I consider myself a hard worker, who is always adapting, innovating and ready to make things happen. Since I was young, I knew I wanted to build something for myself. So, here’s what I did to generate cash for my business:
Asked People To Give Me Work
It really is that simple. If you have a skill to offer that is niche or something people don’t want to do themselves, there is a good chance someone is willing to pay you to do it. For me, I could write code, and I knew I could do it well. That skill was in demand in 2001 and I knew that if I could sell my skills to people within my network, I could get a good running start at what became JBK.
Utilized My Network
Sometimes, it really is all about who you know. I leveraged my network from the Corps of Cadets at Texas A&M, and reached out to former Cadets to see if they needed any work done for their business. Once I secured a couple of projects, built software and delivered on those projects, word spread and I was able to build a business around an in-demand skill.
Built What I Had To Build, So I Could Build What I Wanted To Build
Was I good at writing code for other businesses? Yes. Was that what I wanted to do forever? No. I knew that I possessed a skill that was in demand, and even though my goal was to build products, I could not do that without first generating cash and building a runway for myself. I started off doing something I didn’t love, in order to lay the building blocks for the success of my business.
Important Question to Ask Yourself This Week:
What skills do you possess that are linked to your ultimate business goal? How could you use those skills to start to build your business?
