by Iya Manlapig Mendoza
“It’s important to realize that a brand is much more than a logo and slogan. A brand is who your company is: how you function and make decisions.” -Joanna McFarland, Co-founder of HopSkipDrive.
We all have a story as to why we would like to open up our own business. No one said it’s gonna be easy. In fact, when it comes down to it, you might get drowned with a series of struggles and serious challenges in life.
Not only it would affect your bank account, your family, friends, and peers, but it would make a huge impact on your emotional, physical, and mental health as well!
But do you have what it takes to be an Entrepreneur?
The Downside of Being an Entrepreneur
People are going to be excited when you plan your own business. But once you’re in the starting point, everyone would start to doubt you, and your capacity.
They would start to compare you to other people who failed right after they started their businesses. Not only that, but they’d try to manipulate you into thinking that you might end up with the people who went bankrupt or to the people who made massive declining results within their families and circle of friends.
Sometimes, these people would eventually influence you into thinking that ‘maybe they’re right. Maybe Entrepreneurship is not really my thing?’
Another factor to consider is the idea, the concept behind your business. Businesses who have no competitors are very rare or should I say, almost impossible! Everyone has their own set of skills, talents, and knowledge that they wanted to pursue and be passionate about.
They all wanted to earn, help people, and be different. Just like you!
Imagine the risks and challenges that you’re going to face once you enter the market. It’s no piece of cake! The business may not go as well as you expected it to be. You may not be able to handle all these problems arising from time to time. Doubts from other people can really do happen.
The resources such as the money, location, machineries, tools, manpower, permits, and even the time that you are about to spend and situations that you’re going to handle are too much! If these aren’t available from you, you’d end up losing more, or worse, losing it all!
On a Positive Note…
There’s always a positive answers to the negative feedbacks!
Here’s the thing. When you manage to open up your own business, when you swallow all those nonsense doubts and fear that you have in mind and that you’re finally ready to fulfill your dreams, then the satisfaction and excitement will boil you up, giving you fire to push and move forward.
The proud look of you in the mirror along with those people who helped you to be in this position is a pleasing result to look at! Once you surpass the first stage struggles, your resources would be flexible. More income and more time for yourself and your family!
You don’t have to worry about making it big from the very start! Businesses don’t always have a gigantic beginning. In fact, almost everything starts at the bottom.
Don’t rush anything. Go with the flow. Follow the time-rule, and focus more on how you’re going to improve and find success, not how long are you going to do it,
And the best part about all of these is that you can be the boss of your own!
What can Help?
Aside from the pieces of advice and legally that we always hear from successful people, advertisements, and courses that we took. Personal reflection can help since everything should start about you!
Han Gwon Lung, an Author, Content Strategist, Marketing Advisor, and Co-Founder of Tailored Ink gave out 6 Questionsthat Entrepreneurs should ask themselves before starting.
He listed it out as:
a. ‘Could I survive, financially and psychologically, poorer than I am now?’
b. ‘Could I work on something alone, and without encouragement?’
c. ‘Do I want to learn marketing, sales, accounting, etc.?’
d. ‘When it comes down to it, am I an overachiever?’
e. ‘Can I comfortably delegate tasks to others?’
f. ‘Would I be a good mentor?’
g, ‘Do I still want to build that boat?’
To get more information about this Entrepreneurial journey, go ahead and check the 10 Questions Every Entrepreneur Should Ask. Meditating on these questions would help you answer whether are you ready to move on to the next stage? And Imagine 5 years from now, where will you be at?
