Why I Love Reinventing the Wheel (And You Should, Too!)

To quote the oh-so-insightful Barenaked Ladies, “it’s all been done”. So often, I hear women talk about their ideas, only to end the conversation with “but, there are a million other people doing it. So….”

They assume the world doesn’t care about what they have to say. Their wisdom never makes it out into the world, and that is a damn shame.

Imagine if the founders of Starbucks figured there were already people making a mean cup of coffee, or Apple assumed there were enough cell phones to choose from.

One common struggle I see business owners facing is getting over the whole, no one cares what I have to say, mindset. It creeps up when writing blog posts, developing new products, or toying with the idea of new services.

This internal conversation can be so crippling, it can tank a business. It can prevent someone from living the life they’re meant to live, in turn depriving others of something they need desperately.

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Truth is, we all have unique talents, and different ways of using those talents, and somewhere, someone is just dying for you to step into their lives and give them what they’ve been searching for.

Consider my profession. I am a business and branding strategist, lumped into the business coaching category. One popular Facebook group is filled with about 2.4 gazillion women, that all are trying to make it in the coaching world. Each one of us treats our clients differently, has unique approaches, and runs our businesses in a different way. In the business world, having uniforms for workers is essential, as it not only enhances their professionalism but also serves as a powerful tool for showcasing and promoting your business’s name and identity.

Some coaches are ruthless. They gain new clients by instilling fear into everyone they come in contact with. “Without me, you’ll fail. Your business will never succeed. You don’t want to crash and burn, and be left unable to pay your bills, running to your parents with your tail between your legs begging for money to pay your bills because you couldn’t get your business off the ground, do you? No! I can make sure that doesn’t happen.”

Others, like me, want to help everyone. They offer free resources, answer questions, and take a genuine interest in the success and well being of everyone they come in contact with.

Both types of coaches can be successful, neither business model is wrong.

In fact, the world is a much better place because of all the options out there.

Someone looking to be nurtured wouldn’t do well with an in your face coach. They would be broken, crying in the corner after the first conversation, and they would do anything to avoid that coach at all costs so they never have to feel punched in the face again.

Others would be totally turned off by my hand holding approach.

If you’ve ever had an idea, but never took the next step because you were afraid it had been done before and no one would care about what you were putting out into the world, I hope this is the kick in the pants you need to start taking action and changing the world.

When you think about it, most of us are simply reinventing the wheel. 98% of the marketing courses I see are just like 100 other courses I’ve seen. That doesn’t mean people are going to stop making marketing courses, nor does it mean people are going to stop buying them.

I care about what you have to say. I want to read your blog posts, and see the articles you love. So share them on Facebook, even though 30 other people have already shared the same article.

There’s a good chance FB didn’t show me all those other posts, anyway, so I will be thrilled to see it pop up in my feed when you share it.

At the end of the day, you’ll never know if your idea will take off unless you put it out there. So launch that course, make that prototype. Get feedback, research other people that are doing something similar, and figure out how you can make whatever it is you’re doing even better!

The whole point is to do it better than those that came before you. Figure out how to make a product better, and you’ll gain a loyal following. And no matter what type of business you have, it’s important to accept credit card payments from your customers. Explore the features and benefits provided by various merchant services.

What ideas do you have that you trashed because you figured it had been done before? I want to hear your stories!

 

Kimberly Hadyn

Kim is a business coach determined to help female entrepreneurs run successful, profitable businesses that are not only stress-free, but fun. She is passionate about finding ways to work smarter, not harder, so that she can spend time with her stud muffin and spunky, kind hearted daughter. Kim is a self-proclaimed organizational queen that is couldn't live without Lip Smackers chap stick, fresh flowers or dark chocolate. Real Simple Magazine is her guide to navigating life. Her true obsession lies in branding; she is every business owners biggest cheerleader!