So You're Thinking of Starting a Business? But...

Virtual Miss Friday 😃
Apr 27, 2021
Yesterday, on a Tuesday afternoon I took a video of my 15th month old daughter taking her first official steps here in our home in Crete, yikes - she's walking! My husband was there too, and it was about 3:45 in the afternoon, both my older kids age 6 and 8 just got in from school to witness the action! These are moments that are fleeting, and if you miss them, they're gone forever.
 


10 years ago I decided I wanted to travel, but how was I going to do that?... I knew the only option for me was to start a business, something where I could be location independent, and that's when Virtual Miss Friday was born.

That decision changed the course of my life, and has allowed me to fulfil my ambition of living abroad full time, I met my husband while travelling, and we had 3 kids on the road, we tag-teamed childcare, he'd support me with the business working odd hours, but it worked for us. We were able to live wherever we chose, to both stay at home and not have to go out to the 9-5 and because of that, we've been there for every major event in our young children's lives, like learning to crawl, taking their first steps, saying their first words - you know, the stuff only parents really go gooey over ;-) and we'll continue to watch them grow, and teach them that there are other options, alternative lifestyles and that not everything revolves around the 9-5, but if you choose this lifestyle, you'll likely have to choose the path of being your own boss, and that can sometimes be scary...

STARTING A BUSINESS.

Starting up isn't ever easy, and one of the most pressing decisions to make is really deciding whether you should go for it or not, but I want to share something that I know will help you out! I was contacted by Angela Lussier for a project she was working on and was asked if I'd like to be featured in a book on start-ups - of course I was delighted, and that book is now available!

If you're not familiar with Angela, I can tell you she's a little go-getting tiger, and one to listen to when it comes to starting up a business ;-) She's an award-winning speaker, business coach, and CEO of Angela Lussier Enterprises. She is the creator of the Do+Make Business District, an online school and community for entrepreneurs, and the author of The Anti-Resume Revolution, Who’s With Us? and Do+Make, The Handbook for Starting Your Very Own Business. She's a blogger for the Huffington Post and Virgin.com and her advice has been featured on ABC, NBC, Yahoo!, About.com, The Ladders, Entrepreneur.com, CBS Money, and others. She's even a recipient of the 40 Under Forty award from Business West and mentors startups through Valley Venture Mentors in Springfield, Massachusetts. Seriously impressive, right?

So the book you can find yours truly mentioned in is called, "Who's With Us? From Wondering to Knowing if You Should Start a Business in 21 Days" - and this is what it's all about...

Many business books tell you how to start a business, but they don’t focus on answering the most important question of all:

Should I start a business?

The thought of business ownership is a promising one if you’re dealing with a boss who makes you want to scream, a job that is less than exciting, or a career path that doesn’t look promising. The idea of “doing what you love” is enticing as the tools to start—and build—a business are more accessible than ever. However, what does it actually mean to do what you love? What is a day in the life of a business owner really like, and what does it take to build a profitable business, not just tinker with your favourite hobby and make an occasional sale?

Not your typical business book, Who’s With Us? is a manual walking you through 12 self-assessment exercises to determine if entrepreneurship is something that matches who you are, the lifestyle you want to create, and the future you are envisioning. You’ll also hear from 30 business owners who share what made them say, “It’s time.”

Who’s With Us? is a refreshing look at what aspiring entrepreneurs face as they go from asking themselves, “Would it work?” to, “I know what I’m going to do next.” Rather than ponder this question for a lifetime, spend 21 days reading this book.

STRAIGHT FROM ANGELA'S MOUTH...

I caught up with Angela and asked her a few questions on what you guys could get from this book.

QUESTION #1

What do you think the biggest takeaway will be for readers of your new book?

Having answers. I’ve coached hundreds of people who struggle with the question of business ownership for months, even years! This book is a simple, yet powerful tool that will help readers get from a place of confusion to a place of confident clarity in 21 days.

QUESTION #2

How do you think your book could help the online service industry, specifically Virtual Assistants?

It’s not only a tool to determine if entrepreneurship is right, it’s also a collection of self-assessments that provide insight into what readers desire for their lifestyle, what they value, and where they see themselves in the future. This book is useful for anyone searching for more meaning, more clarity, and more adventure. Virtual Assistants seeking ways to better serve their clients will enjoy this book because it will give them a better understanding of their talents and strengths.

QUESTION #3.

The creation of this book was very heart centred, where does your passion come from for helping start ups?

I am an entrepreneur at heart and totally understand the need to create something meaningful for others. Having this innate desire helps me relate to and teach others with a similar focus. I want to free all creative, driven people from the 9-5 and inspire them to do what they were born to do, just like I did!

So there you have it, if you're still reading this post, I think you should take that as a sign this book might be just for you!

LET'S LOOK AT SOME DATA ON THIS...

I also have one very interesting infographic to share on the subject as well which was sent over to me by Georgi Georgiev. It goes well with this post because it's all about the start-up economy in 2015. To create this infographic which can be found on Coupofy, data was sourced from Angel Lists and major start-up media publications amongst other things, and if you're feeling inspired to start a business in 2016, you might find this information insightful.


THIS ARTICLE WAS ORIGINALLY WRITTEN AND PUBLISHED IN NOVEMBER 2015 AND UPDATED IN APRIL 2021.