November 26, 2018– We’re talking about the business of writing again and this goes for authors too so listen up! One isn’t the loneliest number, it’s the most dangerous and here’s why; if you’re relying on one of anything, you’re about to have major problems.
The number one makes your business fragile, brittle, and wobbly. Here are some things that are bad when it comes to the number one:
- You only have one book.
- You only have one source of leads.
- You only have one major supplier.
- You only have one type of product.
- You only have one major customer.
- You only have one type of service.
- You only have one source of income.
Why is this so bad? Because having one of anything simply leads to ONE, SINGLE point of failure. This means that any small change in circumstances could devastate your business and your career. Don’t put yourself in this situation, start working on multiples. Multiple books, multiple income streams, multiple buyers and suppliers and products. This way, if one thing fails, you can pivot to the next thing. I run my business under the constant question of, “WHAT IF?” and this way of thinking has saved me more than once.
- What if your largest customer leaves you for the competition or they don’t require your products/services anymore?
- What if your main source of leads dries up?
- What if your main marketing strategy stops working?
- What if your supplier goes out of business?
- What if you don’t have e-books and the bookstore you have your book in goes out of business?
What if, what if, what if? Some people may disagree with my way of thinking and say that I’m being pessimistic and looking at the glass as half empty. Think what you will but this strategy allows me to prepare for the worst and hope for the best; it also allows me to have a plan of action should the crap hit the fan. This way of thinking allows me to feel more in control and that I can handle anything that gets thrown my way because I constantly have a backup plan.
As an author and entrepreneur are you prepared for the worst? Things change constantly and change is the only constant. Be prepared and get to work with new books, new products, new strategies, and new contacts.
X LLB
