I have been an entrepreneur for some years now, and the most amazing thing about being an entrepreneur is how much I have learnt about myself!
It's so true! When I embarked on this journey of entrepreneurship, I was wondering about what I would really learn, with business skills topping the list. But never in a million years would I have guessed that being an entrepreneur would open my eyes to who I really am as a person.
So, am I suggesting that everyone should drop everything they're doing, quit their jobs and become an entrepreneur to learn more about themselves? On the contrary, and as my fellow entrepreneur pals would agree, we do not need to be an entrepreneur to practise living an entrepreneurial life. All we'd need to do is be open to adopting an entrepreneurial mind and attitude and assimilating these into our daily lives.
Here are some priceless lessons I've learnt and would like to share with all of you.
1- Get up in the morning because no one is going to wake you up!
This is a very fundamental lesson I learnt in the early days of my entrepreneur life. Before being an entrepreneur, I used to dread the awful ringing of the alarm, in its (futile) attempts to snap me out of my sweet, sweet slumber, to get dressed for work. Because most entrepreneurs don't have specific work hours, we must learn to rely on ourselves to discipline our minds and bodies. Just because we do not have a punch card system and no boss to glare at us for strolling in 2 minutes too late, does not mean that we can sleep in. WE become our motivation. So whether or not the alarm rings waking up is a MUST! Else, there will be no business, and that means no moolah, and no retail therapy! Boo-hoo...
2- A pivotal lesson on money
Speaking about all that moolah, I think it would be the right time to say that at some point in most entrepreneur's life, they reach a point of having an absolutely or almost dry bank account - it happens, trust me. And when this happens, all hell starts to break loose! Everything we have ever believed in starts to crumble. We will start doubting ourselves and everyone around us. It is at this point in life, where we will learn to appreciate the finer things in life. And more importantly, it is at this point where we'll learn how to move on without money. We learn to accept this extremely insecure feeling, because we know that we can't get any worse than this, we know we've just seen ground zero - and we become filled with a hope that things can only go up from here. And after this point, money stops becoming something we cling on to. And that's a good thing. Want money, don't need it.
3- The Colonel Sanders attitude to selling fried chicken
I'm guessing you know who Colonel Harland Sanders is? He's the smart guy (with the really white hair) who invented KFC. But did you know that he was turned down 1009 times before he successfully managed to find a buyer for his fried chicken? (Full story on blog post entitled : Think KFC Before Quitting). And that's the reality of being an entrepreneur - people WILL say NO to you. They will. There is no doubt in that. Believe me, being rejected can make one feel extremely low about themselves. But instead of the chin-to-floor reaction, we must learn to pick ourselves up, and with all we have, take one step forward - because if you don't, then accept that that will be the death of your business. Just remember, that while some people love coffee, others get migraines just by walking pass a Coffee Bean or Starbucks. One's person's medicine is another man's poison. It is impossible to have a clientele of 'everyone in the world'. But we learn. We learn to keep on keeping on. Differentiating, strategizing, advertising - but most importantly, just keep on keeping on. And get that chin off that floor!
4- Be the Burger Ramly to the McDonald's
When we first start up as entrepreneurs, we were motivated by the Big Dreams, the Huge Possibilities, the "I Can Definitely Do Better That That Guy" attitude, the Success Stories. But it is only when we're knee deep in our business will we realize that it was not as easy as it was when we were thinking about starting up. One of the problems, stiff competition. Funny how these competitors seem so harmless and trivial when we were Dreaming Big, huh? Well, time for a reality check. Competition is an inevitability. It does exist and it is real. Trick is, to find a way to differentiate. How do you think Burger Ramly's founder would have felt about McDonald's? But he differentiated - we simply cannot get a Burger Ayam Special in McDonald's - even till today, can we? Don't ever be afraid or intimidated by competition - there is always something you can do better. If it's international competition you're worried about, think local. I remember what Resh Monu said in an interview, about how he got to where he is. "Always remember, that there is a Malaysian local market". Never give up just because you're not big enough or smart enough - you have something special to give. Spend some time finding that.
I hope these tips will help you entrepreneurialize your lives.
You don't have to be an entrepreneur - just adopt an entrepreneurial mind and attitude.
Good luck!
No comments:
Post a Comment