Here is a question I received from one of my readers the other day:

At the moment, I am creating my business… and am not finished with the creation of income streams through my business. Although I have asked the Universe to receive money, easily & without effort, since I knew I would be in a ‘creative process’ and not generating income through people for a few months. Is this a mistake? I know the Universe works in wondrous ways. Hence, I simply wish to receive money through a source that is different from a ‘work source’. I believe this is feasible. Is it not? My problem is that I ignored how to master receiving money while creating my business. In sum, what would you suggest I do, as an evolving entrepreneur, who wishes to create income streams ASAP? – Lynne

Dear Lynne,

Thanks so much for your questions! There’s actually a few things I’d love to address:

First of all, be careful about asking the Universe for money “without effort.” It’s an unproductive request … because we can only create third-dimensional circumstances through effort. That’s the nature of this physical plane – everything, from sleeping to eating to taking a shower, requires effort. If you are asking for a third-dimensional result “without effort,” you are negating yourself. Money will remain an abstract, fourth-dimensional (i.e. mental) concept that won’t ground itself into your actual bank account.

I know … that’s really annoying! But also, as you’re experiencing, true. There’s no getting out of the effort of creation – not when it comes to the third dimension, and not when it comes to money. Sometimes it may appear that the Universe drops unexpected cash in our laps, but that is only appearance. Somewhere along the way, we took action. And though perhaps the action resulted in a non-linear cash inflow … we still took action.

So, what to do?

Engage with people!

It might be ideal to take a few months off, focus on creating your website and your business …. but you know what? It’s not necessary! (And for most of us, it’s not feasible!) All too often, I see new entrepreneurs take far longer than necessary to create a business infrastructure before they start engaging with actual prospective customers. And since money comes from the Universe via PEOPLE … the longer we take to engage with actual people, the longer the path to income.

How much infrastructure do we really, really need? Much, much less than you think! Because in the end, your clients don’t care about your website, or your marketing materials, or anything like that. They care about their own transformation, and how you can help them with that transformation.

If, right now, I had NO business infrastructure and no financial resources, here’s what I’d do: I’d get a business card made. A free one from VistaPrint, if money is really, really tight. Is it the most professional card? Of course not. But all it really needs to do is give people a way to reach me. Then I would get “out there.” I’d go to any place I can imagine where I get a chance to talk to people – Meetup groups, networking events, Starbucks.

I wouldn’t worry too much about niche. In my case, I’d just try to give as many people readings as will let me! And if that means giving readings at parties, or by donation at a health fair, or at a coffee shop … okay. I’d give mini-readings and upsell from there. I’d worry about niche when I can afford to worry about niche.

I would also collect names and email addresses – even if I don’t have an autoresponder yet, even if I can’t create a pretty email newsletter. And I’d follow up religiously with every single mini-reading customer – more than once, to offer them a “full” reading.

Sure, it would be great to have a website while doing all this, but you know what? You can embed PayPal buttons (free!) right into an email. And heck, if you really needed a “website presence,” there’s always a Facebook page (also free!)

How do I know this works? Because this is essentially how I created my very first business! When I became a massage therapist, I had just finished graduate school and was pretty much living on Ramen noodles. I had paid for all of my massage therapy schooling via credit card and I was maxed out.

The first thing I did was get a temp job so that I could pay my rent. But while I was at that very dull, boring receptionist job, I wrote a simple three-fold brochure about my massage work. Then I went to Kinko’s and invested $60 to have that brochure printed – on the pretty purple paper. That was my big splurge! The brochure wasn’t glossy. It wasn’t pretty. It was PURPLE.

Then I spent the next two weeks plastering that brochure on every public bulletin board I could find. I even went to high-end apartment buildings and put my brochure on peoples’ doors. It was a lot of running around (after hours, because I still had my temp job!), and it certainly wasn’t glamorous. But people started calling. And then clients started referring.

It would have been lovely to have a business mentor at that point, because I had no idea what I was doing. I had no leverage, no systems, no website, nothing. But I had paying clients! Everything else came … later.
All I’m saying is … most infrastructure is more optional than we think. Engaging with people, on the other hand, is not.

Is this the optimal way of starting a business? Of course not. I’m a fan of websites, and decent marketing materials. But all of my business mentoring clients will tell you that I advise them to engage as soon as possible … often before they feel “ready.” But if we’re in a “money now” situation … then infrastructure is a luxury. Fancy autoresponders and branding and marketing materials and information products can wait.

Remember, it’s about you, offering your brilliance and your Divine Gifts to the world, so that you can help others transform their experience.

You already have those Divine Gifts, that brilliance. You really, really do.

Everything else is optional.

You are the Source of you own abundance. All you need is YOU. And I believe in YOU!

Many, many blessings,
Andrea

Filed under: Embrace Your Highest Path and Purpose • Manifest Money • Money and Spirituality

Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!