In June 2006 I started with a single matchstick and now, eleven trades later, I have a Mobile Lifestyle Makeover to trade on… 

I set out with this moonlighting project to get office space, to share with start-ups and run my coaching practice from.

Now with COVID, the need for offices has changed.  So much has actually changed since I started in 2006.

Just as COVID hit us, over a year ago, I had just got some blocks out the way that were preventing me from focusing on onematchstick.  And then I’ve been in a puzzling spot since.  But this year, I have committed to end onematchstick.  This is my one courageous goal for ’22. 

The starting point is re-evaluating my end goal of office space.

Do I still go for office space, even when I am now fully online with my coaching offering, and not sure how much use an office space would be to would-be start-up entrepreneurs?

Part of my journey before lockdown happened, was that I did some deep thinking and research and asking key people what was missing in the start-up world, (specifically in South Africa). I was asking because the start-up ecosystem has changed so much since that day in June 2006 when I started onematchstick.

What I came up with are these points:

  • There are many good business incubators now that support start up entrepreneurs (not that I wanted to start an incubator, but they fill a big need in the entrepreneur start-up phases)
  • There are many co-working spaces, and shared and serviced office space available which were not around in 2006.
  • But what is missing, or not obvious at least, and what might be of value is the small “space” that comes just before someone has started an actual business.  It’s like the “conception” phase of the business idea.  The space of searching for a business idea and then taking the leap to actually start it.

And the area I have come to specialise in my coaching is the courage to take that leap.  I have come to undstand quite a bit about the fear of failure, and how it holds us back from starting something new, or stepping up and out in life and work.

So the gap where onematchstick could be of value is in this conception phase of entrepreneurships, and helping us manage and overcome the fear of failure, finding the courage to start more businesses.

So does that need an office? This is my conundrum.

What might my end goal be for onematchstick, if it is not the office space that some pre-startup-entrepreneurs need and where I might offer to help them bravely start their business ventures?

Help!  I need some ideas about if I should change my end goal for onematchstick? And if so, what to?

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