Business vs Hobby

I turned on the television one night, and Shark Tank was on. I don't remember ever watching it, when it was big. I never got into most of the reality or reality-type shows that people later found out were heavily scripted and not so real. One I did watch when it first aired was the Joe Shmoe Show, IMDB entry here. It was different than the others. Everyone on the show knew it was fake except one guy. He was the only non-actor on the show. If you like things that play with perceptions of reality, it might be worth a look. The original one, I mean. I never saw the later one.

Nevertheless, Shark Tank seemed interesting and isn't really a reality show like the garbage ones. If you haven't seen it, it's about people making pitches to investors to raise capital for their businesses. The investors are the "sharks". They either invest or don't while giving reasons why or why not. Since I've been looking at starting a business, I decided to leave it on in the background. Some of the advice is quite good. Mark Cuban gives some very insightful comments. I wish he was allowed to go further in depth. The show feels heavily edited for time. The flow was smooth, but I have the impression the pitches last a lot longer than what's aired.

One of the sharks is the "mean" one. He told one of the businessmen that if he wasn't making a profit after three years it wasn't a business; it was a hobby. At first I thought he was being mean for the show, but my first thought was of a company I know that's been around well longer than three years and has never had a profit. I realized one day that it wasn't a business. It was a hobby. What the shark said only confirms that assessment. So, I pondered that and my own efforts in life.

Instead of being mean, what I think he was saying is something like this. In three years an entrepreneur will find a way to make a business work. Three years will show whether the businessperson is truly dedicated and determined to succeed. There has to be a drive there that pushes someone to overcome all the obstacles and pushes him or her toward success. Within that time frame any flaws in the business model will become apparent. Whether changes need to be made will be apparent. The good things and bad will be exposed. If things aren't working after three years, there's a fundamental problem that needs to be fixed. An entrepreneur will find a way to fix the problems or move on to something that will actually succeed.

As I keep researching for my own business attempt, something I've kept in mind is whether I have the right mindset and drive for success. I've been looking at various options. Once started, will I have the determination to push through to the end? I have to choose the right path. Shark Tank is interesting. It gives me more things to think about.

I may have the business idea narrowed down to two concepts. I'm leaning toward one of them more than the other, but the risk is higher. Financially, I think I might be ready for something between January and March, assuming all goes well.

Have a great weekend.

Examining Excuses

The Cubs barely squeaked by the Nationals before going on to face the Dodgers, who have the best record in the majors this year, in the National League Championship series. I followed the Cubs this year but not as closely as last. It was too painful. They lost or traded some key players. David Ross retired. There was nothing that could be done about that, but I didn't like it when they traded Dexter Fowler away. Money decision? I don't know.

Before the championship series began, my first impression was the Cubs would be swept. Then I thought, no, they might win one game. Then I thought about the games against the Nationals and thought they would be swept. Then I thought, no, surely they'll win at least one. I finally decided they would either be swept or win one game. No other outcome. That was my final forecast. They lost three, won one and then lost the last one. Sad, but it's good to be right. At least I had that.

I got to that decision point by watching them during the year. The Cubs really struggled the first half. The excuse that kept being given was "World Series hangover". I didn't think so. The biggest problem I saw was the bullpen kept blowing the game, which is how they lost in the post-season. And the starting pitching wasn't as good as last year. But let's get back to the World Series hangover excuse. Think about that in other terms. "We're failing because of our success." "We're failing because we're the best." "Our success is the main reason for our failure."

When you hear people like politicians giving "reasons" for things along with elaborate explanations, it might be helpful to put what they're saying in other terms. The Cubs didn't lose because of their success last year. The lost because they didn't have the same caliber of players and not everyone on the team played as well as last year. It's okay to be honest. People can usually handle it.

Other Stuff
I've been waiting on some late feedback for AoE. I've considered asking for it, but it's hard to pressure someone for what at the end of the day is a favor. This week I continued forward with final corrections using the feedback I do have. I'm still considering what kind of cover to do that my painting skills would be adequate for.

I mentioned a surprise I wanted to do for someone I know who's having a hard time. It got delayed when the tropical storm passed through. I think I'm going to schedule that for December, assuming I can really pull it off.

I'm still weighing options on starting a business. It would be a major step. My tolerance for risk is very low, so I'm being very cautious.

Have a great weekend.

Negative People

There are a couple of people in my life who have a tendency to go immediately negative about things. If a topic comes up at random, they have a habit of become skeptical. I could cite a web site about whatever it was or various facts. It doesn't seem to matter. Their minds will close to the possibilities. Having a reasonable amount of skepticism in life is generally a good thing. I have a healthy skepticism myself but my goodness. Facts are facts. I may not always like them, but I don't close my mind down like these two people.

What do you do when people in your life have a toxic negativity? What do you do when it's continual about multiple areas and it's toxic? I keep having the urge to kick them both out of my life and to stop having anything to do with them. But I'm not sure that's the right thing to do, and it's not completely realistic. Everyone goes through seasons in life. This year, for instance, hasn't been that great for me. I've had some times when I was feeling really down. Regardless of how I felt, I tried to explore new possibilities. I wasn't always able to come up with answers, but I tried. Maybe they're in one of those seasons. Both of them? At the same time? It's possible.

I could keep being patient. I could point out the negativity and ask what the cause of it is. One of them would explode if I did that. I could see them as a test. I'm still trying to figure it out.

If that's too sad, I'll leave with some laughs.

Comedian Tim Vine.

Comedian Milton Jones.

Have a good weekend.

Tentative Plans

Can I be honest a minute? This has been a long year. I've been tired a lot. Things have not always worked out the way I wanted them to. I've had times of discouragement and times when I laughed better than I have in years. Let's hope this coming year is better.

I've been feeling somewhat burned out and like I need to get away and do something relaxing or maybe nothing to recharge my batteries. I've been thinking a lot about a real vacation. If you're a praying person, that's something to put on your list. At least once. It would be more expensive than I can afford at the moment for what I'd like to do. I would need a financial break in some area. And then there's the problem of who to ask to go with me. I have two candidates in mind, a first choice and a second choice if the first one said no. I don't know either of them very well at all. The plan would be to do stuff during the day and have separate rooms at night. I have no idea if I could get along with either of them for a whole week. They're acquaintances. That's something else for your prayer list. At least once.

So, it's time I got some real book covers. I've painted for years, but that's not the same as illustration. I'm not sure I have the technical skills to do a great cover, but I know I could do something. My plan is to create a cover for the YA book and the mystery/romance. The mystery/romance is something I'd throw out under a pen name and see what happened. I'm not sure it works. If it failed, it failed. If it worked, groovy. I'd probably do another one.

Here's something else for the prayer list. :) A while back I started an Amazon store but didn't have enough cash for the right kind of inventory I needed. I sold a few things but ended up shutting it down from lack of inventory. I've been saving a little every month and have started thinking about starting a business, especially if book covers don't improve sales. Amazon is an option, but I'm thinking of other things such as a retail location or a restaurant. Initial funding would be problematic. I'm pretty limited in what I could do. I've mentioned Uber and Lyft recently. Those might be something to try short-term. I have other ideas, too.

Right now I'm trying to collect ideas for perhaps getting something started after the first of the year or possibly later, depending on what startup costs would be and what it is. Amazon would be faster, but it's not the best thing. Where I live is experiencing a lot of growth. A physical store might work very well at this time. I'm trying to think outside the box. I'll let you know more as things develop, if they do.

Have a great weekend.