HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY ELLEMENTS GROUP!
I had a lightning bolt moment a few months back. Probably around month 8 in my first year of business. I realized I was not selling anything. Totally frustrated because I have not made any money online, then I realized (because I am the genius that I am)…… I have nothing to sell. No, seriously, I actually have been running this business now for a year, and I have really nothing to sell!
Last year when I was in New York launching this business, I made a bet to myself that in a couple years my business would be cash flowing over a mil a year.
Guess what!?!
When you don’t have any products to sell, it’s going to be KINDA hard to make a million.
Okay, so before you think I’m a total dipshit, I must clarify, I do have many “products/services” to sell, just haven’t totally finished them yet….
And, no, I’m not a procrastinator at all, I’m just your regular entrepreneur with a gazillion ideas, and go in a million different directions at once.
Now the real miracle here is how I stay in business after one year with ZERO profits. Well, that’s easy. My regular financial planning biz pays all the bills on this biz. However, technically Ellements Group would be at least $20,000 in the hole this year (versus being at a flat zero, like it is right now.) if it wasn’t for my other business that I’ve built up over the last 16 years.
I’m happy to admit this. I am in great company by the way. 15% of all start-ups fail in the first year, and 50% of businesses have hit the hay before year five in Canada anyways. YIKES!!
So, if you’ve been reading my blog this last year, don’t be surprised if this year I try to sell you something, which will most likely be my book that will be out in a few months, among other amazing financial stuff I’ve been busy creating.
To let you know how much work goes into a website like this, let me tell you. I have spent over 1000 hours (for free – love child) on this website, building my platform, images, logo, back office, my entire WordPress site from scratch and all the lovely plug-ins, material, e-books, advertising, online courses and the list goes go on and on because I have done this puppy myself. By the way, this is HUGELY satisfying and I’m extremely proud of myself.
Last year, I mastered this whole online thing. This year, I’ve thrown myself into the self-publishing world. I like to play with the big dogs (which is really more like throwing myself to the wolves!) Go BIG or go home, right?!
Again, I’m not a total idiot since I do have an effing brilliant business plan and platform I am creating. I do realize this stuff doesn’t happen overnight. Writing a book alone and self-publishing it has taken over 3 years and thousands of dollars.
In case you were wondering – Yes, it is hard to run Ellements Group in my spare time after I’m done dealing with the demands of clients, kids and life. Luckily, I have lots of amazing help with all of this.
There’s also something I will tell you and the biggest most important part of this story. I’m not giving up.
YOU CAN’T GIVE UP ON THE PASSION AND DESIRES THAT HAVE BEEN GIVEN TO YOU FOR A REASON.
Quitting would be like dying. Stopping would be like stopping to breath. It’s a part of me. Sure, it may change shape and form a million times over, but it’s always a part of me, the biggest part of me and why I’m here.
Furthermore, I’ve poured every extra dollar into this business or my book, it’s okay. I made it through. Honestly, there’s something to be said about making it through your first year of business virtually unscathed. I’ve failed at many ideas this year and they are just leading me to what will work.
So, with that said, I’m going to take my amazing assistant out for lunch today, and we are going to celebrate with cake – but I will tell you right now, Ellements Group petty cash won’t be buying! 🙂
BOTTOM LINE: You gotta sell something. You gotta sell something!
P.S. I’m just getting started….
