by Bianca Oliva | Featured Contributor
Entrepreneurship is a loaded word. Some make it look easy; flaunting successful businesses, nice cars, and drool-worthy Snapchat stories. Success doesn’t just happen. It takes hard work, never ending hours, and a lot of preparation.
But there’s a few things you need to know before embarking on the journey…
You don’t need to be a jack-of-all-trades
There’s a common misconception about being an entrepreneur; you have to know and do everything. I’m sure its useful to be versed in sales, marketing, bookkeeping and everything in between… but you can only wear so many hats at once. Don’t be afraid to branch out and learn new things. Just remember to focus your energy on what you’re great at, and what you love.
There’s always homework to be done
This may seem to contradict my first point, but hear me out. There’s always something to learn. Being an entrepreneur means being prepared to educate yourself and stay up to date on current trends and developments in your niche. If you thought homework ended in college, you’re in for a surprise. But don’t worry! This time, it’s a lot more fun.
Its not just helpful to network… its necessary
When I began stepping out of freelancing and moving on to start my own business, I wasn’t quite aware of how important it is to network. Not only does networking allow you to get a new perspective on your industry and target audience, but it gives you a chance to learn from the successes and failures of others. I’ve yet to come across a successful entrepreneur who was unwilling to share their story, or at least some good advice.
The road to success is littered with failures
This one of hardest truths to understand and accept, especially if you’re someone with an entrepreneurial mindset. You’ll fail many times before you succeed. Minor failures along the way are guaranteed. Whether you choose to continue on to reach the success waiting for you at the end, is up to you. As Oprah Winfrey once said; “Failure is another stepping stone to greatness.”
Every lesson is an opportunity
Just like every failure is lesson, every lesson is an opportunity to grow and evolve into a stronger and more successful you. Not to be cliche here, but carpe diem! Seize the day and each moment in it. There are
Entrepreneurship is not an easy journey. Its full of blood, sweat, tears, and sleepless nights doing anything and everything we have to do, in order to keep ourselves and our businesses running. But it’s worth it to know that every day we get to live the lives we want to; on our own terms.
I’m a blogger and mom of two amazing boys on the 6th year of my entrepreneur adventure. I create content to share realistic and profitable tips, tricks, and advice for entrepreneur women. My goal is to inspire and teach the need-to-know’s of entrepreneurship and marketing; and doing it all while raising a family!