The First Step of Entrepreneurship
In an age where entrepreneurship has become mainstream and sexy, everyone wants to be a part of the hustle. You don’t have to search very hard to find someone touting a mantra that goes hand in hand with a few of the main steps in the act of how to grow and sustain a business.
But for all of these boastful personalities that are willing to share their opinions at the simple drop of a hat, the same question continues to be asked in almost every entrepreneurial community throughout the world:
How do I even get started in becoming an entrepreneur?
Depending on the company you keep (in-person & what material you absorb), you’ll hear a number of different answers.
Perhaps you’ll get swept up in the rhetoric that content is king and you’ll quickly be off to the races writing blog posts, creating videos, or publishing social media posts surrounding your preferred industry / niche.
Or maybe you’ll get enamored with finding a problem to solve in a market with high potential. You position yourself to a point where research becomes your strongest ally in this race ‘to the top’.
Realistically speaking, the first step of entrepreneurship isn’t either of those things.
Before anyone creates a solution to a problem, becomes an industry leader, or embarks down the road of self-employment, you need to have a complete evaluation of self.
Imagine for a moment that you’re assigned the task to go across the United States from a point on the east coast to a point on the west coast. Your mind immediately races and you quickly jot down things that will help you along the way.
Your friend in St. Louis? That is worth a night’s stay or two.
Always wanted to visit the Rocky Mountains? You’ll definitely stop in Colorado. The list goes on and on with similar items.
Did you ever stop to think about HOW you’re going to make the trip? What vehicle or transportation system will you use? This question alone should be the first challenge you tackle.
Likewise in the entrepreneurial world, we become so enchanted with finding a solution, tailoring our builds to a strong product market fit, or even raising capital, that we lose sight of the very system we’ll tax in order to get there — ourselves.
So before venturing out and diving headfirst in the wild world of entrepreneurship, take a few weeks to make an honest evaluation of self and see if you’re willing to sign up for the weighted journey you’ll be giving yourself. If you’re completely unfamiliar with the road of entrepreneurship and what it will require, find a few local entrepreneurs to ask them their thoughts and opinions.
It doesn’t matter if you want to build a high growth startup, a new coffee shop down the street, or if you’re finally taking your career to 100% freelancing mode. The more knowledgeable you become about yourself before making the jump, the far more productive & capable individual you’ll be when you’ll up against all the odds.
— —
Thank you for reading! If you’d like to continue the discussion, work with me, or simply want to say hello, you can start the conversation by visiting my website.
