Many individuals who take the plunge and start their own business are surprised initially at what it takes to be an entrepreneur. Making the shift from being an employee to entrepreneur can be challenging. So to help you along your entrepreneurial journey we have identified three vital mindset shifts you must make in order to be successful.
Shift #1: Realize Failure is Not a Bad Thing
One of the reasons why so many people never start a business is because they are scared that people will see them starting small. They worry about the judgements or negative comments that might come from others.
Additionally because most people hate making mistakes and messing up, they avoid starting a business or trying all together. However, failure is one of the most powerful teachers we can have in business. We can’t be afraid of failure or the negative perceptions of others. All great businesses started small at one point.
Failure is the guiding light that helps us see what to do and what not to do. Even though nobody enjoys failing, it is one of the key ingredients to success. We believe that you will fail your way to success.
Our advice to you is this: Try, fail, learn, evolve, keep going and enjoy the success that eventually comes. But above all, realize that failure and starting small is not a bad thing.
Shift #2: Conservatively Set Your Expectations
When starting your own business it’s easy to become overly optimistic about what and when things will happen for you. Our advice is to be conservative and set your expectations low initially but work very hard along the way.
Be conservative about your time frames, the amount of money you will earn, what will be accomplished and the process or journey ahead.
Expect delays, frustrations, setbacks and an emotional roller coaster ride. Don’t expect things to always be easy, smooth and problem free. Instead prepare yourself for a rewarding wrestling match.
Another area to set your expectations in is what you need to know before starting your business. Many people want to have all the details, all the answers and have a perfectly clear picture of everything before they start. In many cases this is not possible. Starting and running a business is a faith-based game and it requires you to begin with the end in mind while also not being able to always see the pathway forward.
Be willing to start your business and learn as you go along while also knowing that you will be able to get the answers to your questions along the way. Concentrate on making the next best step and enjoy the journey.
Shift #3: Be Confident in Your Abilities to Succeed
In the early days of starting your business it’s easy to doubt your skills and abilities. It’s easy to allow negative beliefs and stories to sabotage your confidence in who you are and what you can accomplish.
However, this is the time to start working on yourself. Build your self-confidence, your drive and passion. Be skeptical about any destructive thought patterns or negative self-talk. We are often harder and more critical of ourselves than we are of others. So be kind and supportive to yourself.
You are smarter and more resourceful than you give yourself credit for. Trust that you can figure things out and solve the problems and challenges that come your way. Believe in yourself and turn your fears of the future into excitement for the future.
Making the shift from an employee to an entrepreneur is a big jump that can be scary and exciting at the same time but it is not impossible and with a little focus and effort you can develop the kind of mindset that will help you start and grow your business.
We want to help you jump start your entrepreneurial journey. The first step in your journey is to develop a simple business plan. We have a free guide and training you can access for free now by clicking here. This guide and training will walk you through the step-by-step process of creating a blueprint for your future business. Having a solid blueprint will guide your efforts along your pathway to success.
We look forward to supporting your entrepreneurial journey!
Darin Dalimore & Dannielle Parker
Founders – aCent101