Five Hard Truths about Becoming an Entrepreneur
Many startup enthusiasts believe that they are ready to face the challenges of being an entrepreneur. The truth is that nothing can be accepted as true or false statement until it is proven with personal experience. Many startup owners enter the business world without being completely ready and this is the charm of being an entrepreneur: you don’t have to wait for the magic perfect moment to start your venture. Entrepreneurs learn to learn from their personal experiences and failures and this is what makes most of them successful.
There are five very hard to admit truths about entrepreneurship which deserve the attention of every startup and small business owner.
It doesn’t get easier over time
Some people say that entrepreneurship gets easier over time which can’t be quite true. Yes, you gain more experience and form better habits, learn how to avoid procrastination and how to manage your time better, but the work never gets easier in a way that you don’t have to put as much effort in it as before. There is no deadline for entrepreneurship and it continues to be tough until it exists as a part in your life.
You will be misunderstood
Entrepreneurs need strong support system but the painful truth is that often you will feel lonely in your venture. With a busy schedule, it will get even harder to keep up with the social events that you have to attend or the lazy Saturday brunches that you used to attend. Your closest people will not be able to understand how you can keep up with your schedule and why exactly you have chosen the entrepreneurship path. Many may wonder is it really worth it? Sometimes you will be one of them too - asking the same question.
You cannot please everyone
There always will be someone who is not happy with your decision. Entrepreneurs receive constant critiques which can be very frustrating. You should accept that you cannot please everyone and that actually you don’t have to do it. You know what your business is all about and you should stick to your guts and do what you think is right.
You will face many failures before you succeed
Failure will become constant part of your life and you will have to learn to live with it. You will be rejected many times and you will hear “No” for an answer very, very often. You need to know that this is normal and you must learn to accept rejection and move on. You should learn to take from failure valuable lesson and leave the rest from this experience behind.
Success will not come overnight
Entrepreneurs often think that their company will be the next multimillion dollars success and that after two years of hard work, it will all pay off very fast. Well, I have some bad news for you – it may take many years before your business actually becomes profitable. Money will not rain from the sky and you should be ready to work hard, driven by passion and belief in your company, not driven by the illusion of making fast fortune.