Written by: Phindile Le Bris Sithole-Spong
“Come as you are” is a line from a Kurt Cobain song that always resonates with me. As a self-proclaimed perfectionist and a person who is always waiting for optimal circumstances and conditions to start anything. I have realised that whilst preparation can yield great results, sometimes you just have to start without being 100% prepared. You can start where you are and with whatever you have.
This idea could not be more accurate with regard to business. So many people put off starting a business until they have all the things they think they need in place. Whether it is a business card, website, or even a certain amount of money, yes, some things are simply unavoidable and even necessary to start a business. But other resources can and should wait, and these resources should not hinder you from starting or growing your business.
When I think about some of the top entrepreneurs and business-minded people, most of them started with very little. Mark Zuckerberg started what is now Facebook at University as a sort of side project. And one of my heroines Sara Blakely started her now multimillion-dollar business Spanx, with nothing but a few samples and a t-shirt with the companies name that she hand ironed on.
These “successful” businesses seem so perfect. However, how and where they started was far from perfect. What is important above all else is an idea and why you want to take this side forward and turn it into a business. The rest, as they say, will come. So if you have an idea or a small business, I would suggest you start by looking at what you already have and use that to push you to implement your ideas or expand your small business. Whatever it is and wherever you are in your life, you can start with what you have. For instance, if your idea revolves around selling wigs, weaves, and other hair related products, you can start by selling one hairpiece. If you want to bake, you can start charging those close to you to cater to their events and bake at home with whatever you already have.
Whilst delivering the best services and products is highly important, sometimes it can take years of trial and error to get to where you want to. But if you never start, you will never get the opportunity to refine your business. To fine-tune where needed and see what your business can’t do without. So push your fears aside and start. Or, as Kurt Cobain would says, “come as you are” and do the best with what you have.
