When people are engaged in their favourite business, they can forget about others and even their own problems - the project is so exciting for them. But if the work is not pleasant, then the employee starts asking questions: “What will the boss think?”, “Will I face dismissal?”, “Am I not worse than others?”, Etc. The more often a person thinks about it, the worse he performs his duties.
A good result brings only a favourite thing, performed on their own will and in accordance with their desires. Of course, it’s difficult to start your project - it is much easier to deceive yourself, believing that you can become happier by performing routine duties at work. But the risk is freedom.
Many people do not do their favourite thing because of the fear of possible risks. Fear of ridicule and contempt from others makes them sit back and complain about the successes of others. In their inaction, they blame the boss, colleagues, curse the circumstances that forced them to work in this company - everyone, just not themselves. In the end, the fear of failure finally deprives them of the prospects to start their own business.
23 secrets of successful entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurs are distinguished by their peculiarities of thinking - as a rule, they are extremely self-confident people with developed social communication skills and easier decision-making. Those who wish to join the ranks of entrepreneurs erroneously wait for the ideal conditions to start their project: they quit their jobs, wait for a crisis, etc.
However, a successful businessman understands that a favourable moment for starting a business may never come, so you need to start right now.
From this article, you will learn 23 secrets that will help you succeed in your own business, without quitting your main job.
1. Do not pretend
The first step on the way to the business - the refusal of imposed roles. Many choose a profession and then work not on their own, but at the request of their parents. It is necessary to identify the reasons for which you found yourself in this work and understand what you are working for.
Dissatisfaction with the profession and recognition of the fears associated with the business will help you to understand whether you are ready for business.
2. Watch your health
People are obliged to monitor their health since a mentally and physically sick person is practically useless for work. Many after a hard day prefer passive rest on the couch in the company of the TV and often stay up late.
Accordingly, such a regime affects productivity and motivation to work. That is why the priority of a successful entrepreneur is his own health since for any project a large amount of energy is required.
3. Invest salary in the business
Ordinary people work 40 hours a week, spend their salaries on mortgages, car maintenance, and annual leave abroad and deduct part of their money to a pension fund in the hope of a comfortable old age.
Consider your salary as an opportunity to invest in a start-up. Many businessmen admit that they invest in their projects all the amounts that they only find. And everything else - real estate, stocks, formal university education - is not worth investing.
4. Do not donate time
Perfectionists and workaholics make the mistake of bringing minor tasks to perfection and maintaining numerous contacts. In addition to energy, there is another valuable resource for business - time.
Actively participating in all events occurring in the company, you will never find time to launch your project.
5. Take a closer look at medicine and education.
Education and medicine are the only industries with a serious growth prospect that are guaranteed to strengthen their position in 20 years. Dan Pink in his book Sell Humane (To Sell is Human) states that in the US more people are involved in these areas of activity than in the areas of trade and services combined.
According to Market data Enterprises, in 2008, Americans spent $ 11 billion on self-improvement and stress management programs, which is 13.6% more than in 2005. According to the latest forecasts, by 2020, India and China will also develop personal growth programs.
Many inexperienced start-up’s are seriously miscalculated when they plan to get rich quick with the "million dollar idea." They spend years building a product and then trying to sell it online. However, their efforts are in vain: they have neither buyers, nor attention of the target audience, nor a platform.
The best strategy in this situation is to invest in educating potential consumers. In other words, start teaching your subscribers and customers how to change their lives for the better, and create a product based on comments and suggestions.
Knowledge and health in themselves will never go out of fashion, and the dissemination of information about them will help to promote their own goods. Successful entrepreneurs have long enjoyed this secret, and much of their goods and services are aimed at educated audiences.
6. Get rid of everything that pulls you to the bottom
In economics, there is the term "sunk cost", which means "recessed costs", that is, costs that in the future can neither be reduced nor reimbursed. Such costs are incurred for reasons beyond your control, and they can only be avoided by precise tracking.
In life, there are also people and activities that take away both energy and time. Detractors undermine our faith in themselves and pull to the bottom. Thoughtless leisure, such as watching TV or surfing the Internet, takes a lot of time.
To get rid of these ballasts, you need to make a list of what your energy and time are spent on every day. Admitting your mistakes is the first step to correcting them.
7. Attention to yourself and the consumer
Successful businessmen know that it is possible to win the trust of consumers through an attentive and sensitive attitude towards them. That is why the presidents speak to the people live, and customers are loyal to those brands that have well-established support service.
In addition to the attitude towards consumers, the priority should be increased attention to yourself. Ask yourself questions: “Do you give a report in your actions or do you act spontaneously? Do you keep track of your thoughts? ”The point is that where attention is directed, energy flows there, so it is important to distribute it correctly.
8. Create a marketing platform.
Having decided to launch your project, proceed to the implementation of intentions. A tool for this can be a marketing platform that brings together your subscribers. At the initial stage, you will be required to pay increased attention to potential buyers and regularly create useful and relevant content, for example, about physical and mental health (see Section 5).
9. Segment target market
Creating a marketing platform (landing, website, blog) is necessary for the release of your products. Active communication with users will help to identify the needs of consumers and subsequently, meet them. Segmentation helps to identify the needs of a specific target audience and create a unique offer for each segment.
10. Stop looking for approval from colleagues.
Your main task is to perform your work of high quality, and not to arouse sympathy among your colleagues. Enough to constantly seek approval from employees - better focus on your responsibilities, and in the evenings and on weekends, get your own project.
11. Stop looking for support from other entrepreneurs.
Self-respecting businessmen at meetings discuss customer needs and market trends, rather than trying to gain approval from others.
12. Negotiations and options
In life and in business wins the one who has the right to choose. Roger Dawson (Roger Dawson), author of the book “Secrets of Power Negotiations”, writes that the success of negotiations depends on the number of options available - the more of them, the more confident you feel, and the more obvious your superiority to others.
The value of a business is that it gives rise to many options for the development of events - therefore launching your own project will give you the freedom of choice.
13. Do not dwell on small receptions.
Do not think that minor tactical changes will make you a millionaire. The buyer doesn’t care if he clicks the red or blue button on the landing page. Instead, it is better to pay attention to global challenges: expanding the existing customer base, providing service support, etc.
14. Spray yourself
In his book, The Happiness Project, Gretchen Rubin (Gretchen Rubin) writes that the best way to strike a balance between work and leisure is to fully dedicate yourself to current activities. People rarely use all their skills and embody ideas, and the reason for this is the fear of failure. Stop feeling sorry for yourself, “storing” ideas, and start working “to the fullest.”
15. Combine your efforts (do not compete)
You should not compete with those who are engaged in similar activities - empires were built only by joint efforts, therefore it is better to unite for effective cooperation.
16. Look for the "blue ocean"
Kim Chan and Rene Moborne wrote a book called Blue Ocean Strategy (Blue Ocean Strategy), where they talk about two types of market - non-competitive (“blue ocean”) and competitive market (“red ocean”). The authors write that you should not start your business if there are serious rivals in this area. Your project will develop only if it is based on an original idea.
Accordingly, it is more profitable to start your business in the undeveloped market - the “blue ocean”, where you dictate the price and determine the rules of the game. Your knowledge, experience, and preferences are unique, so use them to create a marketing platform from which to launch the product.
17. Find the right project.
Successful entrepreneurs do not waste time inventing a product solely for profit. Instead, they find "their" product, and make it commercially successful - because if you do your job honestly and with love, you will almost certainly succeed in it and reach a significant level of income. Active interaction with the marketing platform will make it possible to identify customer preferences and, based on the results obtained, develop an appropriate product.
18. Help the people you need to find you.
Many people are struggling to gain the favour of others - but, unfortunately, it’s impossible to please everyone. Do not chase the attention of others, but behave as you want others to behave with you. Thus, according to the principle “like is attracted to like”, you will attract the right people into your life.
19. Stop hiding
There is nothing shameful about your business. However, it is impossible to be a successful entrepreneur, working halfway or secretly - the more you hide, the worse the project will work. Awareness of the status of an entrepreneur and active networking with people will give you confidence in your abilities.
20. The main thing is the sequence of actions, not the rules.
All the rules exist as long as it makes sense to follow them. As soon as exceptions appear, the rules become optional and are forgotten. In the world, everything is conditioned by cause-and-effect relationships, and the sequence (sequence) of performing many actions never changes: you first need to sow, and then harvest. Successful entrepreneurs always remember the link “cause - platform - product”. The fact is that a product is launched from a marketing platform that is created for a specific reason. In this bundle a logical sequence is visible: it is impossible to go to the second step without making the first one.
21. Create your own system.
In order to effectively distribute your forces between the main activity and your project, it is necessary to develop a system of work in the project. That is, at the initial stage, establish the procedure for delegating tasks to one of the workers, and as the project develops, consolidate these systems. Keep in mind: systems are not effective, but people.
22. Demonstrate character strengths.
Each person has his own strengths and weaknesses of character, however, few people recognize their shortcomings. Entrepreneurs do not spend time improving weaknesses, working instead to strengthen their strengths, and are also looking for employees to compensate for missing points. Remember the principle of Apple: "We hire intelligent people to tell us what to do to us."
23. Work on business and in business at the same time.
And the last secret of the success of well-known entrepreneurs: employees work in business, and entrepreneurs - in business. There is a huge difference between working for yourself and a stranger. Unlike ordinary people, entrepreneurs think and act differently. Of course, your business requires a return from its creator. Having launched your project, you will have to constantly improve the existing systems but you will learn to think big.
