How many of you are willing to lie that the first-time at anything significant in your life; was easy? It never is! Least of all, Entrepreneurship!
Let’s be brutally honest here for a second, entrepreneurship is no joke. It is ‘jumping in the dirt, and still coming out clean’ type of hard work! It is not just the physical valor and mental strength at play, but your personal finances, relationships, and everything you hold near & dear gets tested.
So, how do you survive this tumultuous journey all alone? Do you quit easy or do you swim in the ocean of unknown? Are you a seeker or simply an observer? You’ll find out at the end of this article.
5 TIPS TO HELP YOU SURVIVE THE FIRST-YEAR OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP
#1. IF YOU DREAM, STAND BY IT
The first thing you must imbibe is to thoroughly understand the mindset of an entrepreneur. Setting up a business is not entrepreneurship, besides that is very easy to do. You cannot decide to be an entrepreneur overnight, it is something you are, and it is defined clearly only when you stand by your dreams. An entrepreneur does not dream to be rich or famous, he (or she) dreams to find the real meaning of success and be the best version of themselves. Strive to learn, and dare to protect your idea, go to the extreme lengths to test your knowledge and skill and never lose hope of success, that’s the correct entrepreneurial spirit.
#2. STICK TO YOUR GOALS
A person of faith or strong belief sticks by it. There is nothing you can tell/show them to alter what they conceive to be the truth. Although it might be very ignorant of them, in the sense of entrepreneurial ambition, it is not so bad. The belief of an entrepreneur arises from following a strict routine that’s set to conquer everyday goals to get one step closer to achieving their dream.
A real entrepreneur sets short-term goals and, follows up on them. Time yourself, give yourself a deadline and make it happen. If you fail, take a second hit at it, and make sure you do better this time. Success is not an end result, instead, it is a consistent outcome of a systematically planned set of everyday activities.
You can use these apps to be alerted of your goals.
#3. LIVE LIFE, KING SIZE? WRONG!
If you spend the day on a bed, sheltered under a comfortable roof, with an air conditioner, you will probably not get too far ahead with your business ideas.
Although comfort is not necessarily an enemy to creativity, it is, however, a spark for laziness.
Whatever it is you are wanting to sell to your target audience, has to be extremely practical, don’t you agree? And, practicality does not come out of comfort, but it comes out of extreme desperation, and often times, poverty.
If you’ve been blessed with money but want to make it out on your own, then leave your comfort and experience a meager life. Your life experiences will make you a mature entrepreneur which will bear good results in the long run.
#4. Eat Healthy Get Fit
You’ve probably heard it a lot of times. It is the motto of a lot of businesses today, no matter where you look, everybody is talking about healthy living and getting into shape.
It is time you joined the league and did it for the right reasons. Most out there do it to get noticed, but a select few do it for themselves, be the latter.
The fitter you are, the better are your chance of being noticed by an investor. The psychology is, if you devote time, attention and patience in your physique, it is almost certain that you would give your best shot at making your project look fantastic, as well. In fact, it is safe to say that building a presentable look only raises your profile, never diminishes it.
#5. Go After Your First Client
Once your product is ready, what you now need is a client to test it on. This client may not be your first or your last, but he/she will certainly be someone who will point out the flaws in your product.
But, say the client likes something about you and gives you a chance, you must be ready to treat them as they deserve it. Most entrepreneurs are never ready for this phase and end up making a mess out of things.
Your first client means a lot to you and your company, so make sure you do not take them for granted. But, also do not be a pushover. State your expectations and listen to theirs, and then come to an understanding. That’s the real mark of an entrepreneur.
