The Things You Didn’t Know About Being An Entrepreneur

Written By: Jessica Woodruff

As an entrepreneur, you will need to be a jack-of-all-trades, a great listener to all and realise that you will not become fabulously wealthy overnight. Here are a couple inevitable truths behind being your own boss:

• First things first, you are not your own boss. Entrepreneurs are guided by the people who work for them and who facilitate their product/idea. This essentially means your staff become your ‘mini-bosses’ by informing you what your company needs.
• Becoming successful will take longer than you think it should take. Stephen Key, an entrepreneur of more than 30 years said, “There’s no way of quickly becoming successful. Don’t trust anyone who says otherwise. Those who advertise how rapid their success has been are conveniently leaving out the years they spent hustling prior”.
• Yes, you no longer work from 9-5 but and have flexi hours, but this does not mean you are not working. Weekends? You will be working there too, especially if you have to kiss up to potential clients.
• You will be out of your comfort zone on a daily basis and constantly perfecting the skill of asking for what you want.
• Be prepared to make hard decisions and sacrifices. This may include letting go of a partner who is not pulling their weight or eating two-minute noodles at home so that you can hire the cream of the crop for your organisation.
• Perception matters, so treat everyone with respect. Networking can indicate just how closely you are interconnected within an industry.
• Success is defined in a variety of ways. Do not hold yourself against the pay scale. Success is defined by networking that leads to future investments and not solely about the money.
• Have a positive attitude – people want to work with happy people who are pleasant to be around.An egotistical attitude can win you some cases but the majority enjoy authenticity.
• It is inevitable that someone may not like you – do not waste time trying to change the attitude of difficult people, but learn how to do business with them.
• Your reputation is always out there and on the line – so make it count.
• Surround yourself around people who inspire and support you. They will see you through the dips and peaks of your career.
• Prepare to hear a lot of no’s – raising capital and signing clients takes time, so make sure you enjoy the work you do.