Is having an entrepreneurial spirit a blessing or a curse? In my humble opinion it’s a blessing.
Today I’ve been thinking a lot about the course my professional life has taken and I thought it would be an interesting exercise to ask myself a few questions and share them and my responses here.
Do you consider yourself to be an entrepreneur?
The definition of an entrepreneur is “a person who sets up a business or businesses, taking on financial risks in the hope of profit”. This describes me perfectly!
An entrepreneurial spirit has been present in me ever since I was a teenager. I think I inherited this from my Mum who was a motivated businesswoman and always inventing new ways to drive her business forward.
I spent many years working for other people but eventually took the plunge and left the 9-5 to pursue my own path.
Over the years I’ve embarked on several different business ventures including network marketing, an art gallery, a coffee shop and creating greetings cards. I now work with my IT friend developing our online business.
Being your own boss allows you a huge amount of freedom that you wouldn’t get from working for someone else, but in all honesty, you have to be a certain type of individual to stick with it and succeed. It’s often not easy and you have to be willing to meet all the challenges that pepper your path head-on.
What have been some of the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Choosing the path of entrepreneurship has been the most challenging and rewarding experience of my life. I’ve had to learn lots of new skills and overcome a lot of fear and anxiety to get to the point where I’m at now.
I’ve increased my skill set dramatically in the past 3 years and have learnt so much more than I did in 7 years as an employee. I had no option but to do this if I wanted to proceed with my goal of being my own boss.
If I did not develop new skills swiftly, I would’ve probably had to abandon my new venture. Some of the skills I’ve acquired along the way include filming techniques, video production, content creation, product development, web development, social media marketing and blogging.
When I reflect on what I’ve learnt and achieved in a comparatively short period of time, I have to say I’m astounded. I’m very grateful to have a patient business partner who is extremely knowledgeable and teaches me new skills daily.
I’ve felt a lot of fear, apprehension and worry but I haven’t allowed these feelings to inhibit my progress. Often when you’re building a new business, you’re catapulted into situations that you may or may not be equipped to deal with. It can be intimidating especially if you’re used to sitting behind a desk never taking risks. However, my motto is “Never Give Up” and I apply this in all aspects of my working life. Keeping positive is one of my greatest strengths.
Have you had to make any personal sacrifices?
As an entrepreneur, you certainly do have full control over your schedule, but it can be very difficult to force yourself to take a break. In the beginning you work many more hours than you did at your job as you can be on a steep learning curve.
This can affect your relationships and play havoc with your social life! Surrounding myself with people who encouraged me was an important factor for me.
Do you have a strong sense of ownership and responsibility?
I’ve got a strong sense of ownership and responsibility, especially social responsibility so I wouldn’t get involved in selling any products that weren’t ethical, even if it meant making a quick and profitable sale.
My absolute priority has always been to provide the best customer service and products for my clients. I always go the extra mile!
Any major personal challenges along the way?
When you’re your own boss, you have the capability to nurture and grow your business to any level you want. Your earning potential can be limitless depending on how much you want to expand your business. However, this isn’t always the case and start-ups can suffer huge financial difficulties and must work through extremely challenging times.
Worrying about not having a regular income is something that plays on your mind when you’re starting out. As a business owner, you could take on a project, pour time and money into it, only to have the project fail, leaving you seriously out of pocket with bills to pay.
The entire financial burden of the company and your wage rests on your shoulders. When this happens, it can be a very lonely place to find yourself in and it takes a lot of strength to carry on. It’s important to allow yourself time to take stock, reflect and recover before moving on.
What type of personal qualities do you have that have helped?
I possess the attitude, drive, desire, self-belief, and passion required to create a vision and bring it to fruition. I’ve got staying power and will see projects through. My mindset allows me to see failure as a learning opportunity. I don’t allow myself to be dragged down by it, in fact I see it as par for the course.
I’m tenacious and resilient, two essential tools to have in my entrepreneurial toolkit! I have an ever-growing network of internet buddies through my social media contacts and entrepreneurial role models who inspire me. In addition, I have a wide circle of friends and connections who are entrepreneurial spirits and encourage and share ideas with me.
I’m interested in developing my own potential and talents and eager to help others develop theirs.
Would you do it all again?
Absolutely! My work life is never dull, and I see every day as an adventure. That’s not to say there haven’t been lots of challenging times along the road where I’ve thought, what am I doing?
However, I wouldn’t change a thing. It’s certainly been an interesting ride, through the good times and the bad. I’m excited about the future.
Do you have a word of advice for yourself if you were starting out again?
Success doesn’t often come over night. It’s a slow burn and involves trial, error, and effort over a sustained period but the rewards are worth it.
So is having an entrepreneurial spirit a blessing or a curse? What do you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this and what your experiences have been.
To Your Success!
