2019 was a year of awakening and reinvention for many people across the Caribbean. This was the year where the landscape for employment changed and the effects were felt. You see, around the world we have seen the closure of businesses that have been around for over 50 years, businesses that we could have never seen throw in the towel, did!
That finally started to happen in Trinidad and to stave off closure, many of them have need to retrench workers and change course.
All of this has set the stage for the public to start looking at entrepreneurship by force. There is a bit of desperation in the air and that has sounded the alarm for coaches in every field to come out and begin trying to lead the lost to the promised land. I believe that people are starting to realize that it is easier to sell the blueprint on building a business than to actually build a business themselves.
Nonetheless, in this time of desperation, the masses are looking for help in every area possible to get the clarity and edge they believe they need in order to get their business off the ground.
Think about it, in 2018, we had nowhere near the number of workshops, business mixers, empowerment events, etc, as we did in 2019.
This is fine, we need them in order to push the culture and people forward.
What I find interesting is the mindset of most people when going into these sessions and the aftermath of where people’s businesses are after attending all of these workshops.
One of the things I learned very early when building Droid Island was that in order for me to find any success with the business, I need to get really good at key skills and at least be competent in quite a few different areas. I also needed to recognize where the market is mentally, look at the factors bringing about change, learn what the people need and do enough self-work to see what areas I truly enjoy and if I could make a difference in those fields.
We have many coaches popping up, everybody wants to sell you the blueprint. So much of the market refuses to do the basic background checks on people to see if they have built anything for themselves or who they have helped find success. This is allowing us to put far too many people who are mediocre or not actually doing a good job, on a big pedestal. It’s also the setup for disappointment because they aren’t able to get you the results that they have promised you.
We also have a situation where many of us are attending every single workshop and not actually putting the information to use, instead, we offer ourselves a million excuses as to why we can’t execute right now.
Remember, we are in a completely different time today. Many of what has worked for those who made their millions 10+ years ago, is not applicable for us today.
That being said, when we browse online, we are seeing everybody tell us what we need in order to build a business and start making money. We are told we need to create content, so come to our workshop. We are told we need sales training, we need to create stories, we need to invest in technology…and many of us kind of pick one or two of those aspects, hit the workshops and spend the bulk of our time reading up on it.
Here is where the bubble bursts. All of those components on its own is not enough to get the job done.
The businesses and people who are finding success are the ones who have learned how to build a fully functioning ecosystem, where all aspects are firing on all cylinders.
The only way to build and actually scale your business is to get good at the vast majority of these components, hire or partner with people who are strong where you are weak. It doesn’t even need to be a full-time employee, you can outsource aspects of your business as well.
Part of being a great entrepreneur is being able to sell your vision, gain the right partnerships, networking, raise money.
So mastering just one component isn’t going to be enough.
What I am saying is this…You need to be in student mode every day.
You need to be able to use everything at your disposal if you want to be able to grow. That’s okay if you are reading this and you want to disagree. I’m not here to argue this point, as there are people who are out here with this same mindset and they are looking to outwork you at every opportunity.
You can learn just about any skill from the comfort of your house, you can start and scale a business with just a laptop & an internet connection.
Start acquiring skills, ask yourself the question of where you want your business to go and what skills will you need to learn in order to take it there.
I knew that I wanted Droid Island to be a hub for all information on Mobile Technology in the Caribbean, I wanted to be a thought leader and also sell the products that nobody else was selling in Trinidad & Tobago.
I learned how to build a website, sell online, dropshipping, e-commerce, SEO, storytelling, how to do graphics (at least the sites to use), digital marketing and how to network with all the major players in space (most important skill).
I outsource all of my visuals (photography & videography) but I am committing to learning how to do video in 2020 so that I can push out more video content.
So in 2020, don’t think just having a website, storytelling, learning how to sell, that shiny new piece of tech, is enough to get the job done.
What is going to get the job done, is your creativity, persistence, persuasion, adding value to your niche and your ability to tie everything all together to make your very own ecosystem.
Is it a daunting task? Yes, it is…But that’s also why the best people always shine through all the B.S!
The market doesn’t bias, if you are good, the market will let you know that and reward you with sales and notoriety.
If you are someone who only profits because of the market’s ignorance, that will only last for so long before people begin to understand their needs and learn what to expect from working with people. Also, if they aren’t getting the results you have promised, you won’t be getting their business again.
If you are attending all of the workshops, buying all the books, watching all the live webinars, attending only free engagements and not putting any real work into your business, then you get what you put in.
We do have some amazing and talented people who can help you. When you check out their body of work and see what they have been able to build for themselves or help others achieve, you can reach out to them and learn how to work with or learn from them.
Let this new decade be one where you invest in yourself. Invest in the time needed to build your business, invest in learning new skills, invest in meeting people and shedding the old circles of people who aren’t helping you move forward.
Remember…Acquire skills and get creative with implementing them all to build that business. It’s not going to be easy but it is going to worth it.