To start your own business, desire alone is not enough. Here are nine tips, including personal aspects.
To start your own business, desire alone is not enough. You need to follow certain "rules of the game" that will bring you closer to your cherished goal. Here are nine tips, including personal aspects. Are you ready to change yourself?
Have you decided to start your own business but feel indecisive? Are you afraid that you may not succeed and see a huge number of obstacles? In 2013, according to a study by the National Association for Innovation and Development of Information Technologies, a decline in innovation activity was noted in Russia: a decrease in the number of requests and proposals from innovators, a general decline in interest in innovative projects. Among 538 developers of innovative projects from 21 regions of the country, about 31% of participants planned to change their activities to permanent work in the real sector, and 13% have already left their projects. These dynamics are reminiscent of similar processes in 2008-2009, which took place against the backdrop of the global crisis. Daniel Newnam, co-founder of We Make Play and author of Med Men of Mobile, based on her interviews with successful entrepreneurs, advises stocking up on optimism and confidence and offers 10 tips to help you launch a successful project. Which ones are you ready to adopt?
1. Don't be afraid to share your idea with everyone
Entrepreneurs are notoriously overly suspicious. Do you think that someone will steal your idea if you openly discuss it, for example, on social networks? Not at all! Develop an idea that's hard to steal and surround yourself with trusted people. The important thing is how you plan to bring your idea to life, not the idea itself.
2. Ignore advice
The number of people who dare to launch their startup is significantly less than the number of those who simply talk about their desire. And the thing is that there will always be such “smart people” from among friends, relatives, colleagues who will want to moderate your ardor, advising: “You are too young / old”, “You have no experience at all” or “You have absolutely no of money". Sound familiar? In reality, no one understands the situation better than you and is unable to assess the possible risks. Trust your heart. Take a chance. And very soon you will understand what you are capable of: holding a tit in your hand or hunting for a crane.
3. Don't delay with the project launch date
Nothing motivates people like a specific deadline for completing a project. If the implementation of your idea in life lasts an indefinitely long amount of time, then you will still find hundreds of reasons to postpone this date even more. Remember: you can't create something perfect right away. But over time, you can finalize your idea, for example, based on the wishes and reviews of customers.
4. Choose your business partners responsibly
Evaluate your partners as meticulously as if you were choosing your husband / wife. After all, at first you will spend much more time with these people than with your family. Many unions of young entrepreneurs break up precisely because of interpersonal disagreements. Before starting the project, make sure that your colleagues not only support your idea and are professionals in their field, but also that you are psychologically comfortable working with these people. After all, the success of a business largely depends on the team. In this case, everyone should give all their best at 100%.
5. Love your work with all your heart
If a person is madly passionate about his work, then the business has every chance of success. Such people think about their business day and night. And nothing matters to them. This drive will help the company survive in difficult times, of which there will certainly be many. As Chris Burton, co-founder of the Shazam project, once said: “Perseverance is the key to a successful business. If you are not ready to accomplish the impossible, then your chances are zero."
6. Don't get hung up on money
All the entrepreneurs Daniel Newnam had a chance to talk to say that when they started their business, they didn't even think about selling it. If you are not obsessed with your business and only think about money, everything is lost. You must want to work for your company happily ever after. Over time, you will be surrounded by dedicated people who know their business and are ready to help in difficult times. Enjoy your startup. You will definitely succeed in creating a successful company, which in the beginning was just an idea.
7. Do not select employees only on the basis of the "smartest" principle
Recruiting personnel is a complex, lengthy and expensive endeavor for those starting a startup. You need like-minded people willing to work overtime, sometimes for an idea, to get what you want. Not always a red diploma is a guarantee of success, but a person with charisma, to some extent an adventurer, is just the one you need. Over time, you will be able to thank him in full.
8. Remember that there are no irreplaceable people
In your project, you must understand every little thing. Then you will not be overwhelmed by a state of panic if the CFO suddenly wants to leave, or one day you have a fight with your partner. Even at the initial stage of a startup, do all the work yourself, because then you will clearly understand what you need and what needs to be done.
9. Don't be afraid to make mistakes
In America, people are not as afraid of failing in business out of fear of error as they are in Europe. But you and I are not perfect and we make mistakes. It is natural. As the saying goes: under a lying stone and water does not flow. Now imagine a different situation. How will you feel when you find out that your idea was brought to life by another person, and not you? And all because you were afraid.
