By George Thompson I’ve been talking to people, and I don’t know if it’s because we’re in the first quarter of a fresh year or if there’s more confidence in the economy, but I’ve seen that many more people are looking to start their own businesses. As a business owner and social entrepreneur, I do believe that’s a great thing.
I’m often asked about my thoughts about starting a brand new venture, and candidly, I love the adrenaline rush, vision driving and strategic development of a brand new business opportunity. If you’ve been contemplating beginning a fresh company, there’s no time like the present to start to get yourself into the entrepreneurial mindset to take into account if it makes sense for you.
If I were talking with someone right now starting off as a new business owner for the very first time, you will find three essential things I would suggest they keep in mind:
Do You Really Wish to Be an Entrepreneur?
The initial question is the toughest, but you’ve got to sit with it for a while. I’ve spoken to numerous people along the way who have started a company, and then have fallen flat on the face and returned to the safe embrace of a 9 to 5 job. Being a business owner is never as “glamorous” as it might appear.
Sure, you’ll have a flexible schedule (on occasion) and are the last decision maker on large and small decisions, but being an entrepreneur is not for everyone. The truth is you’ll never be hard as you do then when you’re a business owner, particularly in the early years. Twelve hours plus days, including weekends, isn’t uncommon.
Being a small business owner means it’s all of you. You might have others working together with you. You may well be one of those leaders who allows his team of professionals to function as the professionals they’re, but as an entrepreneur, your responsibility is to comprehend every section of your business: sales, marketing, legal, finance and accounting, administrative, marketing, research and development, product development, etc. It takes a great deal of time to know all aspects of your company and make certain they’re working correctly. It’s an endless process.
Do You Really Wish to go into Business with Your Friends and Family?
Many times, particularly with small businesses, you will have friends or family unit members opt to go into business together. It makes sense to desire to enter business with people you understand and trust, but do you want to do that? If you have something that comes up, your relationships can be affected.
A good scenario is that one: you’re working 12 hour days and doing great in your regions of responsibility down payment assistance minnesota. Your business partner, and good buddy, perhaps, is not as hard working and as disciplined when you are and so resentment begins to build. That is clearly a recipe for conflict and the likelihood that the business will survive with internal friction exponentially decreases with the increase in tension.
Another possibility is that you never go into business with any friend or family as your partner, but perhaps you choose to hire that same good buddy to be among your first employees as you trust him. Again, what happens if he’s not putting in the hours or work that you believe is required for business success? There has been countless samples of business owners who partnered or hired friends or family only to stay a situation where in actuality the business has suffered (as well because the relationship) because of anything from work styles to fraud. It’s very tough to separate your organization from your relationships without potentially ruining them.
Determine if You’re the Cupcake Baker or the Business Owner
Many people have an interest for something in their lives, and that’s great. Perhaps they love making cupcakes, or they love music and want to market instruments. Whatever can be your passion or interest, when you yourself have one, you will not be only doing that work. As the business enterprise owner, the absolute most crucial section of your organization is just a vision, sales, etc. And the trail the business as organized in your business plan.
If you like painting and you determine to start a paint shop, you won’t be spending every day painting. You will spend your day selling paint, coping with customers and managing the books. Same goes for cupcakes or even widgets. The business enterprise owner that wants to grow their company is not going to be baking cupcakes exclusively but also running the business.
If you’re looking to develop, you’ve got to focus on the full total “business.” As a company owner, the cupcake making, painting, music or widget making will be only 1 element, but it’s definitely not the “business.” The business enterprise may be the promotion of your product, the price point, finances, customers, check out, accounts receivables and payables, and payroll, etc.
In conclusion, don’t get me wrong. For me personally, I wouldn’t change anything in the world for my entire life as an entrepreneur. I enjoy being a business owner and digging into all components of my companies and brands. It’s invigorating, exciting and no day is the same. Any business owner will show you, however, that the points mentioned earlier are essential for seeing if the entrepreneurial path is genuinely everything you want.
Lorenzo Billie 
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