Well, it's definitely not easy, that much I can guarantee you. In this 5 part series I'm sharing everything I've learnt over the past 15 years of being involved in start-ups, rescuing near-failing businesses and starting my own businesses from the ground up. Take a look at my blog for the first two posts if you haven't read them yet.
Feed your imagination
Creativity is key. Problem solving begins with creative thinking and, as I keep mentioning, "entrepreneur" might as well be a fancy word for "problem solver". Creativity also leads to innovation which is equally as important - the only way to stay ahead of your competition is to keep innovating. I find that reading really helps to keep the creative juices flowing. I particularly love my Twitter feed. I've subscribed to a whole lot of interesting blogs and as they promote their best articles on Twitter I sift through them all and pick the ones I'd like to read when I take a break during the day.
Think and take notes often
Great ideas come at the most unexpected times. Allow your mind to wonder - when you're stuck in traffic, taking the bus or train, waiting in a lobby for a meeting to start etc. Start thinking about your challenges and what you could do to resolve them. Then write all your thoughts down. Keep a notepad handy or take notes on your smartphone. Maybe you prefer voice recordings, whatever suits you, as long as you are able to go through it all later. It doesn't matter if you end up with a list as long as your arm full of silly ideas, there's bound to be some treasures hidden in there that you can turn into actionable points to add value to you or your business.
Find and approach people you can learn from
When I started my first business I was still working a full-time dayjob. Fortunately I traveled to a lot of clients on a daily basis. I seeked out the clients who I knew were business owners that were doing very well for themselves and, after assisting them with the services that I was being paid to do, I would start explaining to them how I'm starting up my own business and that I'd really appreciate it if they could give me some advice. People, especially successful people, love talking about themselves and their accomplishments. If you're willing to listen, and ask the right questions, you will definitely learn a great deal from the right people.
Keep your feet on the ground
One of the biggest problems with being egotistical is that it stifles growth. Why would you feel the need to learn more if you "already know everything"? It basically blocks everything that is so important for growth. You have to try your hardest each day to break bad habits - to be self centered is a bad habit. It is much easier to get along with modest people and entrepreneurs are bound to succeed quicker and easier if they are likable characters.
Be brave but not reckless
Fortune favours the brave, but an entrepreneur needs to know the difference between being brave and being reckless. The point is not to be afraid of taking calculated risks. Most people can think of a million reasons why an idea just wouldn't work and that is why the idea wouldn't work, for them. If you spend your time diligently planning your project and you build a positive outlook around it you are more likely to succeed. Even if the plan fails, you can have a positive, productive attitude towards it by looking at what caused the failure and planning your next project with that in mind. Learning from your mistakes turns those mistakes into valuable resources, but if you don't learn from your mistakes they simply remain liabilities.
Once again I hope that this post can add some value to some entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs out there. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask me in the comments, I'd be happy to assist further. All the best to you and your ventures.
(All images from unsplash.com)