Stages to Business Development

Stage 1:  Pregnancy

As a WAHM you’re already familiar with what it’s like to be pregnant:  the joy giving way to nausea; the nausea giving way to the growth and development of the baby, making you feel huge and uncomfortable.  Then finally, the birth; the feeling that you have your body back and now you have a beautiful little being to love and nurture.

What is it like to be Pregnant in Business?

Successful WAHMs, writers and freelancers don’t just happen. They’re grown.  So are their businesses.  If you speak with a freelance writer you’ll often hear similar stories:  they were writers most of their lives and finally decided to make a go of freelancing.  Although their reasons for starting differ, the process of developing the idea is strikingly similar.

The idea first occurs – they become pregnant.  Then they look at their lives and often decide that it’s silly or it just isn’t possible – they become nauseous with all the reasons ‘why not.’  After a while however, the idea is still with them and they begin to feel it developing – they begin to see how it might be possible after all and begin to make changes in their lives to accommodate the new choices their going to be making.  Finally they actually begin – they’ve given birth.

How to Ensure a Healthy Business Pregnancy

Although we’re not stuck with a 9 month incubation period when it comes to our ideas, pushing an idea into actuality too soon will leave it fighting for its life.

To ensure my ideas are fully developed I take the time to journal both about the ideal vision I have as well as the questions I have about what it might take to accomplish.  Along with exploring online resources that might be available, I use the following questions to discover my motivations and create a successful plan:

1.      When I accomplish this, what will I have that I don’t already?  Be specific and include both emotional and physical ‘haves’ such as, ‘I’d be independent and have a stable income of my own.’

2.      What will having these things mean to me?  In other words, why am I really wanting to do this?  Sure I’ll have independence, but what is the value to me in having that?  Taking the time to explore this allows me to really connect with what my motivations are.  Connecting with my motivations will be the key to making it through the inevitable challenges.

3.      What might be the first steps?  This is a brainstorming question.  I typically try to write down at least 3 to 5 potential ways to get started, but if only one or two come to mind, that’s OK too.

4.      Looking at one at a time, what might stop me from completing that step; and how will I handle it?  This is a planning question.  It allows me to work through any potential roadblocks before they occur as well as create an alternate plan so that I can avoid potential detours.

5.      When will I start?  Go with the first thought that comes to mind – even if it’s a surprise.

6.      Where will I start?  The ability to picture where we’ll take the first steps makes them more real to us and increases the likelihood that they’ll happen.

Answering these questions will help ensure your ‘business baby’ has a healthy and successful development stage.  Whether it takes a day, a month, a year or more, be as patient with your idea as you would if you were physically pregnant with your child.