In a nutshell, it takes perseverance to succeed as an entrepreneur, but persistance might not always be enough. I have found passion to be the biggest driving force behind successful entrepreneurs. True passion cannot steer you wrong. Which is why I believe the most important advice I could give any up and coming entrepreneurs would be to pursue what they are most passionate about.
In this 5 part series I am sharing my two cents on what I've come to learn over the past 15 years.
Get back on the horse
It is common sense to all of us that we will fail a few times when trying something new. If you're taking a friend out to a skating rink knowing it's her first time attempting ice skating, you are not going to be surprised when she stumbles and falls. In fact, you're going to expect it and you will be helping her up each time, encouraging her to keep trying. It's human nature. Yet, I know so many people that say: "no, business is just not for me" after their first attempt ended poorly. I appreciate that the risks are much higher, but that only means your preparation and planning needs to be much better. In my first post I talk about the importance of planning, but nothing is foolproof, so if things go south you need to get back up and start again with a renewed sense of will.
Surround yourself with people you can trust
You cannot do everything yourself and you should not attempt to either, it is not sustainable and does not allow for growth. If you happen to be a good judge of character, that's great. If not, you might want to read up about this and establish a few procedures whereby you seek out a few character references before making any decisions on hiring someone. This does not only apply to hiring staff, it is equally important to choose the right suppliers for your business. Accountants, lawyers, IT Specialists, whatever your needs are - it helps 10 fold when they are all trustworthy individuals. Needless to say it's of utmost importance to choose the right people when it comes to business partnerships.
Take ownership
Learning to take ownership is a natural part of growing up, but entrepreneurs need to take this to the extreme. If your employee makes a mistake you need to look at the scenario very holistically. You have to get into the habit of asking yourself questions like: "Why was that mistake made?" "What can I do to prevent it from happening again, i.e. what type of procedures and systems can I implement that will stop the employee from being able to make such a mistake?
Establish routines and stick to them
An entrepreneur is a juggler. The secret to not dropping any of the balls is rhythm, but what if your rhythm is constantly being interrupted? In the first post I touch on having to be a master problem solver and the pesky thing about problems are they don't follow schedules they interrupt schedules. Therefor you have to master the art of sticking to routines whilst constantly being interrupted.
Don't let go of your hobbies or sports
Personally I recommend sports. It keeps you fit and healthy - your mind stays sharp and you relieve stress. Emphasis on relieving stress! I think we often overlook the dangers of stress and the busy lifestyle of an entrepreneur does not make this easier. Fortunately there are many ways to relieve stress and I implore you to find your remedies and stick to them at all cost.
Once again I thank you for reading my thoughts and opinions and I hope this will add value to your life. I have quite a bit to say on this subject so I'll most likely be posting the third part of this series very soon. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to leave a comment, I'll get back to you as soon as possible.