Planning Something Epic? Make It Happen

by Andy Amick on March 1, 2012

in Cycling, Personal

How many times have you dreamed of starting your own business or planning an epic ride only to have another year slip by without accomplishing that dream.  It’s time to make those dreams happen because they won’t happen by themselves.

 

Too often, we come up with excuses as to why something can’t be done rather than coming up with the energy to make it happen (or as Jenny Blake says Make Sh*t Happen).  I have my share of dreams, but last March I made one of those become a reality.

 

Happy Birthday Pale Spruce!

One year later and I'm so happy to make the jump

It was 1 year ago today that Pale Spruce was started.  I thought it would be appropriate to celebrate the first year of my big project by helping other people get their big projects started.  That could be starting your own company or planning an epic cycling event.

 

Doing something big is not all fun and games, but the effort is worth it.  Think back to how you felt when you graduated or after you finished your first big ride.  The feeling of accomplishment at the end of a long road makes all the hard work, ups, downs, and even the sideways or backwards all worth it.

“Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checked by failure…than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.”

Theodore Roosevelt

 

Start a business

Today is a great day to start your business

Did you know that it only takes an hour or two to officially start that business you have been thinking about?  Most states allow you to file your paperwork online in a matter of minutes.  I still remember the afternoon that I started Pale Spruce.  After meeting with an accountant at lunch time to verify I was going about things the right way, I had an LLC formed and registered within an hour all from the comfort of my own home.

 

You need to do some research and planning before actually setting up the business so that you setup the correct type of entity.  Luckily, there are a ton of resources online to help you out.  Here a few that I have used:

SBA.gov 5 steps to registering your business

NOLO Business, LLCs, and Corporation resources

How To Set Up a Limited Liability Company (LLC)

How to Setup an LLC in Minutes Without an Attorney

Colorado.gov Business Express

How To Setup Your Own Software Development Company

 

When you’re ready to setup, you have several choices for how it’s done.  You can do all of the steps yourself and pay just the filing fees.  Or you could go through one of the many online incorporation sites (LegalZoom, MyCorporation, etc) and they take care of the paperwork and filing fees for an additional charge.  Lastly, you could hire a local attorney.  If you are starting a single person company, and you are of the Make Your Own Gear mindset, do it yourself.

 

All of the research and forms come down to 3 steps:

  1. Register the business with your state.  The Colorado system even lets you generate all organization documents for an LLC from their website.  Other states probably do this as well.
  2. Get a Federal Tax ID (EIN).  You’ll need this to purchase items wholesale and also for filing taxes.
  3. Setup a Sales Tax Id in your state, if needed.

 

After that, you’re in business!  You have to setup your website and get products, but that stuff is easy once you get the momentum going.

 

Epic rides

Get out and ride.  Go plan your epic ride today

This is an even easier process to get started.  Simply make your goal public by either registering with the event or telling your friends and family the day you will be taking off on your epic ride.  Once it’s out there, you WILL be motivated to plan, train, and prepare for that ride.

 

It could be doing your first century ride, a beginner mountain bike race, a multi-day stage race, riding across the country, or even trying to ride your bike to work once a week.  If it’s epic for you and where you are in your cycling, then announce it and make it happen.

 

Go now and go big

Don’t let another year or even another week go by without making those dreams a reality.  Taking that first step is the hardest and scariest one, but just make yourself do it.  You won’t regret it later.

About Andy Amick
A little bit nutty in general, a lotta bit nutty about bikes. Each of his boys received a bike helmet for their first birthday and the three of them have been biking together ever since.

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