Women's Life Link Be Well, Be Happy, Be YOU!
***This post was a collaboration and may contain affiliate links.
So, you want to start a business? Great! First, there are some things you should know. Going freelance or being an entrepreneur are both career moves that require some guts and fortitude. You will have to deal with some challenging people and technical issues on a regular basis. And, though, this is a common occurrence in business, it doesn’t mean that everyone is prepared for it just because they flip the open sign. I believe preparation and training are the best ways to be ready for a business venture. It’s not unlike training for a marathon or athletic sport. It takes consistency, willingness to push yourself to the limit, and an undying passion for reaching goals. Here are 3 musts for readying yourself for entrepreneurship.
Add Weight To Your Brand
A lot of women entrepreneurs believe that the brands that have served them in the past will continue to serve them in the future. But this isn’t always the case. The problem is that some markets are saturated by thousands of business owners trying to do the same thing. Women have to to find innovative ways to stand out and deliver what their ideal clients want and need. Branding yourself and company based on who you are and what your unique superpowers are will get you more leverage in the market. This is a psychological process in itself.
Protect your business and its future by doing market research before choosing names and domains for your website. That clever biz name you just came up with just might be owned by someone else. You don’t want to be accused of stealing intellectual property or copyright infringement. If you have a slogan, process, or name that is central to the success of your business, you should secure your trademark as soon as you can.
Let Go Of Pride and Ego
When you close the door on the corporate world and go it alone, you soon find out what your limitations are. The good news is that every entrepreneur has their foibles…even the greats. For example, Elon Musk (CEO of SpaceX) doesn’t do everything himself. He has a whole team of executives and professionals to run his company. Letting go of the need to perform every task is a tough thing for many new business owners. This goes double for those of you who might be perfectionists. Yeah, that was me.
Leaving your ego at the door in business is important because it enables you to look for rational ways to address your own weaknesses. If you’re not very good at preparing documents or social media marketing, for instance, don’t pretend that you are. Hire a virtual assistant to take care of that side of the business for you so you can keep your standards high and focus on what you do well.
Have Self-Belief
Self-belief is probably the most important aspect of entrepreneurship. It’s having the ability to put yourself out there, even when it’s uncomfortable. This doesn’t mean you can’t be scared. On the contrary, it means that you do it anyway even though you are terrified. It also means that you believe your goals and dreams are worth fighting for. This keeps you on track when things don’t go your way. Some of the business challenges you will face are things that you can’t really prepare for. You simply have to walk through them.
