Do you find yourself with too much month at the end of the money?  Have you accumulated too much debt?  Do you have a child that needs money for college?  Do you have a shortfall in retirement account?  If you answered yes to any of these questions, what are you willing to sacrifice to make more money, pay off your debts, save for college, or retire with dignity?  The answer to that question is not easy and even if you are willing to sacrifice a lot, how to do you decide what to do?

What if you committed yourself to building a business?  What would like commitment look like?  The answer to these questions is different for everyone, but there are some important considerations.  The first consideration is how fast you need to take care of the issue.  Are you in desperate financial condition now or can you see that an income stream will be ending in the future?  Are you debts affecting your ability to get a loan or costing you a great deal in fees and interest?  How old are your kids?  How soon do you need to retire? The more urgent the problem, the more you may have to sacrifice to get things going quickly.  There is a direct correlation between the amount of time you spend on the business and the rate of growth.

Can you carve out the time consistently to work your business (as well as be somewhat flexible when opportunities may arise)?  Are you willing to sacrifice time with your family, your friends for a month, six months, a year?  Is that sacrifice worth the financial gain?  We all know money isn’t everything, but when money issues are so pressing that they are constantly occupying your thoughts and actions, they are already interfering with your life.  What is worth to you to not have those worries?

Finding a business that you can build with consistent effort takes some shopping around.  Ideally you want to work with someone that understands you financial goals and will help you achieve them. Find a company that offers you proven systems and assistance (in the form of training or other support).  Don’t be afraid to spell out what you are looking for over the next month, six months, or year in terms of income.  Find out of those are realistic financial goals with this particular company.

There are great opportunities out there but, like all investments, they do take a little homework.  Making the sacrifice of time and effort for a short time can pay off in your quality of life in the long run.  As Beverly Sills said “You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don’t try.”