Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the Ark and professionals built the Titanic.

As security in the job market has sunk to an all-time low, people are making their own security by starting their own businesses in their droves.

It is almost to the point where you ask not if you will lose your job but when. The risk of losing your job because of layoffs, downsizing, mergers and acquisitions, or due to your job being eliminated by robots and artificial intelligence is higher than ever.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, the pace of job loss was accelerated dramatically by the pandemic of 2021-2023.

I started my online business several years ago when I got laid off in my early sixties. I found transitioning from a corporate environment to an online world much more challenging and daunting than I expected.

Such a traumatic job loss can really mess with your mind and self-esteem.

I was very conscious of my age and spent sleepless nights questioning whether I had what it takes to become a online solopreneur.

Serious doubts, fears and limiting beliefs started to surface, taking me completely by surprise. For a while my confidence and self-esteem were shattered in spite of my job loss being on good terms and me having been provided generous severance pay.

I thought such things happened to others, not me with all the experience, wisdom and knowledge I had accumulated during my long and varied career.

But these doubts and fears can haunt anyone faced with similar circumstances or trying to make radical changes to their life. You don't realize the damage it can do until it happens to you. 

The solution was simple, but not easy, I had to take time to reflect on myself, my life, and my accomplishments and make a determined effort to prepare myself physically, mentally and spiritually for my new role as a business owner.

To say that preparation was worthwhile is an understatement. When I had finished I felt like a completely new person, even my friends and family were amazed.

But sadly most would-be business owners don’t recognize the need to take this crucial step which drastically reduces the chances of their business failing or them being unhappy with their unfulfilling choice of business.

The recent pandemic forced many to sever their ties with their employer or simply to decide not to return to work after having experienced the freedom gained by working from home, avoiding tiring commutes and working on a more flexible schedule they could set themselves.

I soon realized there would be a niche market for people who wanted to become their own boss and make this difficult transition to the online world.

I began helping all those affected by the current job market crisis, in the entrepreneurial community I was part of at the time, to make the transition and prepare themselves to become successful business owners without all the stress, trials, tribulations and hurdles I had to endure.

I formalized the very same strategy I had successfully used to facilitate my transition and it was received with much gratitude and enthusiasm. Ultimately after many improvements, updates and revisions it has morphed into the 5-step programme I now call Rapid Transformation Results.

GAIN CLARITY & PLAN BEFORE YOU START

We procrastinate and are fearful of starting a new venture because we lack purpose, clarity and a plan to implement. 

We try to take shortcuts because all today's advertising tells us everything is quick and easy on the internet. 

That just isn’t true. 

Ignore the guy standing in front of the rented Lamborghini, parked in front of someone else's house... you won't become a millionaire overnight. Even if the car and house are his/hers it's a wild exaggeration for him/her to suggest you can duplicate what they have done, even with their product or service, in the short period they advertise.  

It's the old iceberg story. The bit above water that you see is their success, probably after many years of effort. The bit below water you don't see represents the many failures, false starts, and errors they made before they finally found the magic sauce that lead them to success and profitability. 

An online business is no different to a brick-and-mortar business … you have to take it seriously and treat it like a business. 

Like any business, there is a chance that things won’t work out. But with the right preparation, we can limit considerably our chances of anything going wrong, and this is particularly true if you are going into business for the first time.

When you leave the rigid structure of the 9-5 treadmill and set up your own business, it can take time for you to realize you are the chief cook and bottle washer … in other words, it’s all up to you. 

You make all the big decisions, financial and otherwise, you take all the risks … the buck stops at you. 

This sounds more frightening than it really is, people set up businesses every day, what distinguishes those who succeed from those who don’t is the planning and preparation before the business launch. People tend to concentrate on the programme, product or service they are going to use to start their business, they are overly concerned about choosing the right one. 

What they fail to consider is themselves … are they ready for their new role as business owner?

If you’re going to do something you’ve never done before, like starting an online business, you’re going to have to become someone you’ve never been before. That’s where the preparation and the elimination of the demons that have held you back in the past comes in.

YOUR PREPARATION PROCESS SHOULD LOOK LIKE THIS

1) SELF-ASSESSMENT

You know your demons will haunt you as you start you business: that lack of confidence, the limiting beliefs, the self-sabotage and bad habits will influence every action, decision and risk you take. To ensure you don't pay a high price in money, time and wasted effort you must identify them and eliminate them or get them under control so they can't contribute to the failure of your business.

2) YOUR TRANSFORMATION

Your no longer going to continue merely existing as you have in the past, it's time to thrive. It's time discover your purpose and design your life and make your wildest dreams come true.

To do that you must look inwards and determine who you really want to be and how you want to live your life. What would be your ideal business? You do not want to just gain more responsibility, you want to do something you will truly love and get the most fulfillment from. Don't make a quick or easy decision, take time to really think it through so you can make the rest of your life the best of your life.

3) PLANS AND A SYSTEM TO IMPLEMENT THEM

Next you must define your vision for your business and make long and short term plans. Try answering this question: "Where do I want to be 5 years from now, what action steps am I going to have to take to get there and how am I going to have to change as a person to make this possible?"

Now you have plans you need a system to implement them. Make sure you can manage all your action steps, meet deadlines, hold yourself accountable and schedule everything so that you achieve your goals.

4) ROUTINE AND HABIT CHANGES TO MAINTAIN MOMENTUM

The last thing you want to happen once you've launched your company is for the momentum to fizzle and procrastination to set in. To maintain your momentum you must take consistent, timely, prioritized action. To achieve this on a regular basis you must develop the habits and daily routines to support this.

THE BEST TIME TO CHANGE AND START IS NOW

Your transformation will not happen quickly. Think how long it has taken you to get to where you are today. 

If you're serious about being the best person you can be it will be a lifelong endeavor. Having said that you just need to eliminate the roadblocks that have held you back in the past to get your business started, so a partial transformation is in order.

There has never been a better time to start a business than now. 

The Internet, technology and software have all advanced to the point where starting a business is much, much simpler than most people believe.

It’s not easy, it takes determination and effort. The internet enables your market to be local or global, the choice is yours. 

The job market has become so insecure, unstable and unpredictable. On top of that up to 80% of people who are employed are not even happy in the jobs they’re in. 

With mergers, acquisitions, downsizing, the Covid 19 pandemic, artificial intelligence, robots … no one’s job is a sure bet, everyone from the janitor to the president are under threat at any time. 

This is why people are resigning and setting up their own businesses in record numbers. 

The Pandemic also showed us the benefits of working from home, with flexibility in working hours and no grueling commute.

With the right preparation it's easier than it ever has been to launch a huge variety of businesses to an ever expanding global market. However, both the preparation and the launching of the business take time, that's why you should start as quickly as possible so that you do not have to panic if you're forced to rush your plans due to unexpected job loss. 

Starting NOW while you are still gainfully employed takes the pressure off and allows you the maximum time to get your ducks in a row!

MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO SEE HOW YOU CAN GET STARTED