I should. I need to get off my ass!!

    Later, im up!

  3. Great article.

    I went through that phase when I started my blog. I decided on the theme and the name and all that, but then I kept telling myself, “this really isn’t the best time.” And to be honest, it wasn’t. I knew that for the next several months, I’d be unusually busy with so many things, and that starting a blog 4-5 months later would be ideal. Plus I was reading things online like “it’s too late to start a successful blog”.

    Within the week, though, I decided to just go for it. It didn’t matter that it wasn’t the best time, and I’m definitely happy I made that decision because otherwise I’d be 4-5 months behind where I am now. It’s been great fun.

  4. I love that image! Good points about breaking down projects into bite size pieces. I manage projects professionally and agree totally.

  5. It’s tough to build a mind map. 🙂

    Starting is the hardest part. Then it’s building momentum. Then it’s consistency. Then anything is possible.

    Give yourself a year.

  6. That’s what will separate the ballers from the regular folks. Some sweat equity, serious determination, and a little luck 🙂 Great post!

  7. Evan, I must say I’m a little inspired after reading this. I’ve got a piece of paper taped to my wall with about 30 ideas and I keep adding to it. I wish I had the time and energy to attack them all, but I do have 2 or 3 in the works….but it’s so easy to just talk and not actually follow through.

    BTW- Most people don’t believe me, but voice recordings withing greeting cards was on my wall 10 years ago :).

    Also, I love your idea. I can’t tell, but do you have a function to collect wagers built in? or is that on the side at the discretion of the user?

    • I hope I inspire 1 person to make more money.

      You don’t need to attack all of them but take one at a time and JUST FOLLOW THROUGH.

  8. Excellent post- some people aren’t as motivated to do things as others… I guess its their loss.

    I guess I was that way at first when I first started my blog, I dawdled on the idea for a good 9 months before I actually did anything =)

  9. Really good thoughts here. No guts, NO glory. Ideas don’t result in anything other than frustration unless they’re acted upon. Thanks for the jolt of inspiration.

  10. Even as a kid, I would come up with great ideas, but their was always someone in my family to drag me back down. Even with my blog, I’ve received discouragement. Luckily it’s a great hobby for me, so I did it anyway…

    I guess it would have helped if I had a friend like you growing up to help with encouragement and support structure.

    Then again, I come from a family of small business owners, perhaps they were trying to protect me by steering me toward becoming an employee instead of a entreprenuer…

    But yes, I thought of many ideas, one such example was the idea of the pop can cases where they fix it the Fridge… The only difference is that I had a blap in the back of the box that you could fold to put a slight slant on it so the pops would naturally come forward.

    Sounds like you are a great friend to your buddy!!!

    • “Then again, I come from a family of small business owners, perhaps they were trying to protect me by steering me toward becoming an employee instead of a entreprenuer…”

      Isn’t it weird that it always works out this way? How many attorney/accountants/doctors do you know that steer their children from it? Or even business owners?

  11. I just saw a product of the year in BusinessWeek that one of my B-school colleagues came up with 5 years ago. But the BW article highlighted a company in the mid-west, so I guess they didn’t take it far enough. They had presented to our class – It’s a recharger for cell phones that you put in your pocket. They had the concept based on piezoelectronics and were going to build a prototype. Body motion charges it and then it connects with various phones. Fast forward 5 years? Some other group from the midwest will probably sell their company to Apple for a cool $10 Mil minimum.

  12. Love this post! Sometimes you just need to get off your lazy butt and just get started on something. That was how I started all of my sites, I had an idea, thought it might be difficult to get started or stay motivated – but I just started anyway. And here we are a couple of years later and I’m making close to a full time income from my blogs. Don’t let your doubts sabotage you, just get started. If it fails, you’ll learn from your mistakes and move on from there! Some of the most successful people fail all the time!

  13. I knew that I recognized that attitude from somewhere. You’re a fellow New Yawka! Waves (hi!). I totally agree with your premise here. I find that lots of people expect things to magically get done for them without putting in the work. Sweat equity is highly underrated and I don’t know how we begin to change it. My circle of friends knows that I am ALWAYS willing to put in the hard work to get things done. There’s no use bitching about something if you haven’t tried to change it. My mom would slap me.

  14. Evan, great post! I love it. I’m going to print this out and tape it up along with some ideas that have been sitting around in my spreadsheet.
    Once I am a successful business owner, I’ll drop you a note with a great story. 😉

  15. Evan, this is awesome stuff as pretty much everyone else here agrees! Just about EVERYONE has awesome business ideas but almost no one follows through. I am guilty myself due to the risk involved and the worry that the idea isn’t the perfect one, but sometimes you just have to take the plunge!

  16. Fantastic article! I just love it. We are all full of excuses, and are passive and fearful when it comes to make the first few steps closer to your goal and/or dream, but we really need just to get off our asses and do it. I have been working 2 jobs: full time job at a bank and part-time as a care taker. I started a blog wwww.happy-healthy-successful.com in January, and I feel I have never been so motivated in my entire life: it’s fun, entertaining, started bringing me some revenue and most of all gives me a lot of satisfaction. Great article! Very inspiring! Thanks.

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