I'm a huge fan of Ramit Sethi of I Will Teach You to be Rich and he wrote a great article for up and coming entrepreneurs.

http://www.freemoneyfinance.com/2009...your-time.html

I totally agree with a lot of his sentiments - a lot of things we feel we need to do to get started are things we can do AFTER we get our clients, or after we start getting interest.

Case in point, I told my boyfriend that I couldn't possibly start being a VA until I got a printer. I would definitely need a printer to do all the work I imagined myself to be doing.

He said, very bluntly, that I don't need one now. I could wait to get one when I have a paying client that needs something to be printed or scanned or faxed or whatever. And he was 100% right. I was thinking too much about the stuff I want my business to eventually have and not enough about what I strictly need to do to get my business started.

I'm still working on putting all my excuses to rest, but that article really helped put things in perspective.

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Great article with some great advice. Thanks for sharing.

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Lee Drozak
My Office Assistant

This was an interesting article. Thanks for sharing.

Susan Myers
Having A Virtual Advantage, LLC

I really like the point you made about needing a printer before you could get started - and good for your boyfriend for pointing out that you absolutely did NOT need to wait to get a printer to get a jump on your new business.

I have known people who lived their entire lives waiting for this so they could do that [in so many different ways] and you know what, they're STILL waiting. Sometimes, you just have to have faith in what you want to do and your ability to make it happen - and buy the printer later

Nice post!

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I guess I do tend to "waste time" too, like I was thinking, what "will" I need in case a clients wants me to do "this" ... I thought of a fax first off, but decided I wanted a fax and so went with efax but there were plenty of other programs - like ACT that I really want and know it would benefit me using for client purposes but are not needed to get in and start working!

I have bookmarked this article to read more over weekend.

Thank you for sharing it, I bet we are all guilty of "wasting time" especially when first starting out like me :-)

Brandy

Thanks, great article. BTW I have had the same printer for the last fourteen years. Most of my work is electronic. Print jobs go to a print house.

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Bernice
Energy Virtual Assistant

I've been guilty most of my life of believe I had to have one thing before I could go on to the next thing. I'm learning that this isn't always true, and starting my VA business is forcing me to evaluate what I truly have to have to get started. Thanks for such a great reminder!

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Gladys Strickland
GS Business Resources

What an interesting article! I almost felt naughty reading about how to stop wasting time. I believe the information was great and pointed out how to be ruthless and practical with time and produce results immediately.

Great read.

thanks

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Michele Flynn

Loved this article and I am totally guilty of the "I can't start this until I have this setup" syndrome which is usually something expensive and not really necessary. It really gives you a better perspective of some of our less-productive habits.

Thanks Michelle!

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Kate V. Kerans
Kerans Virtual Assistance

Great article. Thanks for sharing.

Gennia