by Angie Weber | Featured Contributor
Whoa! It has been a crazy six years working at tena.cious.
When I got started, I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. As I dove in to the business side of things, I begin to take some serious ownership in the company and from there, I grew into a full fledged intrapreneur.
I loved the role I was playing and I always thought, “I never want to own a business!” Taxes, payroll, accounting… I’ll leave that to someone else. I just wanted to stick to the fun stuff like leading a team, growing professional + personally, and networking.
But that all changed last winter when I went to a meeting with a client. I had known this lady for sometime and she explained she had a spot up for grabs in her biz complex- the first time in almost 40 years! As she started telling me about what she was looking for in a company to fill that space, something inside me exploded.
For the real first time, I knew I wanted needed to be an entrepreneur.
After that day, there was no turning back and soon, Hello Life was born. I was eager and ready to take on this new challenge. But I will admit, I felt like I had a total advantage on this whole thing.
First of all, I was going to partner with the owner of tena.cious- so right there it was exciting to know I was going to be growing this with someone who had as much passion as me. But I also had learned a lot of lessons through the hundreds of entrepreneurs that I’ve met through the years. I’ve seen some thrive and, well, I’ve seen some not do so great.
The do-s and don’ts that I’ve picked up over the years were not going to be wasted as I dove into entrepreneurship. Each of these lessons are oh-so important and I could tell you many stories behind each, but I will give you the cliff notes below.
1. Passion.
The truth is, it doesn’t matter what you do. It’s all about the why you do what you do. When people get into business thinking it’s going to be a quick buck or a “get rich quick” kind of thing, they are never successful.
One of the best examples I can give is a multi level marketing type of company. People who think they will become a success overnight don’t tend to stick with the company for more then a month or two. But the people who love the product they are representing + understand the amazing value of it are the ones who go to the top!
2. Delegation.
Do you feel like you are wearing all of the hats? Have no time to do anything because you already have to much on your plate? It’s time to start delegating.
Even as a new biz owner, the first thing we did was hire a virtual assistant to help us with odds and ends. I knew that the investment would come back tenfold (and it has!). Yet, too many entrepreneurs feel like they have to do everything themselves and it ends up keeping them stuck. From one control freak to another, “It’s time to let go!”
Not sure where to start? Write out a list of everything you do right now. We are talking down to checking voicemails, peeps. Next, make a new list next to it of the things you want to be doing. Whatever is left over are the items you need to pass off first.
3. Accountability.
You can’t do this alone. I repeat, you can’t do this alone. You need people in order to make your business successful and I’m not talking just about clients. You need a tribe behind you to support you and keep you accountable.
If you have not shared that one goal that freaks you out… go and shout it to them now!
4. Everyone + Anyone.
Don’t be the business owner who wants to help everyone and anyone. Harsh reality: it will never happen. There are way too many people out there to “help”. You need to start thinking about who you actually want to be working with. This will help create clarity in everything you do in your biz- your marketing, your networking, the way you talk about your biz, and the services/products you create.
I promise, the more clear you can get on your perfect client, the more will start running to you.
5. Shout It!
You started a business. Now go tell people!
You are doing amazing things, but no one will know about it unless you tell them. Too often I see people shying away from sharing their business with their friends, families, and even people they network with. Unfortunately, people can’t read minds, so you need to tell them what you’re up to and what you can help them with.
There you have it, the 5 lessons to get you to success. Okay, well maybe there are a few more steps along the way, but these are things that even the most ventured entrepreneur can struggle with.
Drop in the comments the one lesson you are going to apply to your biz this week!
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After time spent searching for the perfect job and having no luck, Angie Weber was introduced to tena.cious. Not only did she find her passion for small business, she also discovered one very important thing about herself- she is a true intrapreneur. (You know, those people who act like entrepreneurs, but don’t have as much risk in the game?)
While she co-runs tena.cious and helps clients showcase their personalties online, she also spreads awareness about intrapreneurs- the good, the bad, and the ugly awesomeness. If you want to get an inside look on intrapreneurs, check out here podcast, The Intrapreneur Life.
