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Episode-1542- Starting, Running and Managing a Business

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So Get Busy Doing Shit ~ Jack Spirko

So Get Busy Doing Shit ~ Jack Spirko

I often say that people should start a business as part of a self sufficiency plan.  The truth is the majority of what I know is available for free at JackSpirko.com (warning the language is far more adult there than at TSP).

In fact I have been asked many times to do more podcasts over there and I have refused.

The reason is simple, I have stated many times the day a person does everything I have already given there, has implemented it into their business and still wants more, I will do another episode.  So far, no one has done so.

The truth is I really believe that the most important part of building a business is just getting busy getting shit done.  Planning, talking, thinking, brain storming all have their place but up front, hustle is the key.

I have been wary of doing general business podcasts for a few reasons here, they are…

  • Many who want to hear about starting a business are more interested in intellectual masturbation than actually doing it, I have no interest in that!
  • I cringe at the thought of someone not pursuing an idea just because I don’t personally think it is a good idea.  There are plenty of successful businesses out there that I would have said were not a good idea before they existed.
  • I cringe even more at someone going after an idea just because I think it is a good idea.  Ideas are not businesses, at all, in anyway, shape or form.  The execution is the key, not the idea itself.
  • Most of you refuse to accept these two things, a tax attorney and a CPA.  Every time I bring up business it leads to tax and legal questions, to be blunt, I DON’T Fing KNOW WHAT YOUR INDIVIDUAL ISSUES ARE.  I can’t and won’t give this advice.  Stop asking!!!

The truth is what I think of your business doesn’t matter, what you do with it is what matters.  I try to stick to principles, concepts and methods over ideas because that makes them universal.

Join Me Today to Discuss...

  • There are rules to business, some of them are
    • Your market is more important than your desires
    • Passion is great, but passion in absence of substance equals stupidity
    • It is always more work than you thought it would be
    • No one will ever do it as good as you, EVER, EVER, EVER, got it?
    • Focusing on your competition is most often really stupid
    • No business can survive with out sales AND marketing
  • My thoughts on modern businesses
    • Part time first for MOST
    • If you go full time up front, don’t get comfortable
    • You will have one boss, and  he/she needs to be an asshole!
    • Nothing beats just telling people in the beginning
  • Thoughts on successful websites
    • Sites need to initiate a process
    • Sites need to make it clear how to do business with you
    • Sites should be “active”, brochures are dead!  Fing dead!  Do you get that?
    • A business is its customer base, an email list is a customer base
    • Your site is not designed to please people who won’t buy from you
  • In the end it comes down to abilities
    • MarketABILITY – the ability to tell your story
    • ReferABILITY – the ability for others to tell your story
    • ProfitABILITY – the ability to yield a surplus
    • RepeatABILITY – the ability to sell to a customer many times
    • AdaptABILITY – the ability to evolve and be sustained
    • ScaleABILITY – the ability to grow sufficiently
  • Simple basics
    • Have a core product/service
    • Get moving fast, long product development isn’t business
    • Listen to your customers (trends not individuals)
    • Excel never lies, you will lie to yourself, don’t
    • No marketing will every beat pure hustle in the beginning
    • Everything I say could be both right and wrong at the same time
  • Just do it, seek not my approval, seek the approval of paying customers

Resources for today’s show…

Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon. Also please enter our listener appreciation contest and help spread the word about our show. Also remember you can call in your questions and comments to 866-65-THINK (866-658-4465) and you might hear yourself on the air.

Also remember we have an expert council you can address your calls to. If you do this you should email me right after your call at jack at thesurvivalpodcast.com with expert council call in the subject line. In the body of your email tell me that you just called in a question for the council and what number you called in from. I will then give the call priority when I screen calls.

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Comments

Episode-1542- Starting, Running and Managing a Business — 11 Comments

  2. For over 2 years I have been, as Jack put it, intellectually masterbating. From all the BS I’ve read, watched or listened to about podcasting and buisness… I could give a course on it. I bet I could fool people into paying for it. In the end… I haven’t done shit.

    A series of events over 3 dyas, ending with this, has forced me to admit it. Time is up. ‘You can not build a reputation on what you are going to do.’ Henry Ford is correct; I tried it doesn’t work.

    The time for action was 2 years ago. But today will suffice.

    Great stuff Jack. I will be stealing the intellectual masterbation line. Perfect description of the disease.

    • I assume its a podcast then.

      Whats it about and when can we listen to it 🙂

  3. Good stuff, as always Jack.

    I love the fire that was lit from PV2. Keep it going, it’s been great to listen to!

  4. Having owned a business (commercial cleaning) I have to agree the best advice here is JUST DO IT. There is a multitude of information at our fingertips today and the only thing holding you back is yourself. Once you take that step and get the experience of owning a business under your belt, you now are in possession of knowledge no one can take from you. The self confidence is indescribable. I’m not saying it’s easy. When you own a business…it owns YOU. Everything is in your lap now. The dedication it takes is massive but you develop a whole other “self” in the process.
    I cannot stress enough listening to the tutorial provided on forming a corporation as the information within can save you a tremendous amount of grief in the future. #1 rule: EDUCATE YOURSELF.
    Jack is also correct on another issue. You may have to be an asshole. As an employer there will be times you have to reprimand employees. Your rules are your rules for a reason. Never back down. My favorite line was “you agreed to do certain things in exchange for $_._ …..has something changed? Do we need to adjust your pay?”. It’s fine to be a really friendly boss but when someone crosses the line for whatever reason you have to cowboy up and go over the rules again. Everyone is entitled to a second chance. Burn that one and it’s gonna get ugly. And I can get real ugly if I’m forced to.

  5. Regarding the segments on TSP, specifically “Assclowns and Heroes”, I’m too new to the show to know you had that segment. I’ve gone back and listened to some of the old podcasts, but none that had that segment in it, as of yet.
    For what it’s worth, I think a “Heroes” segment would be of interest. There’s plenty of Assclowns already out there in the world, you wouldn’t be a part of this community if you weren’t sick of hearing about them. But, when a hero pops up that’s worth mentioning, taking a minute or two out of the show to say why they’re a hero isn’t a bad thing. Kind of like “Jack was wrong DUH DUH DUH!” It can be in the beginning of the show, and only on an as needed basis. And for those who aren’t long time listeners, the occasional recap of old heroes like Bill Mollison, Geoff Lawton etc. would probably be worthwhile as well.
    Just my 2 cents, but as you said in this show, I’m just 1 listener.

  7. Not to be a smart aleck, but aren’t duck eggs and plants physical products? I have a blog/website that is my passion and it is doing pretty good (although I’ve yet to monetize it) and I wouldn’t have done it if I hadn’t been listening to Jack, and yes I waited a lot longer than I needed to get started (about 1 1/2 yrs ago).

  8. I know of a guy who started his graphic design business (previous experience working for a local newspaper) by calling every business in the phone book until he got to busy working for clients to have any time to call.

  9. Here’s your ‘think different’ education moment teachers..

    Kim Ki-hoon teacher <= Google is your friend!

    $4/hr.. per student, all internet, all the time. Median income in South Korea is less than half of what it is in the US. Take home? $4M

    Median US Income is $52k.. so that's 13k billing hours ($4/hr). A student in the US is in school 900-1000 hours per year. So you need 13 – 15 full time students, for material you only prepare once. Or, assuming a 6 period day.. if you taught ONE subject, 78-80 ONE subject students.

    This is of course less than one third of what is currently spent on education per student.

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