Dad’s Advice

So I’m back after quit awhile.  Something happened to me that most new entrepreneurs will experience sooner or later.  It’s not fun to re-live, but let me give you the highlights.

As we’ve talked about many times before, drop shipping is so great because you can start part-time and see how things go before taking the big plunge into totally working for yourself.  Of course, I’ve always meant that you give your employer the time and attention required, then do your drop ship business in your free time (nights, weekends, etc.).  Which, of course, is what I’ve always done.

So, my employer “found out” about my part time endeavors.  I do say “found out” because honestly, I didn’t tell them.  I felt it was wrong to use my job to promote my part-time stores.  So literally not one co-worker or customer of mine even new I had my drop ship stores or blogs.  I felt, even to this day, that this was the epitome of integrity.  Had I been talking about my stores to anyone and everyone, THAT would have been a conflict of interest, something that I worked so hard to avoid.

So I got pulled into big meetings with important people and proceeded to spill my guts.  I told them the time I spend, what work is required, whether or not I was using company resources.  I was honest with everything.  Their main concern was that my endeavors looked like large operations that took up a great deal of my time.  (incidentally: what a complement.  Little old me, working evenings and weekends had accomplished what every small entrepreneur hopes to; looking big, even though I am not).

So legal got involved (this is a fortune 500 after all) and it was determined that I had not violated any company policies or conduct codes.  I was, however, asked to stop writing Drop Ship Digest while under their employ as it posed a “certain concern”.  I complied, even took the blog down for quite awhile until I left that company.  I stayed with the company awhile longer, but then left after finding something better.  It’s been eight months since I left that company by my own will, and I’m finally ready to start writing on this blog again.

For those of you that have read me in the past, you know that I have much more integrity than to disclose what company that was, or any real details, so please don’t ask.  I’m just happy to be moving forward.

So how does dad’s advice fit into all of this?  When I was at my lowest point of depression and stress, my father said something to me that I will never forget.  And it’s a good lesson for all of us.  He told me that everyone who has ever tried to do something different has been knocked down at some point or another by people who are afraid or don’t understand.

The moral of this story is, of course, that starting a new business, be it drop ship or something else, is certainly not the norm for most people.  And all of us will come across those people who tell us not to; or tell us we’re crazy; or tell us we’re stupid to try.  They’ll tell us we’ll never make it, and we’re wasting our time.  Or we might come across the folks who threaten, judge, and prey on your venerabilities.

It has always been my driving motivation that I didn’t want to be an old man who always wanted to start his own business; but never tried.

If a new business is one of your goals, I feel drop shipping is a nice thing to try.  But whatever it is, you’ll never know unless you try.  I’m still here, my businesses are open, and I feel stronger for it.

Here’s to a successful future, and remember: don’t let the bastards get you down.

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