Failure to Launch: Fear, Fascination, Frustration or Funds?

By Jane Button

Have you ever had an idea for a product, a business or a new creative line, gotten so far and then pouf!! nothing….off into oblivion?

What happened? You sat there with egg on your face because you’d told everyone you were creating something and then failed to launch. You stopped talking about it and hoped and prayed no one would ask you how you were coming along with it.

Sound familiar?

I’ve helped hundreds of small businesses with the creation of new ideas, new products and design concepts. Some move forward immediately and others get bogged down in the “failure to launch” mode – not because they don’t have a great idea but because they fall into one of four traps that sabotage the success of the idea or business.

An idea is only an idea until it’s implemented. As long as the idea is only in your head it serves no useful purpose to your target market and certainly does not create any revenue or satisfaction for you.

It’s important to recognize WHY your products or ideas don’t come to fruition. Until you truly understand WHY it can be like pulling teeth to make things happen.

These are what I characterize as the four Fs of “Failure to Launch”:

1. 　Fascination

I call this the “Bright Shiny Object Syndrome”. As creative people we all have this to a certain extent – some more than others. What happens is we come up with a fabulous product idea, a design or a prototype and take it only SO far. And then we get distracted with a new idea – another BSOB and the original idea never gets to the implementation stage. Oh we might talk about it but it stays put.

It is terrific to have ideas (actually many people do not have this gift that we sometimes take for granted) but to make a profit, create a company and turn your idea into a product it is imperative to get beyond the Fascination stage and on to the creation stage. If it’s a great idea and worthy of your attention it’s time to move it forward by doing 2 things (perhaps simultaneously) #1 Creating your get it done systems and #2 Getting help and assistance from someone with experience.

2. 　Frustration

Have you ever started a project or had an idea that you can only take to a certain level with the current knowledge you have? Maybe you’re a great designer/seamstress and have created a line of bags or clothing – but when it comes to sales and marketing, frankly you just don’t know the first thing. You start selling your products and have some success but your sales are low and flat – and you get to that frustration point where you just say “forget it – I should never have thought I could start my own company!” You end up not fulfilling a dream because you don’t know the answer now.

Or you bump up against a roadblock on a major project by thinking it’s too complicated or too monumental. So you end up looking like a deer in the headlights and become paralyzed – instead of chunking down the project and starting somewhere rather than doing nothing.

I am reminded of one of my favorite quotes (not sure where this came from) “You don’t know what you don’t know till you know it” This is the time to learn what you don’t know.

And if you’ve put yourself into overwhelm – start with an outline or a brain dump of everything that needs to happen. Next put it all into a logical sequence. What if you took the time you’ve spent complaining and used it to create a plan towards a solution? Change your language from I don’t know to I’ll find out.

3. Fear

When you’re “comfortable (familiar)” where you are you tend to like staying put because to stretch and change seems uncomfortable (unfamiliar).

If you’re hanging around all your friends and family who are unsupportive of your new business or your new idea – you start believing them. And your mindset goes back to where you started. You start thinking, “who am I to believe that I can start this business?” And so you don’t and your life remains the same and your idea stays inside your head. And you have failed to launch.

Not everyone wants you to be successful. It’s easy to stay the same. But you know you will have to take charge. Getting past the fear, whether it is fear of failure or fear of success (doesn’t matter which because they both keep you stuck) requires the inner critic in you to stop the sabotage.

The question is, as I believe Wayne Dyer said, do you want to die with the music still in you? I don’t think so. Step away from the fear and move out of that comfort zone – once you do you will never turn back.

4. Funds

This one is an epidemic. It’s the easiest way to procrastinate and the biggest excuse of all. “Oh I don’t have the money so I can’t do it.” How many times have you used that one?

The money is there, you need to look for it and use your creativity to find it. When you continually shut yourself off to the idea that you will find the money for your business idea – then it will not be there because you aren’t being creative and your own mindset holds you hostage.

So Stop It with the negativity and the sob stories that stunt your growth. When you want it bad enough you will find it. You may have to grow slower than you want; you may have to get a day job and work on your business at night; you may have to demonstrate success with your product before you get an angel investor; you may need to find people to help you so you can do what you do best.

Business is about money, it’s how our society works. Goods and services are exchanged with money. If you have a viable product – prove it and the money will be there.

Identify which “F” is your stuck point, your Failure to Launch. Once you know you can make the changes necessary to actually Launch your line, launch your idea, launch your business or launch your creative product.

If you’re in failure to launch mode I’d love to hear more.  

 

Want to grow your creative product business? Join me in the “Design2Market Success Inner Circle” program where we focus on PRODUCT BUSINESSES with weekly training videos; special topic calls; question and answers – plus a whole lot more so you can do what you love AND make money.   D2MS Inner Circle

 

© 2011 Jane Button International Design2Market Success

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