That is what Jason Markow had in mind when he started #FAILweek. He wanted businesses to look at their failures not for the failure, but for what can be learned from it. And in encouraging people to share failures, the hope is that others who come behind can more easily learn fr0m our mistakes.

The Potential

The failure I am going to share here is only a half failure. It is the story of what could have been, and maybe a little about the potential that is still there.

I little over a year ago, I was just getting going with my blog and was getting more and more active on Twitter. I still didn’t really know anybody on Twitter. That all changed when I sent out a tweet something to the effect of “I feel like an idea wrangler.” This tweet was read by Neal Rohrbach, a truly amazing and creative guy. Something about what I said hit home with him. We had “met” prior to this on a Twitter chat called #sbbuzz and had gotten along. So Neal, being the go-getter that he is, got inspired and registered a domain name. IdeaWranglers.com wasn’t available, so he registered IdeaAnglers.com instead. The rest, as they say, is history.

When Neal let me know what he did on a whim, I was surprised and excited. At the time, I was also buying up all kinds of domains and dreaming of the businesses that I was going to start with them. In Neal,  I found someone with similar passions, and most importantly, the same heart to help others, especially entrepreneurs. So when I found out what he did, I naturally said, okay, lets see where this takes us.

Where it took us was a partnership. We wanted to develop Idea Anglers to be a site that helped small business owners. We wanted to make money at the same time. A membership site seemed to be the natural fit. So Neal created a site and a great logo (he is a graphic designer, among other things). I brainstormed concepts. We pre-launched and immediately got some good traction. Everyone liked the idea, or more accurately, the story of two strangers meeting on Twitter and launching a business.

The Failure

The idea was the problem. We never really nailed down exactly what we wanted to do. I take the blame for this, since that was primarily my department. I tend to have too many ideas. Turns out, I needed the kind of help that Idea Anglers would eventually offer. Unfortunately, I needed it before Idea Anglers was there to help.

What we ended up with was two very creative people trying to build a broad-based solution for entrepreneurs. We never found the kind of focus we needed, I now realize. Secondly, we both had full time jobs plus side projects we were already working on. We were very busy, so we didn’t have the kind of time we needed to get things launched. So very little time plus not knowing what to focus on when we did find the time meant we couldn’t push it forward fast enough. The fact that we pushed it as far as we did is a testament to what can be accomplished when you work together on something with shared passion.

There were lots of good things. Neal and I got along really well, and still do. I found out that you can really establish meaningful friendships with people that you meet online. Also, it is possible to meet business partners online. Knowing that, what we should have done was narrowed down a focus really fast and then sought to bring more people in to help run things, people who had more time and more focused expertise.

The Education

Idea Anglers is not dead. It is just on vacation. Neal has a great new job that keeps him even busier than before. I am trying to build a business of my own, plus grow this blog. Idea Anglers still fits into my vision of helping small businesses, but it will play a very specific role when I am ready for it.

The lessons I learned are many.

First of all, there is nothing wrong with trying. I got a great friendship out of this. I also saw how opportunities can open up if you just go after them.

Second, it is possible to build meaningful relationships online. My goal this year is to increase those friendships and build on the ones that I have started.

Third, collaboration is better than working at something alone. Idea Anglers would have never gone anywhere if it was just an idea in my head. By bouncing things back and forth with another party, you can move things forward. The key is to have a focus and goals.

Going from here, I have plans. Perhaps too many plans, still. I appreciate more the importance of focus, so I am focusing on fewer things. I want to help small businesses in a lot of ways, perhaps eventually having a full-service coaching/consulting agency. But for now, I am just focusing on one area where I can be of service, helping small businesses with web sites and online marketing. Of course, I am also focusing on this blog and making it better and more dynamic.

I am also going to explore collaboration more and get better at reaching out. I value things like Twitter so much more when I am having meaningful interactions there. I want to build on that. I still want to build some things with other people. This time, however, I am going to go in with a plan and spend time up front building a focus and specific goals.

And maybe there is one more lesson. Neal and I are both very creative. We thrive on the ideas. If we wanted to build a membership site, what we should have done was bring in an expert in that. A good expert can really help you focus your ideas and broad thoughts, no matter what they are. When you are having trouble moving forward, but you know you have good ideas, I really suggest getting some expert help.

So that is my story of failure. It wouldn’t be a good story if there wasn’t something to learn from it. How have you used failure as a learning tool for success? Because that is all failure is, another tool that you can use to build your dreams. Its nothing to be afraid of, really.

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Bradford Shimp helps small businesses build web sites and online presence. Follow him on Twitter @bradfordshimp.

In this special inaugural edition of the podcast, I talk to Jason Markow about the project he is running this week called #FAILweek. Throughout the week, participants are encourage to blog about their biggest failures. Instructions on how to participate are located at bit.ly/FAILweek.

Why talk about failure? Because it is an important aspect of success. #FAILweek is about stories of failing, but then doing something about it. It is an exciting project that is sure to get participants thinking about failure and help all of us begin to normalize the idea of failure so we don’t have to be so afraid of it. To get good at failure is to know when to call it quits, when to change direction, and to develop the skills to adapt quickly. All of this leads to success in the end.

Jason Markow runs the think (here) Blog at JasonMarkow.com. He was inspired to start #FAILweek because of his own recent failure with an angel investment backed web-based startup. You can read his story or failure and what he’s doing about it, along with the stories of other participants, at bit.ly/FAILweek.

Next Episode

Join me this Friday for an interview with Desiree Scales, owner of Bella Web Design. We discuss how she started her own business, how she runs it with a loose team style approach, and we also get her advice to small business owners on social media.

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Call for Interviews: I am looking to interview business owners, authors, experts, and interesting people on a regular basis. If you would like to tell your story on this podcast, please contact me.

Credits: This podcast was recorded using Skype and Pamela. Thanks to Joe Magennis and Desiree Scales for technical advice. Music by Kevin MacLeod. Editing done with Audacity.

The Dreamer

If you are an individual who wants to create a business, and you already have an idea, there is only one thing to do. Try. You may not have a clue how to succeed, but what can you learn from doing nothing? The experience of failing is far more instructive and useful then that of sitting.

Sure, maybe you are preparing. Read books, blogs, the horoscope for all I care. I believe in all of that (well, not horoscopes). But at some point, you just need to get out there and try. Otherwise, you will just have theory and no place to apply it.

Don’t be afraid of failure. Instead, fear doing nothing. If you have a passion, pursue it. You’ll pick up all the education you need along the way. And if you find that, indeed, you aren’t cut out to run your own business, then at least you will know.

The Owner

If you already own a business, your idea may take you in a different direction. It may not just stretch you, but your entire business. Its funny, but the person who took a risk and then was successful to start a business often has a harder time taking more risks on new ideas. Thats because its not just a job. There’s payroll, debt, and responsibility up the wazoo.

I don’t advocate just changing the direction of your company overnight. If your new idea has nothing to do with your current business, you need to either find a partner who can do much of the heavy lifting, or, if it really ignites your passion, either sell or systematize your current business enough to run without you.

But don’t let these hurdles stop you from trying. Many of your ideas will be related to your current business, but will take it in a new direction. Try them out. They’ll work or they won’t. You won’t improve your business without trying. One of those ideas could be a game-changer. But you won’t know until you have risked failing with it.

Get Your Education

So stop wasting good ideas by doing nothing with them. Push them, even if just a little. Learn if they are viable, if you can sustain your passion, and if you can succeed. Theory doesn’t help you here, just application. So get out and risk something. You’ll be amazed at what you can learn just from trying.

Bradford Shimp also helps small businesses succeed at BroadRiverCreative.com.