by Erik Wilson, CEO and co-founder of Pozify
Every day, countless new entrepreneurs make the brave decision to create a business of their own. Starting and running your own business is no easy task. It requires a great deal of work, of sacrifice and of commitment. This challenge can become even more daunting when you must start this journey from the bottom and begin your climb with nothing. While this can be difficult, the good news for entrepreneurs is that it can be done. In fact, there are countless examples of entrepreneurs who have started with nothing and built tremendous companies out of little more than hard work and the right idea.
For aspiring business owners who want to start their own organization, there is no better place to look than to other self-made entrepreneurs for advice and inspiration on how to start a business from nothing. Here are some of the most important tips on how to start a business, straight from the mouth of a self-made entrepreneur.
Start With the Right Idea… And Make Sure It Has Value.
The right idea can really go a long way when it comes to starting your own business. This is often the first step in developing an successful business venture and it is one that you need to really focus on before you attempt to secure financing or find partners. You need to have a strong and specific idea of what you want your company to do and what you want it to be in the future. Furthermore, you need to make sure that your idea is a valuable one. If your idea for a business does not bring value to the public, you will not be able to succeed in your venture.
The public is looking for businesses and services that can actually bring value to their lives, so this should be the most important component in developing the right idea. One of the best ways to do this is to start by focusing on a problem you see in your community or the world around you. This problem can be as simple as “Main Street does not have a coffee shop.” Once you have the problem, you can work on creating a business that offers a solution.
Ideas Are Stepping Stones to Success.
Many times, people who are starting their business from nothing, can get easily overwhelmed by how long and difficult the road ahead of them may seem. This idea of starting your own business from scratch can be daunting, and you may seem as though you have nothing to help you along the way, but this is not true. Ideas are your biggest ally.
If you have strong ideas for your business then you have the stepping stones to success that you need. If you have a strong idea or multiple ideas, you are already ahead of much of your competition. If you have an idea, you have more than nothing, and you have what you need in order to create something new. Everyone starts at some point or another with nothing, but you have more than that, you have a solid idea for a business, meaning you are steps ahead on your journey to becoming a successful entrepreneur.
Keeping this in mind can give you the fuel and the motivation that you need to stay focused and stay on task with your journey towards becoming a successful entrepreneur.
Become a Story Teller.
If you want your business to succeed then your business needs to have a strong story behind it. This means that you need to be a good story teller. If you want to sell the idea of your business to partners, investors, customers or future employees, then you need to be able to tell them the story of your company and tell it in an engaging way that makes them believe in your company and what you are doing.
You would be surprised by how far the right passion, the right story and the right language can go when it comes to marketing your new business venture. If you want to practice delivering this story, work on it every day. Tell the story of your company over and over again not only to your friends and family, but to yourself. The first step is being convinced of the greatness of your company’s story. If you can convince yourself of how amazing your story is, then you can convince others as well.
Work With a Sense of Urgency.
If you are worried about all of the things that can hold you back as you start and grow your company, then you will never find the success that you are looking for. One of the biggest obstacles that aspiring entrepreneurs face is their own attitudes. If you are worried and stall on executing and dwell on “what ifs” you are only delaying your success. Once you have really refined your idea, you need to get in work mode and start executing.
The best thing you can do for yourself to get your business off the ground is to work with a sense of urgency. Move fast and look forward. It is the best way to prevent yourself from falling victim to “analysis paralysis.” Don’t worry so much about falling or failing. If you fall at least you are falling forward and getting there fast, so you can pick yourself up and move forward.
Keep these tips in mind as you start your own journey towards becoming an entrepreneur. You may not have much behind you, but if you look to the future and look to the words of wisdom from self-made business owners before you, then you have the opportunity to really succeed in your new venture.
Erik Wilson is a serial entrepreneur who is involved with many philanthropic endeavors and is continually devoted to making the world a more positive place. He is the founder and CEO of Pozify, a social networking app devoted to spreading positivity across the web.
