5, 10, 15 years ago, everyone wanted to write a book “if I had the time.” This year, that has most definitely switched to “I have this great idea for a business, but”: I don’t have any time to work on it, it’ll cost too much to get it going, or I don’t know anyone who can help me with it.

You have an idea, and you don’t have the skills to bring it to fruition. Your local community college, post-education center, or downtown learning forum has classes on it. Amazon.com has books on it. The internets have free tutorials. YouTube has video instructions. Forums have people you can ask. Craigslist has people willing to give you lessons.

Many of these can be free and flexible enough to work with your schedule.

Don’t have enough money to pay employees so you’re not even gonna try to get it off the ground? Contact your local university about interns. Post on Craigslist about what you can offer in exchange. Use your local startup networking groups to find people to share your passion.

When your idea takes off, investors will value your company based on how much you put into it. Is your time worth $25/hour, $50/hour, more? That factors into your future payoff, just as it will for anyone that helps you. Your unpaid time currently is value you are putting into stock…stock investors will buy from you.

Just like Sam Raimi says about film making and getting feedback, you can’t get investment in your company if you never start working on it…regardless of whether you believe you have the time, the money, the skills. Go out, find what you need, and get moving.

Tags: business ideas, community college, craigslist, sam raimi, sweat equity investors, want to write a book, YouTube

This entry was posted on Saturday, August 1st, 2009 at 6:39 am and is filed under life, work. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.