I met a consultant and trainer the other day who told me how busy he was, never being able to stay much at home because he was flying to different cities. Such is the demand for his service that it’s hard keeping up with it all. It’s a fantastic story when specialised training is in high demand and you are one of the few suppliers who have a top-notch product.
If you scratch below the surface for this consultant and trainer things could be quite different. Although he has a fantastic business, which has now come into its own, he doesn’t own the business. It is part of an international franchise and he is the local franchise owner. If his turnover drops below a certain level he is under threat of losing the franchise he has worked for for many years. Yes, he could start a similar business on his own but it wouldn’t have the credibility of the international franchise owner, nor the research and development that goes into making the product relevant and up-to-date.
The real story is the person who came up with the training franchise some years back when he was a young person. A very bright, multitalented person, he created the training organisation and with representation throughout the world reaps considerable benefits. It’s also very difficult to copy his business model because it is based on deep research and understanding of the specialised training area involved.
You see, the real winner here is the person who was able to turn his creative capital into a viable business. It’s not something that everyone thinks of at an early age because often they are only too happy to find some way to work and earn an income. It’s the far-sighted entrepreneurial people who know how to capitalise on their ideas who are able to reap the rewards and build up wealth.
Some business gurus and sharp marketers may lead you to believe that it’s easy to start something of your own. They have all sorts of schemes that they claim will lead you to the promised land. But starting something from scratch, starting something of your own, is not as easy as they make out.
Turning an idea into a viable product or service requires energy, resources and determination that sets you apart from probably 95% of other people. Even though many people these days are looking to start their own businesses, starting something from scratch is not a road well travelled.
Why do I say this? The reason is that many people wanting something of their own would buy into franchise outlets that are owned by the franchise holder. There’s nothing wrong with this. But it doesn’t give you full control over your destiny. Look at some of the postal service franchise see owners and you will see that they are very successful. Franchising works – in most cases. A large number of would-be small business owners would go for buying ready-made, second-hand businesses. There is nothing wrong with this either. As long as you buy at a fair market price and make sure that you keep building the second-hand business, you can achieve your entrepreneurial, lifestyle and income objectives.
If you are in the smaller number of people who believe you have a promising idea that can help you achieve your objectives, you may want to take a look at “Breakthrough Ideas”. It makes no promises and gives no guarantees – that would be just hot air – but does claim to provide you with this step-by-step guide to taking your business idea and with the right ingredients turn it into a viable, long-term source of potential income.
