I’ve been working on my new business for months now… probably years if you include the first ideas and experiments! In the last few weeks I have spent every day developing the product. I hesitated getting started at first. What if it’s nonsense. What if it doesn’t work. But after reading a lot of books, following a lot of entrepreneurs on Instagram, it was time to ‘stop talking, start doing’ as Shaa Wasmund would say.

The problem I had was a few years ago I started ‘doing’ but I was ‘doing’ in all the wrong places. I knew I wanted to give corporate life a rest for a while (maybe even let go for good), do something completely different, so I just plunged in… I had a thought and dived right in. The problem was it was a thought, not an informed idea… so mistakes were made, money was spent on the wrong things and I didn’t feel like I was progressing in the right direction.

Then I got made redundant.

This could be the opportunity.

I spent my days on garden leave researching online businesses, watching webinars by American ‘digital’ gurus, going along to entrepreneur networks. Completely out of comfort zone, completely not helping to get a job (key objective after being made redundant). My first taste was a rural entrepreneur network in a local cafe, the Woodborough Entrepreneurs, I cant remember how I found them but that was a turning point. They were open, friendly, knew their stuff and shared their ups and downs… it was out of comfort zone and yet it felt so in comfort zone that I knew I had to give entrepreneurial life a go.

That was nearly two years ago. I have since started Snuggle Truffle, an online blankets, throws and quilts business - which is absolutely for the love of it! I have set up a communications consultancy supporting interim assignments and bespoke projects. I have created a blog, ran workshops, started to write a book, I went to the Do Lectures, I signed up to three coaching programmes… and then I had the idea.

The idea that all this experience of trying to get out there and do something different could now help others. And not only that, it could help others feel better about being made redundant.

So Another Door was born. Or at least the idea was born. I knew I had to go for it. So now I’m at that stage. You know, that bit that goes from idea to actually doing something about it!

I’ve got a website. (Not finished but good enough to start).

I’ve got my social platforms set up. (No followers but there ready to go)

I’ve got a marketing plan, sales plan, list of people to talk to about collaborating…

It’s time to press Go.

So is it time to celebrate? It doesn’t feel like it, I haven’t made one penny from it yet. But I’ve also spend weeks in a house, on my own, staring out the window at the sunny weather, really wanting to be out walking up hills, I really want to indulge and go to a spa for the day. I want to give myself a pat on the back for getting this far.

But it doesn’t feel ‘celebratory’ yet. Maybe when the first member signs up Ill have a glass of champagne, maybe when the first good review gets posted on Facebook Ill go to the spa, maybe when I stop looking out for work in my communications consultancy and start to feel like this is full time Ill treat myself to day out in London - just wandering and meeting friends!

I don’t think I’ve ever been good at celebrating. I’m always thinking about all the things that went wrong, all things that need improving and moving on the next thing. Through experiences of the last few months it is very clear you have to take time to tell yourself ‘ well done’, to pause, to look up, to look around, to think how far you’ve come before head down and moving forward again.

So, a milestone has been achieved. But with so much more work to do I’ve decided not to ‘celebrate’ but instead give myself a break: I’m going to stop work at 4 pm today and just sit on the sofa watching Friends on Channel 5 - yep, ROCK AND ROLL, pure indulgence.

I really hope you are better than me at celebrating and giving yourself a pat on the back every now and then!

Eleanor

www.anotherdoor.co.uk launches in December 2018