Beyond Bounds Blog

I learned an important business lesson recently while trying to start my first business:

Take usable solutions NOW and correct later, don’t wait for or fret over finding the perfect solution

As you all may know from my last update, my current step in the process is to create a website and logo; however, the only website that I have ever created is this blog.  I’m not a professional, although I am sure that I have the potential to become one, and that’s the point.  I’m NOT a professional.

For a business website, if I want a professional page done I can either learn professional web design myself and then make one, or I can hire someone to do it for me.  Most businessmen would choose the second option as it actually takes less investment, since time = money and cultivating your skills to the professional level is not a walk in the park.

I am very interested in web design and hope to someday reach the professional level (maybe this is because I’m a control freak), but relying on this as a prerequisite to starting a business creates unnecessary pressure, so my mind and business plan will get stuck at this point, thus increasing the amount of self-discipline and time investment it will take to succeed.  Since most people fail in business due to lack of determination (this is a strong statement; however I remember reading this in so many places), you don’t need to create extra obstacles for yourself.  Business is hard enough.

So what about for those who don’t want to put out the investment for a professional site and still want some control over their content?

There is a third option: Do not create a professional page.  This doesn’t sound like a very smart choice, but it really depends on your definition of professional.  For me, a non-professional page can still be a functional page, aka one that does its job.  Use the solution that fits the situation, even if it’s not the best one,  just to get things rolling.

This lesson goes for all walks of business.  If you are too much of a perfectionist, you may find yourself spending too much time on minor details instead of the large picture.  In the large picture, these details are zoomed way out and can be smoothed out later down the road.

Imagine an obese person that wants to start a workout routine.  Would it make more sense for him to simply start doing exercise, any exercise, now and figure out what’s best along the way, or research the perfect workout for 3 weeks to 2 months first?

I’m done focusing on perfection and tiny details.  Don’t rush into decisions, but don’t get stuck requiring perfection.  It’s better to correct along the path, rather than get stuck looking for the perfect path; in truth there is no perfect path.  So get going!