Owning and running a business is no easy task for everyone. In this day and age, it’s much more important to chase your passion than just getting a regular job. For some, starting up a company is more than just another source of income. It is a challenge, a goal, a destiny to be fulfilled.
Entrepreneurs are people who think differently, loves challenges, and sets a path to success all by themselves. What makes an entrepreneur different from a businessman is how they think: Innovation is at the center of everything.
If you’re aspiring to become a successful entrepreneur, comparable to the likes of Mark Zuckerberg or Elon Musk, consider these tips:
For starters, your capital doesn’t have to be a huge sum of money. Capital is mainly used to acquire more assets. Better assets are equated to better returns as long as it is managed well.
Acquiring capital can be quite tricky; it can be from a person’s savings or deposits, an excess disposable income, a loan from the bank, or a donation from the parents and friends. Start out by borrowing from family and friends, since they’re more flexible with the interest rates compared to financial institutions.
Risks are preferably avoided by businessmen due to the unknown variables involved in the long and short term. Wealth creation is the goal of the businessman, so it would be unwise to invest in uncertain ventures. Entrepreneurs, on the other hand, take risks higher than usual. Risks come with rewards, spell a certain end for a business, or if lucky, just a hard lesson. But for entrepreneurs, this is an exciting part of having a startup.
Chutzpah, or the gut feel, helps the entrepreneur in certain ways. It may be used as a motivating factor when push comes to shove or to handle very difficult people. Every person has their own chutzpah, their level and intensity differ from one another.
It can be developed through experience and stress. Chutzpah helps the entrepreneur to take risks. Bold and unseen moves in the market are done through sheer audacity and will.
Attribution is important. The entrepreneur attributes himself to their business or trade. He or she should bask in the glory of its successful startup or take the responsibility for outright failure. It is true, the entrepreneur owns its business, but the actions and decisions he does must be wholehearted and full of resolve.
If this is the case, the entrepreneur must always step up and one up his past actions for the sake of his business. There will always be setbacks, and contingencies are a must. The conglomeration of all the actions of the entrepreneur will dictate the fate of the business.
One thing an entrepreneur can learn from tradition is focusing in already known knowledge and further develop it. Indeed, risks are second nature to an entrepreneur, yet boring moves are the best moves in some aspects.
The entrepreneur needs to survive the early battles of the startup, and what more could be more helpful but the knowledge of the owner itself?
Organizing things is a must and it’s also free, while producing profits. Timelines can be used to plan targets in the future and finish daily workloads. This is also used as a way to check the history of the work done and be used as a reference on work behavior.
Whatever the entrepreneur’s goal i.e., self-satisfaction, wealth creation, or a market of ideas, he must not forget the basic economic concept of supply and demand.
Knowing the levels of supply can be beneficial, for demand will always be there. The law of supply and demand is inviolable and to no one’s total control, thus entrepreneurs must take note of its importance to their own business.
The saying “Do not place all your eggs in one basket” can be applied in this case. Investments are essential in the survival and growth of a business. Investments, like capital, is not necessarily money. Investments can be in a form of effort, energy, and time. Studying management and organization is an investment.
Attending seminars and workshops are also investments. Consider learning new things as investments so be open to growth!
Having a bank account has multiple advantages. Banks create a credit system for its clients. Having a good financial character means the entrepreneur can obtain loans for their capital. To build a good financial character, one must regularly deposit money to their bank account. Religiously depositing in a certain period may draw the bank manager’s interest. This usually entails an interview and a loan proposal. Loans are great! It may be a liability but a good one.
The market is a battlefield. A good general analyses the field before doing any action. SWOT stands for strengths, weakness, opportunity, and threats. In whatever decision or event, entrepreneurs can do a SWOT analysis. This will help the entrepreneur to determine certain factors that might help or hinder the success of his business. Such listings can be done through research or even just snap of the moment.