Should you be an Entrepreneur?
from Inc.com Zine 11 June 15 enhance by Peter/CXO Wiz4biz
What’s the BiG Idea? You’ve got a big idea and you can’t stop dreaming about what it’s going to become. You’re so excited that it actually keeps you up at night. You’ve always felt like you should be doing something else. You were destined for something better than the 9 to 5 you’ve been slogging away at for the past umpteen years and this is could be your ticket to greener pastures. Maybe you’ve been working on your idea late at night or over your lunch hour. You can’t help but share your idea with everyone you know and they see your passion. You yearn for the day that you can quit your job and spend every waking minute pursuing this passion of yours. For, if it weren’t for this pesky job, you’d be half way to success-dom by now.
I hear you. Actually, I am you–a few years back. I’ve never liked other people telling me what to do. Consequently, I’ve always been a terrible employee. I knew early on – in my career – that I was destined to be an entrepreneur. But what that meant wasn’t clear to me until it was. So, before you jump ship, here me out: Your life is about to change, for the better and the worse. Here’s the good, bad & ugly of what can happen to you: First, the Bad.
1. Your financials will be a mess. If you’re fortunate, you’ll be able to pay yourself a little in the first year.
2. Go for broke, but it’s likely you’ll probably go broke–more than once.
3. You’re accountable to you. If you suck at holding yourself accountable, you’re going to struggle.
4. Your Sales will be Fraction as good as you hoped and that causes friction. [This is not fiction] It will take you X times as long, as you expect to get what you expect.
5. Nobody is going to move at your speed. This will be exceptionally clear to you when time is against you – you’re late in development, running out of $$$ + your Customers cant make up their minds.
6. You seem to be working twice as hard (80 hrs), with only half the results you expected.
7. Persistance? On more than one occasion, you’ll likely want to give up and go back to the easy days of just being an employee.
8. Worry. You’ll constantly worry that you’re not doing enough – even when you’re doing everything that you can.
9. Resentment. The inspiration you once gained by seeing other entrepreneurs succeed, will turn into resentment.
10. You’re going to feel alone, even when it feels like everyone is on your side.
The Ugly. If you don’t let any of the above get out of hand, you’ll have no Ugly. If you do, maybe you could get someone else take over of just count it as a learning lesson for your next try.
The Good. If this is truly what you’re meant to do and you’re passionate about your idea, in spite of what I stated above, it will be one of the best decisions you’ve ever made.
That’s because . . .
1. You will own your own Destiny. Nobody, other than you, will decide whether you’re worthy of the tasks at hand.
2. That 1st Win. No matter how small it might be, getting your first sale will be one of the greatest feelings on the planet. It will motivate you to no end.
3. Fulfillment. When things go well, the rewards will feel endless.
4. Reverse Psychology. You’ll start to despise Friday’s instead of Monday’s. Which is a good thing.
5. Leap Year. You’ll learn more in the first year of your Startup than you would in 10 years of working for someone else.
6. Flexible. While you’ll be working insane hours, you’ll still be flexible to do the things that are important to you. Because you can.
7. Motivated. You will wake up energized, because you will finally love what you do.
Conclusion: We only get one chance in this world. I firmly believe that you should spend it doing what you enjoy. Otherwise, what’s the point? Follow your passion. Do what you love and the $$$ will follow !!!
Comments: Is there anything you could add to this?