Common startup problems and how to stay motivated.

Progress in times of difficulty

It's been a few weeks and Project J.A.R.S. has hit a few snags. Like all startups problems arrive when our personal lives counter our dedication to completing business ventures. We have had members come and go, teams built and teams broken. The Project J.A.R.S. team members are not unlike the people, teams and small businesses we support. We are going through growing pains, and like all startups these pains can set you back, bring your project to a halt, or inspire you to move forward. Project J.A.R.S. is moving forward although we had to change gears to make our progress more productive.

As many of you know we have been looking for software developers and supporters to help with certain aspects of Project J.A.R.S. because let's face it no one can do it all. Like every startup in the history of the world we have encountered the following issues let's see if you can relate:

• Managing work and Home: any business venture, entrepreneurial idea requires commitment. It requires balance of family and business which in itself is a job. The managerial staff and team members all have lives outside our current project and from time to time they come into conflict. If your working on a bootstrap budget you know this can be a serious issue when trying to pay a mortgage, car insurance, college tuition, babysitters, etc.with all that the pressure is intense and can spread into your project causing stress that spreads across your team.                                                                           
• Solution: Break out the calender and start rescheduling parts of your projects, stretch out non-critical completion dates. Take time to step away from the project to complete family responsibilities first, work responsibilities etc then come back to your project. You will have better focus and less interruptions which will allow you to complete your project task.                      
• Trying to do it alone: you cannot I..... repeat you cannot run a project by yourself. It may seem cost effective but its actually more discouraging than anything else. If you are experiencing the problems discussed in bullet one then I can guarantee you are going to be very stressed and get very little done. It's a good idea to ask for help, add some team members or partners to your project or business idea.                                                            
• Example: Lawyers, and accountants will always keep you from making common business mistakes people make when doing it by themselves. These types of professionals are work as needed only and they will protect your interest legally and financially.                                         
• Money: The major reason most startups and small businesses fail is because of the lack of funding and bad money management. If you are planning to get a loan, then here is a piece of advice, make sure your loan covers the worst case scenario, not what you think you will need to be successful the successful one. Why? well when getting funding and I am using a loan as example people only request what they will need if their idea is a success, but as you know most projects hit set backs, rental cost , insurance issues, legal issues, payroll shortages, product or services are not ready for the projected completion date, same products or services bring in less ROI than you originally thought...shall I go on?                                                                                                                        
• Solution: Plan out as much of your project as possible, research your idea the profitability of your idea. Audit yourself, and plan your finances accordingly, I cannot stress this point enough because there is always going to be a setback or a ton of setbacks when starting on a new venture. Here at Project J.A.R.S. we have had many setbacks, and without careful planning we would have folded before we even got a started. Money is a crucial tool in business and like any tool if not managed correctly you will hurt yourself or others will hurt you if you are not prepared. Planning for the worst case scenario allows you to have capitol for those emergencies or unexpected expenses that arise removing the stress of trying to find that last $5,000.00 dollars you needed for say production or licensing. Its a good idea to think your project through before starting it helps on the long road to success.

Staying Motivated

Project J.A.R.S. is on course for success, we have made some changes to management staff and reset completion dates in order to make sure when we role out OneConTec that we are prepared to service our many members. We do not want to hype up our services and deliver junk. We have had meetings with our advisors and team members which produced solutions to many of our internal problems. Project J.A.R.S. is motivated by the bootstrap community and their support. We feel the energy of success and it has helped us in ways that I cannot put into words. Removing negative opinion, and following the examples of those who came before us fuels our desire to deliver.

We would like to thank +Natasha Green creator of the #theSalon  +Carlos Romero CPirate Radio and Ikohaus Digital Art +Saul Fleischman and #Ritetag and all the members of The Women in Tech Community and The Startup Bootstrappers Community on Google and all of our mebers and friends who support our efforts. You keep us honest and working hard and we can't ask for more than that.