With this struggling economy and the shrinking job market, or jobs that no longer pay livable wages, starting a business or trying to make extra income by moonlighting sound like good ideas to many people.
And of course, with the internet, it’s easier than ever to start, especially a home-based business, but still many people fail. Why is that so?
It takes a certain type of person with certain qualities to make it in business.
Here’s what you need (or need to learn):
Failure Is An Option
One of the fundamental mindsets of s successful businessperson is that failure is a blessing in disguise. When you fail, you learn. When you fail hard, you learn something truly valuable that no book can teach you. Once you start on your business journey, you’re going to be ‘learning’ every day.
The problem is not the failing, the problem is getting up and bouncing back quickly after a fail.
You need to take an objective look at your failures and figure out what went wrong. It can take a ridiculous amount of courage to get back on the horse and keep riding every day. But keep in mind that those that win the race are those that stayed on the back of that horse to make it to the finish line.
Driven by Your Passion
How badly do you want to succeed in your business? You need to be passionate about achieving that success. One way to assess your passion is to ask yourself whether you’d be doing this without the pay (partly because there may be none, at first anyway!). Passion is what helps you get through the tough times, even if these difficult times last a year or more.
Stubbornly Positive
I’ve said it repeatedly in this website positive mindset is indispensable to success. All successful entrepreneurs stand on a platform of positive outlook.
No matter how bad things might get, you need to keep negative thoughts at bay. It can easily poison everything you do. The key to a positive mindset is to accept that things will work out one way or another, no matter what happens. Fortunately, positivity is something you can practice and get better at over time.
Disciplined or Willing to Try
To start a business, you need to either be disciplined or willing to impose some discipline on yourself. You have to set goals, formulate plans, stay on task, and stick to schedules. Sometimes, you’ll get up early; other times, you’ll stay up late. You’ll often force yourself to work when you don’t want to and with no time clock or boss urging you on.
If you totally lack discipline in any form, don’t worry. You can learn. Lots of people have. All you need is the willingness to do so. Read up books on productivity. Study courses on focus, discipline and habit change. Or better still, get a coach or an accountability partner.
Do Your Homework
When you’re starting a business, you may have to do everything yourself. That’s why you need to do your homework and learn all about the laws that regulate whatever business you’re planning. For example, you have to incorporate yourself and manage finances. Get ready to delve into all of this. It takes lots of study, but every person with a business does it.
How do you really know if you have what it takes? There’s one sure-fire way to find out. Talk to somebody who has successfully run their own business. Have a chat over coffee and pick their brains. Don’t expect them to hand you the key or show you where you’ll find the magic button. Just listen to their experiences and ask yourself, ‘Can I do that?’
And if you’re convinced you can, there’s only one way to prove it: just dive in.
