Daily LaunchTip, July 3, 2009
Daily LaunchTip, July 3, 2009
From Victoria Colligan, Founder, Ladies Who Launch
One of the biggest secrets I’ve learned throughout the course of launching is that buying time can often mean the difference between success and failure.
Here’s why: Buying time gives you the chance to think through decisions, gather more input, save more money, earn more money, pay more attention to detail and button up your plans. Whenever I’m in a bind over a decision or an investment, I ask myself, how can I buy myself some time to get more certainty around this decision or more clarity around my goal. Here are a few quick tips for buying time:
• Don’t feel compelled to respond to emails immediately. If you’re feeling pressured or uncomfortable with an incoming request, ask the other party for more clarity and a detailed description of how they see your role. Force others to think through their “ask” as much as you would.
• Request payment plans from vendors. More often than not, vendors will respond favorably to payment plans even if you never thought it was an option.
• Transfer credit card balances to a no-fee, no-interest credit card with a 12 month or better offer. There are many possibilities and you buy yourself time before having to pay off a large balance.
• Slow down your decision-making process. Let passion drive your motivation but not your rationale. Ask meaningful questions and select only those opportunities that serve you.
This week’s LaunchOpportunity:
Selling products and / or services online is a great distribution channel for your business and the technology available has truly facilitated this platform, especially online merchant services which make transactions easy and seamless. Being able to take payments online via credit card and finding optimal deals with favorable charges and contract terms takes some investigating. Fill out this short form for free and learn more about vendors in our network who can help you.
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Hi Victoria – I love this post. It’s so important. One benefit that I recently became aware of at my job is the ability to buy weeks of vacation. This will give me some extra time to run a pilot program for a social enterprise I am trying to start. A great example of how to literally buy time to work on something I’m passionate about!
Hey Victoria,
I couldn’t agree more! In an extreme example of this I’ve been forced to slow down after the loss of a very dear friend in the New Year. So dramatic was this that I’ve written a new book with my husband, called The 30-Day Parent Plunge,and in the meltdown have learned that our small community is at high risk of being one of the next school shooting sites. Yikes! This has us more than passionate about getting your similar message out to parents everywhere we can! We feel privileged to be given this warning by our local Sheriff’s office: a message I am sure Columbine and others would not have taken lightly either. We are scrambling to get the site ready and the book launched in time for back-to-school. We need all the help we can get because we are convinced that it can be prevented if we stand together as professional parents everywhere! Pray with us won’nt you?
Believe well!
Adelaide Zindler
Childhood Preservation Challenge
http://www.The30DayPlunge.com
Absolutely bang on, especially the last point. The first opportunity may not be the right opportunity — sometimes it’s best to breathe and consider, first.
I’m loving all of your posts Victoria, such valuable information. Especially for someone who is starting out starting a business. I’ve a bad habit of responding to every email as readily as possible. It’s time to think and take it slow. I’m always wishing I hadn’t responded so soon on things. As like Christa (in the response above) I’m working on a Social Enterprise. Would like to connect with Christa and colloborate learn and share from each other.
