*What’s Shaboom County? Imagine a place where you can get the support, feedback, and plain old encouragement you need to get your business in gear. Imagine that it is populated by people like you: authentic, creative, self-employed people who want to make a go of it. That’s Shaboom County. Right now membership is closed, but in a few weeks Shaboom County will be open to a limited number of new members. If you’d like to be notified when membership opens up, sign up here . I’ll use the information for the sole purposes of informing you about Shaboom County. NOTE: When you sign up, the form will say "Billing Information." You will NOT be billed for anything. Knitting Machine for Sale This is a true double-bed knitting machine , the Cadillac of home knitting equipment. It comes complete with a motor, more spare parts than I can list (more than 100 needles, pushers, needle channels - the things that you need most often). I've kept it clean and well-oiled and have stored it inside under a dust cover for the past seven years. Why would I let it go? I have neck problems and bending over the machine causes my hands to go to sleep. I've finally given in and am crying, "Uncle!" Includes all the patterns, handbooks, manuals, and repair guides I own, and that's a heap as I used to knit professionally. If you search on the keyword "Passap" at flickr.com, you'll see dozens of images of what this incredible machine can do. The photo here is from the manufacturer and shows a brand new machine. Price does NOT include delivery. What Do You Need to stay the course? I am so excited! I just downloaded your book and began reading and I just had to stop to send this e-mail off to you. I love the way you write and the way you think and, obviously, the way you live it all out! I am thrilled to be able to learn from you and to live these gems myself. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Lee Alden, Certified Facilitator, The Work of Byron Katie™

How Fast Should Your Business Grow?

I don’t know about you, but when I hear a slogan like, “Go hard or go home,” I want to go home.

My days of hard-driving are over. I just don’t want anything badly enough to whip myself into a frenzy to get it. Or so I tell myself.

In spite of the fact that I live and work outside the fast ***, I can put a lot of pressure on myself.

And when, today, I saw two conversations in Shaboom County* about overwork and pressure, I started thinking about how fast businesses should grow and how we can know if we are moving quickly enough.

Business Grows S-L-O-W
It takes three years to develop a solid income from a professional service business. Yes, there are exceptions, but they are rare. Few Accidental Entrepreneurs are in a position or of a disposition to be one of them.

If you go to work for yourself expecting to earn a full time income in six months, you’re not only going to be disappointed, you’re setting yourself back. The harder you push without getting results, the less energy and passion you have for doing the slow, steady work that needs to be done.

But You Need to Act F-A-S-T
Your business needs time to grow, but for that to happen, you need to act fast.

It’s not as crazy as it sounds.

To grow a business at any pace, you need to make choices, act on those choices, and revise things on the fly.

The top three choices you need to make without delay:

Who is your just-right client?
What problem will you solve for them?
What makes your work a just-right fit?

Until you make and act on these choices, it doesn’t matter how fast you move, your business will be stuck at the starting gate.

Why the Wrong Choice Is Not a Problem
What if you make the wrong choice?

Don’t worry; you will. If you don’t, you’ll be the first person in history who nails the answers to these core questions the first time they ask.

But if you don’t start somewhere, you’ll never get the information you need to adjust your course. You’ll keep going in circles, chewing over all the possibilities and fretting about why none of them quite fit.

If you wait to get it right, it will never happen. And every week that goes by without taking the time to get clear on some basics is a week you can add on to your three year timeline.

Act Fast, Build Slow
Discerning when to act on your choices and how quickly they should bear fruit is a constant challenge. And it’s a challenge that doesn’t go away.

One thing more than any other will help you stay the course, and that is support. Find some peers to share the journey. Meet regularly to work on your businesses.

Choose a path to follow, for example, The Way of the Accidental Entrepreneur. Set modest, achievable goals and hold each other accountable for moving toward them. (Every step you take moves you closer to profitability, regardless of whether it “works” or not in the short run. Every time you hesitate, you’re adding weeks to the time it takes to be profitable.)

The Good News
Now for some really good news. This is not rocket science. You really, truly can do what you need to do to work for yourself profitably and happily.

I hope you’ll start today.

Until next week, be well,

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Talk back: I love to hear from you, and I read every letter personally. Send your thoughts to letters@authenticpromotion.com . If you prefer not to be quoted (in case I respond in an article), just say so.

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U.S. Library of Congress ISSN: 1530-311X
Unless otherwise attributed, all material is written and edited by Molly Gordon, MCC. Copyright (c) Shaboom Inc.(r) 2008. All rights reserved. Visit our extensive archives at www.mollygordon.com .

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Life could be a dream!
PO Box 195
18718 Third Avenue NE
Suquamish, WA 98392-0195
P 360-421-1985 (Maggie's desk or kitchen counter)
F 801-996-7022