Page 47 - The $100 Startup_ Reinvent the Way You Make a Living, Do What You Love

6. Learn from steps 1 through 5, then repeat.

Almost all microbusiness building follows this sequence of events. Of course,
we’ll be discussing specifics as we go along, but it’s always better to start from
where you are than to wait for everything to be perfect.

If you have an existing business and are thinking about how to apply the
concepts from this book, focus on either getting money in the bank or
developing new products or services. These are the most important tasks of your
business—not administration, maintenance, or anything else that takes time
without creating wealth or value. If you’re not sure what to do, think about any
of these ideas:

Can you contact your customer list with a special offer or incentive?

Can you introduce a new product or service to complement your existing
portfolio?

If you’re a coach or consultant, can you offer a special deal for clients who
prepay?

Is there a new way you can attract subscribers, clients, or customers?

But one way or another … just do something. Friedrich Engels said: “An
ounce of action is worth a ton of theory.” Choose the ounce of action today.

What People Really Want

As I learned from my early mistakes, homing in on what customers really want
from a business is critical. Simply put, we want more of some things and less of
others. In the “More” column are things such as love, money, acceptance, and
free time. We all want more of those things, right? In the “Less” column are the
undesirables: things such as stress, long commutes, and bad relationships. If your
business focuses on giving people more of what they want or taking away
something they don’t want (or both), you’re on the right track.