Who wants to be an 'Entrepreneur'?

So – if we haven’t got Jeremy Clarkson or Chris Tarrant (for those of us of a certain age) then how do we reach the promised lands that so many are looking for? Many believe that being an Entrepreneur (or starting out on their own) could be the way forward and most who think this do have a very sound idea/solution/offering that will help them succeed in this journey! However, believe me when I say that irrelevant of how brilliant the idea is - it is not quite as easy as it sounds, and while I know many very successful people who have made it, there are also many many more who haven’t!

To make this jump successfully from an ‘employee’ (and probably more than an adequate one at that) our future entrepreneur/business owner has to take that leap of faith - to jump of the precipice into the unknown (with no safety net to catch you) and it is extremely tough and scary. There are no real career guides, no HR department to go to who can help you through your first few weeks or months and there are no managers or colleagues to ease your path and show you the ropes.

But there are some real tangible benefits for those who take the plunge and who make it work, and to help make it work there are some helpful bits of top-line advice that I can share with you to keep you sane and moving forwards:

1. Keep your overall vision in sight..

Knowing where you want to get to is really important as I guarantee that you will be waylaid and diverted off course by a myriad of factors including customers, competitors, external and internal impactors that when you started you could never have imagined. However, your vision is your foundation, compass and your guiding light – remember it at all times and make sure that what you are doing at every step is actually moving you towards this, rather than away from it

2. Persevere – it’s worth it..

I loved ‘Game of Thrones’ over the recent years (much to the horror of my family it has to be said) but I remember one episode when Stannis Baratheon was being advised about going into battle (one of the many battles it has to be said) and he responded with: “We march to victory or we march to defeat, but we go forward, only forward”. Now, this is a good line to remember in that only by continuing forward will you get to your destination – you can take a round-about route if that is the best option, but you have to know how it will take you to your destination.

3. Have a plan, but be flexible..

I have written a few articles recently and done some posts on LinkedIn when I talk about being flexible with your plans, strategies and targets, but you must always have a plan! You must know where you are going and at all times you must be reviewing your progress against this plan. However, it is critical to remember that nothing is certain (and I think 2020 has so far proved this) and therefore it is ok for your plan to change. You don’t have to write your business plan in stone or ‘in aeternum’ - it can be amended/improved/changed as you decide, but the one definite is that you must always have one!

4. Embrace your expertise..

You have obviously had a successful career in whatever field you have come from and while it might not be in the exact ‘sector’ you are trying to succeed in now - you will have got to this point in your life by being very good in certain fields - don’t lose this!!!! These skills have made you who you are – yes, you can learn new skills and open up new opportunities, but do take with you that which has made you who you are.

5. Don’t reinvent the wheel..

To be successful you don’t have to be different. If there are successful companies in the sector that you want to go into, then look at what works and do that. Yes, you can look at what doesn’t work and develop on this if you want – but play to your strengths and to what the market actually wants. If there are systems in use today, don’t think you have to create your own – just focus on what you want to do and do it well.

6. Don’t burn out..

I have mentioned this before in previous articles as well – you are your most useful resource! So, look after yourself and that can be a lot more difficult to do when you are out on your own. Your health, state of mind and happiness is more important than anything and must not be sacrificed, even above getting that report out or to meet an internal deadline you have set yourself. You are embarking on this journey to make life better for you and your family – don’t make the journey the reason that life is worse.

7. Don’t be scared to get help..

You are obviously talented, inspired and excellent at what you do – to take a journey like this and launch out there means you probably already have what it takes to make it. However, you do not have to know everything yourself – you do not have to do everything yourself. There are experts out there who can help take the pressure off and who will actually do a much better job in some key fields. Don’t risk the future by thinking you are the best person to do it all…..

8. Keep your sense of humour..

You will make mistakes and you will do laughable things while you are on this journey – but you know what, give yourself the time to laugh about them and at yourself while you are doing them. If you can’t have fun on the way then it’s probably not worth going … Happiness is what this is all about and laughing is a key requirement to be happy. Make sure you leave yourself time and find places to enjoy what you are doing and to keep smiling throughout. This is so important to your mental health and well-being and if that goes wrong then the journey might not reach its destination!

Anyway, I wanted to keep this a relatively short piece to share some top-level thoughts that may help. I really hope it has been useful and if you have any questions or would like to chat about anything written here or in any of my other articles then please do give me a shout on julianpatel@clivedenhouseconsulting.co.uk

Keep safe and I will speak to you soon,

Julian

Julian Patel

Cliveden House Consulting Ltd

www.clivedenhouseconsulting.co.uk