Focus.

For those of you who have ever considered starting your own business, I have this to say:

Dear lord.

Is that it?

Dear lord, this is hard.

Is that all?

Well I can say a bit more... I finished college, began working for a radio station which a family friend owned. I wanted to make a movie, so I must have imagined that I'd be darting around the country, film festival to film festival... So I quit my job to shoot a film. I ran out of money and time... and failed. So in dire need of a job I ended up at Blockbuster. I didn't ask for enough, so for a year, I was being paid diddly-squat to put videos away, talk to customers, and to wear movie marketing materials such as Shrek ears and the like. I quit that job to start a production company... but I hadn't done any research, I didn't know how much it ought to cost... I grossly underbid a couple projects and dragged several of my friends with me. Half-way through our second film shoot, I realized I was thoroughly demoralized by the work we were doing, and low quality of our product which was the direct result of underbidding.

Fast forward, and I'm married, have a wonderful life in Philadelphia, I have a daughter and another one on the way. And I have a good job at a company owned by a family friend. As I see it, I am at a point, poised to make all the same mistakes again - but this time is different. So here's the thing... this is the nugget of wisdom I want to offer...

If you must start your own business, make certain that you feel an immovable gut wrenching feeling that you must risk it all to do this. Be prepared and spend the time it takes to do what you're trying to do. Impatience and your dream are enemies. I realize now that every day I walk a razor thin line of having my history repeat itself.

This time, it's tangible. Cinema 16:9 will be a success. I've done over a year of planning, and I continue to research my proposed business. My business plan is finished, but the market may change from when I finished it to when I open. I have to be willing and able to make changes to my plan. And this time, I knew to ask for help. I went to the Small Business Development Center in my area and asked for an adviser.

Now, so close to my goal I cannot lose sight of the fact that between now and then, I could still derail myself if I lose focus. As an entrepreneur, bootstrapping my way through planning, I have to remember that I cannot lose focus at my day job. Until everything is in place, that must still be my top priority.