How to avoid running into brick walls

Starting something, no matter how big or small can be a challenge. It could be the joy of painting your bedroom or your amazing start-up idea that is going to make you millions. Whatever it might be the chances are you are going to hit a few brick walls trying to turn your idea into reality.

​At Iridescent we spend a lot of time helping people cultivate business ideas, whether it is individuals trying to start up or established organisations trying to diversify with new projects or creating social enterprise trading arms.  We often seem to see two groups of people:
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• The people who plan, plan, plan, and plan some more;  they plan so much that they have the tendency to put themselves off the idea for fear of failure.
• Those who just take the plunge, take the risk and just do it, with little to no planning or concern of what ‘could possible go wrong.

As business advisers it is a test to know how best to nurture the different approaches. Both have a place and both groups are dedicated to their method. People can struggle to find the ‘uncomfortable’ middle ground. Some planning is good, embracing uncertainty can also be good.

Taking ourselves out of our comfort zones to adapt, learn and change our approach is a challenge and something that many will always struggle to do; the brick walls keep coming.
 
In an ideal world you take the get on with it approach of the ‘doer’ and blend it with the analytical ‘planner’. But finding an individual who has, in equal measure, both attributes is rare. A good idea is to try to find a couple of people with different attributes - those opposite to you. Although of course this could lead to some fireworks along the way!
 
We've advised people with some great concepts that have never been realised. Ideas come and go and brick walls will often halt even the most promising of ventures. So step outside of the comfort zone. Find an unlikely partner. Learn a new skill. Plan a bit. Do a bit. More great innovative ideas will see the light of day and, in the case of social enterprise, change the world for the better.