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Post by Deleted on Oct 27, 2009 14:56:32 GMT
Hello all!!!
I'm looking for a short-term mentor, who would be kind enough to donate just a few hours of their time by email or phone in order to support me (morally) in the conclusion of a vital project I've undertaken.
I am a 41 yr old male living in London, England, with inattentive ADD. I was diagnosed in August this year after a lifetime of failed plans and wasted potential.
Ever since I can remember I have been told how bright I am, and what a shame it is that I am just so lazy and such a rebel.
The jobs I have had, started off in a blaze of glory and then faded into frustration and lack of motivation and finally, me walking out. I can only really deal with short-ish projects, at which I normally excel.
My mind has always worked at a 1000 mph and I have always been easily distractible and had loads of genuinely great ideas with no follow-through, only to see them brought into reality some time later by others. I didn't realise I was different from others, I just thought they had more self-discipline (which I suppose they did, without my “condition”).
So after all these years imagining myself a hare, just waiting for things to click into place and for me to learn to fully focus, all of the tortoises are now nearing the finish line. Now I find that there is no job market at all for reformed, middle-aged hares who missed the road.
After much reflection I realised that it would be impossible for me to adapt to the role of employee (assuming anyone would employ me), it would only lead to endless frustration on both sides. I realised the best thing for me to do is to concentrate on my strengths (business ideas and niches) and to try to develop the tools to enable me to make it to the end.
I have always seen myself as an entrepreneur, but I realise that I lack that most essential ingredient – focus. It's funny because entrepreneurs don't actually have to be very creative, not all their ideas are revolutionary. But if you are extremely creative and not at all focused – you'll get nowhere and it'll take forever to get there.
Anyway, I have come up with a wonderful business idea with truly global potential and I've written a very comprehensive business plan. It's the best idea I have ever had and I have worked harder on it than I have on anything else in my life. It is almost ready to meet the world. Now I'm at the very final stages and I'm having to work on all sorts of financial forecasts and ratios in order to submit it to a business angel. Maths was always my worst subject at school and I'm struggling with them and I can now feel my motivation waning.
I would never forgive myself if I falter now, after all these months of work. That is why I am hoping you will volunteer to email, sms or call me every now and then to give me a little encouragement, to discuss the next steps and check that I have made some progress.
If you have any experience at all of financial forecasting, or business plans that would be great, but not essential. I just need to report my progress to someone supportive and make sure that I finish these projections, re-check the plan and then pitch it to the business angel. I would hope to have achieved this within 2-4 weeks.
Please email me at abiyecole@hotmail.com if you can spare a little time, to potentially make a massive difference in the life of my family and I.
All the best....
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Post by Deleted on Oct 27, 2009 16:52:24 GMT
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Post by andy12345 on Oct 27, 2009 19:24:45 GMT
Hello abc, As someone who has been there and partially involved once with that sort of idea, I am instantly cynical. I have watched enough dragons den to last a lifetime. So I hope you have asked yourself all sorts of questions? truly global potential? In this day and age? Patent protection? Profit margin? Production facility location? QUality of product reliability of production? Do you have to trust people that you don't know to facilitate it? does it need efficacy testing or trials? How easy to demonstrate its concept? Is it physical or software or support based? and more but I don't need to go any further. These are questions you can ask yourself if you have not already. I hope that you have
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Post by Deleted on Oct 28, 2009 9:32:51 GMT
Hey Andy12345 Thanks for your reply and you are absolutely right about overestimating potentials and underestimating difficulties. Fortunately, my idea is not a physical "product" so many of those problems don't apply. Many do though and I have thought through as many as I can. All I can say is that the global potential would depend on successful smaller scale, local operations and could then expand through extra finance and then franchising. Patent protection would not be possible in any real sense, but its originality backed up by a strong market presence and excellent trade-marked branding should serve to protect it as much as is possible. I also agree about Dragon's Den. As far as I'm concerned if the only way you can raise finance for a product is to throw yourself at the feet of a bunch of wannabe celebrities, under inequitable terms, then your idea might not have the legs you think it does. Having said that, I'll consider going on there once I have already arranged additional financing, simply for the high-level of exposure to customers and the media that comes with it. No amount of good advice, bitter experience or realism is going to is going to stop me from planning to maybe one day, actually make some steps towards making some progress on procrastinating less with this potential idea....
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Post by andy12345 on Oct 28, 2009 15:30:20 GMT
Good response lol. You'll go far.
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Post by johnnywhizzbang on Oct 28, 2009 22:42:17 GMT
Hello ABC, first can I start by saying that for a minute when reading your post I thought I must have written it and forgotten that I had! That is to say everything except the 'having an idea' part. I am 45 and just diagnosed. Made redundant in April (a in hind sight I use that term loosely) and in an impossible situation now. I work at a senior level Area / Operations / regional manager. I've got time on my hands so if I can help I will. Thanks again for your post because it reallysums me up....may need to quote from it if thats ok. lol
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Post by Deleted on Nov 3, 2009 11:43:40 GMT
Hi abc, You might try ADHD Coaching? An ADHD Coach would help you understand how your particular ADD affects you and work with you to figure out strategies and systems to help you overcome your challenges and play to your strengths. I'm similar age to you (47) and have run and set up several successful companies (IT) over the years. Like you however I did struggle with focus and with ADHD issues that caused me problems in work. I am now an ADHD Coach and could coach you to help with your planning, organisation and focus? Happy to have a complimentary phone coaching session if you wish. Call me on 020 8816 7752 or checkout my site: www.simplywellbeing.com/adhd-coach-executives-adhdRegards Andrew
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