When the Circus Leaves Town: Starting Your Own Business

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It’s all you ever wanted… to run away and work for the circus. You’ve worked your way up and think you are just about to become the main attraction in the center ring and then…

You wake up one morning to find that the circus has moved on – leaving you sitting on your trunks wondering what happened.

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The thing is that unless you are part of an elite few with the power and skill to be perceived as “essential” then the tightrope can be cut out from under you at any time. All you have to do is look around at all of the who have lost jobs in the past few years to know this is true.

Having your own creative business may not only be a dream come true but a safety net. Yes, it is hard to burn the midnight oil to keep things running, it’s a struggle to find the time or energy to keep up with your day job, your creative business AND family needs but you aren’t alone. Lots of others have started small businesses at their kitchen tables, working late into the night while the family sleeps and looking forward to that day when you can kiss the J.O.B. good-bye.

Does this sound like you? Do you see a need in the world and know just how you could fill it given the time, money, support or energy? Why haven’t you?

Here is a fact that every creative business owner knows – There’s never enough time, money,energy, help (insert reasons here) to launch a business. And the perfect time in your life to start a business doesn’t really exist. But, in the same way you buy a house or get married or start a family you do it anyway. Creative business owners regularly journey into huge and scary territory that could wipe them out financially and emotionally if they fail.

Waiting to launch a creative business after the economy improves, after the kids are a certain age, after you have a set amount of money in your IRA  or savings account only puts you farther behind when it comes to reaching for your dreams. And it leaves you without a safety net, or second income.

The best time to start your creative business is now.

Now that you have a good idea that you are passionate about.

Look to your friends and neighbors who have started their businesses from their kitchen tables and/or look to the Great Depression for inspiration. There were people to feed and no jobs to be had. People HAD to launch a business because they had no other choice. And I’m sure that quite a number of those businesses are still around.

The great thing about starting a business now, as opposed to those who started a business after the Great Depression, is that you have the internet. You have resources, such as The Creative Income Blog, to give you guidance. There are pockets of small business people all over the web supporting and encouraging one another. Etsy forums are full of people supporting one another.

So the question is… what are you waiting for? Now is the time to start the business you’ve been dreaming about. Now is the time to build a safety net for yourself and now is the time to take a chance. You can do it!

What is keeping you from starting your creative business? Who do you look to for inspiration?

By: Vicki O’Dell, The Creative Goddess

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