The Cure for the “Entrepreneur-in-Waiting” Blues

Are you an “entrepreneur-in-waiting”?  Someone who’s had a life-long dream of owning a business serving others, but, like many, you’re holding off because you think there’s too many obstacles in your way to create a sustainable and lucrative small business in today’s marketplace.  

That’s where I was twelve years ago in 2008.   I had just lost my 20+ year career, my home and my life as I knew it because of the Great Recession, but I hadn’t given up on the dream of owning my own business.   It was finally time to pull myself out of “waiting status” and go for it! 

But, what kind of business? The Universe had an answer.

Without a job, I was free to help my aging parents downsize to a smaller home and it didn’t take long for me to recognize there was a great business opportunity sitting right in front of me. 

I had also finally found a business that checked off all my “must-haves” that had been keeping me from starting my own business years earlier. 

What were they? 

• It could be operated as a low-cost, home-based business
• Was scalable and flexible in size and schedule
• Provided a meaningful service to my community that truly made a difference to senior’s health and well-being
• Have high-income potential
• Only required a small amount of capital to get started
• Took advantage of a lot of skillsets and experience I already possessed
• Had high client demand, but few competitors in my community

Naysayers were telling me it was the wrong time to start a business.  Turns out, they were wrong!   The key?  I’m living proof that businesses CAN thrive in the worst of times if they have a strong service base that’s also in growth mode.  

To clarify, the US senior population is not only growing; it’s going to double by 2050 and we don’t have anywhere near enough downsizing specialists in play to handle the volume now, much less 25-30 years from now!

So, what are the “must have’s” on your list that are keeping you stuck in the Waiting Zone?  What’s holding you back from starting an amazing business like senior downsizing?    

If you were like me back then, it probably had something to do with getting stuck in “The How”.   How do I get from Point A (Start-Up) to Point B (Launch)?

It comes down to one thing. 

A comprehensive, executable plan to get your business up and running quickly.   

If you lack previous experience in starting a business, or haven’t a clue on how to operate a downsizing business, you’ll also need training.  I learned this the hard way when I started my downsizing business. 

I had the will and the heart, but the strong, executable plan?  Not so much.   

I did what every other entrepreneur-to-be does when trying to identify the tools and resources I’d need to succeed.  I excitedly looked for whatever information and industry training I could find, then dove in.

Unfortunately, then and now, what I have found didn’t offer what I needed for my business vision.  The training gave an adequate overview of the general aspects of the industry, but it was very “Big Picture” and didn’t provide the level of detail or a road map that included ALL aspects of business ownership that would help get my company up and running quickly.  

It was also structured on a “one-size-fits-all” premise for those that wanted to create a large-scale business. That’s not a bad thing and may be the perfect solution for some starting a business in this industry, but again, it wasn’t my vision and I know I’m not the only Downsizing Specialist with that preference.

I wanted to create a smaller-scale, hands-on, boutique-style company that allowed me to personally work with my team in the trenches with clients, not managing an arsenal of teams from a distant office.

I had to find a different solution.

To get the missing details I needed, I had to virtually start from scratch.  Even though I had over 25 years of solid business sales and marketing experience, it still took me almost a year of researching, wading through voluminous quantities of online business and legal resources, tutorials, seminars, books and workshops on general marketing and business start-up, plus interviewing whatever professionals I could find related to the field.  

I needed to know essential things like:

• Do I need to incorporate or can I operate as a sole proprietor?
• How do I protect my business from liability risks?
• What kind of insurance or business licensing are required in my local area and what exactly is required to get them?
• What are the best ways to market the business and which sources should I avoid altogether?
• Where can I find free or low-cost resources to create a website?
• How do I create a professional, but inexpensive logo?
• What kinds of services are the best fit for my skillset and how would I price them to be competitive?
• Where can I find a great team to work with?    
• Did I want to manage employee’s or outsource my labor?
• Where do I find my ideal clients who are willing to pay for this service?

You’ve heard the adage “Time is money”?  It’s no joke.

Looking back, I know I could have substantially cut that start-up time by more than half and been out earning income faster if I’d had access to that kind of detail in a step-by-step format.  It would have been a gamechanger for me.

I started The Downsizing Institute and the Senior Downsizing Specialist program because I don’t want heart-centered “entrepreneur’s-in-waiting” who want to serve the senior community holding off their dream business just because they got stuck in the “How” of where to start, like I did, or worse, falter during start-up because they were just too overwhelmed!   

As a certified transitions life coach, I know the power that coaching can provide a new business owner. Over the past five years, I’ve worked with other senior move managers and small business owners to create, and expedite, a better game plan for their business future.

Because I’ve seen how beneficial that support can be, I’ve also included an optional 6 month or 1 year business coaching package for those who need that added support.

My program may, or may not, be right for you. But, if it is, it could just be the cure to solving those “Entrepreneur-in-Waiting Blues” and get you started on the road to creating your own successful senior downsizing business! 

I invite you to sign up for my Interest List (Click Here) so you can be notified of all the important stuff: like the date of release, special grand opening pricing and bonuses that will only be offered for a very limited time! 

Can’t wait to see you there! 

Deborah