Why are you even bothering to start a business? Go and get a job, its what you really want isn’t it?
I was thinking today about all of the businesses we have helped, during their set up period and all of those that are still successful. This also got me to thinking about those, that I thought had a great idea, would make a great go of it and be the business that would be the next best thing.
It was thinking about this that I realised, over the years I’ve noticed how adept some would-be entrepreneurs are at making sure they never succeed. The problem is they waste precious time drowning themselves in useless time wasting efforts and over-think minutiae trying to solve problems they themselves create. In my opinion, the key to becoming successful at anything – your job, your career, or your own business – is not rocket science.
It’s finding what you’re good at – what you love doing – learning how to do it better than anyone else, and then doing it. That’s what separates real entrepreneurs from the pack.
Being a successful business leader
To be more specific, this is what successful business leaders do ,that those that want to be entrepreneurs, usually don’t, and vice versa. They do whatever it takes to get the job done. This is how I will back it up a bit. For one thing, they have a job. Their work is the most important thing in their lives, or at least a close second to family. They don’t worry about work-life balance. And when it comes to their work, they’re flexible, adaptable, and geographically mobile. Nothing stands in their way. They don’t wait around for opportunities to just happen.
Maybe it’s a cliché to tell people to go out and create their own opportunities and make things happen, but that doesn’t make it less true. It’s wonderful to have dreams of making it big someday, but if you don’t actually do anything to make that happen, it won’t. Real entrepreneurs are doers. They don’t believe in the holy grail of not doing or trying.
Have you got the wits?
While it’s definitely good to be driven and optimistic,business success doesn’t come from the strength of will alone. Your strengths, weaknesses, circumstances, and behaviour all play significant roles in the outcome. The best way to become successful is to genuinely understand what’s holding you back. Successful entrepreneurs are always grounded in reality.
Most entrepreneurs or successful business leaders follow their own path, not someone else’s. They don’t overthink it by worrying about what others think, say, or do. Truth is, nobody else has a clue about what you should be doing and how you should be doing it.
Besides, don’t you think you should be figuring that out for yourself through your own experience in the real world? They listen to smart, accomplished people they know and trust.
They’re disciplined about their goals and priorities. Granted, we all want to be happy and have fun, but screwing around when you should be working accomplishes neither. On the contrary, it holds you back, big-time.
Mental discipline
They don’t take handouts … ever. Sure, we all squeeze our parents when we’re kids, but once we reach adulthood, it’s time to pay the bills with money we earn. All safety nets do is sap our self-reliance and ability to make it on our own. If you need money to start and grow your business, get to work and find or create investment, not handouts. They don’t whine and make excuses. Complaining, making excuses, and blaming others are all victim behaviours intended to absolve us of responsibility for situations we’re solely responsible for.
Nobody can or will make your life better but you. If you act like a victim, you’ll always be one. They know business is about business. Successful entrepreneurs know that business is about the value proposition their products deliver to customers. It’s not about them.
Granted, it’s a lot easier to pump your head full of nonsense and simply make believe things are going to work out for you someday than it is to be disciplined, focused, and realistic about what it takes to make it in the world. Believe me, I know how hard it is to work and give your everything, doing the right things, day in and day out.
But trust me when I tell you it’s the only way to someday build a business you can be proud of.
The choice is yours.
Start Now.
