Had to wait a little longer for this blog, didn’t you? ;)

We spend much of our lives waiting.

Waiting in queues, waiting for things to come in the post, waiting for people who are late to show up for appointments, or even waiting long past our own appointment times for a system to catch up to its commitments. One advantage that writers have is that they can always be catching up on reading or scribble a few notes during these short bursts of otherwise wasted time in the universe. Even without a book or paper and pen we can work out details of a plot in our minds in the odd moment.

The first year of my company’s existence involved a lot of waiting for people to get back to me. Even a negative answer is better than no answer, and the time spent waiting for people who lack the courtesy to give an answer at all can be frustrating.

But sometimes we have to wait a while for that yes answer. Then it all becomes worthwhile.

Three people are making serious efforts to connect with potential investors for my project now, and several others actively throw any leads my way. The network grows. Of the three people, one is my publisher, who has a knack for making contacts. I’ve been waiting some time for a response to his most recent attempt to promote my project. Another is my salesman, who is also salesman to others, and apparently makes a living matching investors to good investments. I’m still waiting for results on his latest batch of potentials.

But if I were betting, my money would be on the third person, my assistant. He’s just a lad, yet he does seem to have a knack for making good contacts and that ‘luck factor’ that means being in the right place at the right time. He reeks of future success. I expect he’ll learn what he can from me and then move farther and open his own company before he’s 25. Who knows, maybe he’ll buy me out eventually.

Last Tuesday, a week ago today, he had an appointment to talk to a potential investor with contacts to other investors. So, Wednesday came and no report. Waiting. Not a good sign in those circumstances, someone who was jumping to write a cheque would result in quick contact. One day followed another, and I began to think of ringing him to see how things went. But of course as soon as I have that thought, I get an email.

He left the written materials with the person and is waiting for a call back from them. It’s someone he sees regularly so an answer one way or the other will come, or perhaps a request to meet with me to answer any questions etc.

So fingers crossed, this could be the one that gets us rolling or one more partial investor. If they don’t lead to enough to roll, we’ll just have to wait a little longer…

You know, one thing I read in a film book still bothers me. Someone had Johnny Depp attached to their film and it never got made because the financing couldn’t be found. What I can’t believe, is that they quit. Some of us never quit, no matter how long it takes. It makes for great stories in the biography later.

Listen to Richard Branson’s autobiography (which is recorded on tape) sometime, it will give you some perspective on the value of persistence.