You wish you had known it all in advance – that you could save the expensive lessons and could have used your current knowledge to run the business efficiently from day one. Experience is nevertheless, something one must earn along the way. But what do experienced entrepreneurs say about their learnings and how can you use this on your journey?
Find your drive
You definitely know what you dream of achieving far into the future. Maybe you can even imagine the scenario. However, focusing on the goal is not enough! It is important to be goal-oriented, and it is important to keep in mind why you have embarked on the entrepreneurial journey, but the journey to the goal can be long. It also means you have to find your drive in something other than your goal. You need to find your drive in the process as well as appreciate and enjoy the path to the goal. Remember that you are an entrepreneur for a reason – that you enjoy building something from scratch and see where it ends.
Give up
You have probably already discovered that you will not get far on your entrepreneurial journey if you do not put hard work into the process. And such is entrepreneurship: It costs money. You have to give up something to realize your dream. Therefore, you will also notice that pace and quality decrease if you do not keep up with the hard work. But remember, it pays off!
Be true to yourself
… and your development! Based on the journey you have embarked on, the development and experience you are taking with you, people are actually listening to what you are saying. It also means that you have to be true to yourself and that you have to trust your abilities. While it can feel stressful to be listened to and asked for advice, this is exactly what provides the necessary pressure for you to deliver. And that if anything gives experience.
Be patient
The experience that you crave quickly begins to grow larger. It comes for better or worse, but the most important thing is that you manage to translate all your experiences into experience and learning, which can help shape your future actions. As an entrepreneur, you sometimes feel like you are getting 10 years older with each passing year. Unforeseen situations, questions and issues arise and force you to take action. And this is how experience is created! You get results-oriented on a whole new level – and that’s cool!
Discover your network
You are far from alone in the big entrepreneurial world. There are seasoned lions around you who have many years of experience in the backpack. Skilled people will always help if they have time. It just requires that you take the courage to ask for help and prepare well if you are lucky enough to learn from the experience. The world of entrepreneurship opens up a huge network filled with passionate people who understand your passion and your life’s work. If you create good relationships with the people you do business with, you suddenly have a sea of people you can spar and share experiences with. They can relate and they understand.
Prioritize your team
The team that is to accompany you on your journey requires focus. This means both that you gather the right team and that you spend time making it stable. A good team is crucial for your and your company’s development. However, this does not mean that it is easy to run a team, especially not if it is a high-performance team. This is because it requires that your own needs and preferences are no longer necessarily a top priority on the list. You need to create a culture where your team thrives and is motivated so they can develop. It can be hard for you as an entrepreneur when you have to think your team into everything you say and do. While perhaps the ultimate most difficult task, managing an entire team filled with different people, requires a lot of you, it’s all worth it! Creating your own is unique – creating and sharing it with your team is far more valuable. See it as a huge opportunity and experience!
Even if you have to build your own experience by translating your experiences into practice, this does not mean that you must not look at the seasoned in the field. Maybe one day they can learn something from you – who knows? But remember that it requires you to believe in yourself, work hard for your goal but also remember the process. It’s not about mastering all the entrepreneurial skills from the start, but about mastering them more today than you did yesterday!
