Nibletz Staff
There’s no doubt that the life of an entrepreneur is tough, but in a different way to what most people imagine. Those who have regular jobs think that entrepreneurship is like having a job, but on steroids. But that isn’t really what it’s like at all. Those who work in large organizations are often shielded by the company apparatus from the rougher elements of the market and generally have the people and resources around them to deal with their problems. Entrepreneurs don’t and instead find themselves exposed on multiple fronts with the fewest tools to protect themselves.
The good news is that there is stuff that entrepreneurs can do to break out and turn their careers into something desirable. It’s all about having a “can do” attitude.
Forget Yourself – At Least When Starting Out
Entrepreneurs often tend to have large egos – and that’s a good thing. You need a basic sense that you’re an important person who has the capacity to make waves in the world to even get your business off the ground. But sometimes your ego can come back to bite you. One of the problems entrepreneurs have when starting out is the idea that they are somehow owed success by the world, but this isn’t how things work. Entrepreneurs don’t get rich by being entrepreneurs: instead, they build their empires through passion and offering customers what they want. Don’t let human foibles, like greed or foolishness get in the way of building a business. Focus on your clients, and money will come to you.
Continuously Educate Yourself
Elon Musk is an interesting individual. He’s founded not one, but four billion-dollar-plus enterprises in the last twenty years: SpaceX, Tesla, Paypal, and SolarCity. No, he’s not the richest entrepreneur to have ever lived, but he’s certainly one of the most prevalent, and his successes are epic.
Observers of Musk, including his own brother, put this achievement down to his passion for learning. When he was a boy growing up in South Africa, he reportedly read two books a day on a vast range of different topics. This gave him a unique perspective on the world and turned him into what we might call a “learning generalist.” This put him at an advantage over those who specialized in particular areas: he was able to see links between different disciplines that they weren’t, using these connections to form inspiring businesses.
The reason for Musk’s success, many believe, isn’t so much about what he knows, it’s about the tools that he has in his learning toolbox. He works around a set of “first principles” that can be applied multiple times in different situations. That’s why he’s been able to shake up so many apparently unrelated industries, including payment systems, rocketry, and electric cars. Hence, it might be a good idea to take another look at that MBA online you’ve been eyeing up for the last year or so. It could provide valuable insights.
Deepen Your Values
Finally, it’s worth taking a look at your core values. Leaders who don’t believe in what they’re doing, or don’t think what they’re doing is right, rarely make a success out of their careers. Figure out what you think is valuable, and then go for it.
