Paralysis by Analysis

It often happens to computer techies looking to start their own business. They are eager to do everything perfect with their new businesses. They spend a lot of time brainstorming, writing things down, reading, researching, analyzing and… anything but getting started. Does this sound like you?

In the computer business world, sometimes the best thing to do is to just put your head down and do it. If you are very new to the business and are yet to get your first client, write down a simple list of what you do (eg. virus removal, hardware, software etc), give the local printers or newspaper a call right now and place your first ad.

While it is perfectly natural to want to spend time thinking about your future business, especially when there is an element of risk, there comes a point where any more thinking becomes counter productive.

Some people may have the attitude that they don’t want to lose money and therefor wont take the risk. No one wants to lose money, but you have to take risks in order to learn. In my 6 years of being a freelance techie, I have lost a few thousand dollars though business mistakes (which you can read about here) and ineffective advertising. I don’t regret them one bit though, I have learned so much more though my mistakes than from my successes.

To break out of the paralysis by analysis cycle I recommend you ask yourself the following:

• What do you absolutely have to do for your business to be a success?
• What is going to be difficult to change later?
• What could realistically go wrong?

If we were putting out some marketing, we would have to list what we do, have decent prices and working phone numbers for our business to have a chance at success. We then need to make sure we get our phone number correct because that will be difficult to change later once everything is printed. The worst thing that could go wrong is that you waste a couple hundred dollars on ineffective advertising. So what?

Stop thinking about it and start doing it.