The most important thing you need to start your own business. Have you got enough of it?

So you want to quit your job huh?! I hear ya sister. I wanted to quit my job for years, but in hindsight for all the wrong reasons.

I wanted to quit because I hated my job. I’ve always loved the people I worked with but the organisations themselves drove me crazy. I worked for the public service and boy was I a square peg in a round hole.

I hated the way decisions were made. I hated the way millions of dollars were wasted on projects that blind freddy could see weren’t going to work, and I hated how slowly things moved. I felt like what I was dong didn’t matter and to be honest I’m pretty sure it didn’t. Let’s face it the public service didn’t exactly shut down when I left.

On the face of it these sound like pretty good reasons to leave right?

But if hating your job is what’s motivating you to start your own business think again.

You need the opposite of hate. You need love, a whole lotta love. Actually to succeed in business you need lots of things, determination, resilience, creativity and some hustle. But most importantly you need to be motivated by love.

I’m not gonna sugar coat it, being in business its the best and the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Maybe like raising kids? And without being head over heels in love with my business there’s no way I could have stuck at it.

So it’s probably lucky I didn’t try and start my own business until I discovered something I really truly loved. For me this happened in the most unlikely of places. In a tiny little teahouse on the edge of the Czech Forrest, I had my first sip of chai. That was it. I was hooked. LOVE at first sip.

Upon returning home from my overseas holiday I had to go back to my job that I hated. Every day at 3pm I’d make chai for everyone in the office. It was the only part of my day that I loved and I started to wonder how I could make this my job. It wasn’t obvious at first. It’s an obscure passion but I have found a way. It’s the love of chai and brightening people’s day that has kept me going through the ups and downs of life in the business lane.

If you’re thinking of a business idea and you don’t love the pants of it, then hang tight. Wait till you are totally gaga before taking the plunge. Chances are if you don’t LOVE it to begin with your won't wanna go the distance so you’re better off waiting for the ONE.

Big Love

Anthea (aka the chai girl)