The Blog From the Realm……
There are thousands of general and niche job boards available on the internet. I decided to launch a niche job board that focuses exclusively on 9 states throughout the country- Alaska, Washington, Nevada, Texas, Tennessee, Florida, New Hampshire, South Dakota and Wyoming- that currently do not tax individual income on wages.
The idea for this start up came while my family and I were living in Nevada, currently a no state income tax state and continued to develop to completion after we moved here to Washington, another state that currently does not tax individual income on wages. NoSateIncomeTaxJobs.com has developed and launched without angel funding, venture capital or business loans. I’ve made some observations and I think I’ve learned some important things.
“When there are no angels in sight and capital is not venturing your way, it takes more than a wing and a prayer to launch your start up. Everything I truly needed was within me”~R.L. Polhill
8 Lessons I’ve Observed & Learned: W.I.T.H.I.N. M.E.
1. W: Wear imaginary earphones to keep out the noise. People will say it can’t be done for several reasons: You are doing something in a way they are not familiar with and they don’t understand. Or they care about you, want to protect you and don’t want to see you fail. Or they wish they had thought about the idea first. Whatever the reason, if it’s not a positive or supportive statement, it’s a distraction and you don’t have time for it. You have a vision to bring to fruition.
2. I: Ignore your competition. At least initially. If you are just coming into an industry or you are a startup that means the competition has been in it a while and they have a head start. Accept that and move forward. Focus and run your own race.
3. T: Technology is your friend. And with it comes change. Constant change. But change is good. What was considered the latest and greatest when you started developing your project 18 months ago may be considered out dated today. Something quicker and less expensive may be available now. Be prepared to upgrade on the fly.
4. H: Hustle. Speed and action are requirements to one of the important goals; getting to the point when it is ‘done enough’. It will never be truly “done”. You’ll constantly do maintenance, upgrades and changes based on feedback. We decided our mantra would be “Aways beta-ever evolving for you”.
5. I: Identify a need. Research the industry as a whole. How has it developed? What are the trends? Who are your potential customers and clients? What is on their ‘wish list’? Can you play Santa Claus for them all year long?
6. N: Niche –preferably in what you know and what you are passionate about. No need to reinvent the wheel. There is almost certain to be groups in a crowd that feel invisible and not heard. Creating a niche requires being a good listener.
7. M: Manage risks. Don’t try to keep up with the Joneses in your industry. You’ll learn quickly that every penny counts until you have steady profits coming in. Stay lean as long as possible. Low overhead is almost always preferable instead of lenders and investors who are wondering (aloud) why you are not working 24-7 to get their money back, preferably with interest. Your day to day work is more enjoyable and less stressful. And you, in turn, are more creative, productive and flexible for your business and your clients.
8. E: Evaluate what you do have and what you have been able to accomplish. For me, an idea has materialized.
Within me! It is very satisfying to see what follow through can do. Although this is not the time to rest on my laurels, anything and everything that develops going forward is just gravy.
~RLP
