Listen Up Budding Entrepreneurs! Here’s Some Advice You’re Going to Need!
An anonymous entrepreneur said – I am at a point in my life where I am so grateful that I was able to get involved with building a startup, after landing on a product so good it sold like crazy! It’s called XYZ, and the 25 employee team is growing exponentially with more than $4m ARR. Paul Graham’s essay, ‘How to Make Wealth,’ is a great piece of work which constantly springs to my mind when I thing about how fast Buffer has moved and what I am responsible for;
“You can think of a startup as a way to compress your whole working life into a few years. Imagine the stress of working for the Post Office for fifty years. In a startup you compress all this stress into three or four years.”
Maybe you have been thinking of starting up a business and taking a piece of the pie for yourself? I can definitely tell you that there is nothing more stressful than this but then, there is also nothing as satisfying either. Having said that, if you are reading this then good news! You will have some advice that I wish I knew in the beginning and hopefully you’ll move at a much quicker pace than I, instead of stumbling around.
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Keep Experimenting
I’ve always had a number of side projects going to keep me busy and I tinkered with some online startups in the past (okay maybe more than a few). I never liked the idea of focusing on one single website, business, or talent as I have tried a number of different things and I can tell you that it works a lot better. I was a freelance developer and then ended up starting Buffer as a side gig, only a few hours a week. Until you have actually found something that is awesome and works for you to bring in traffic, keep going until you nail it!
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Be Continually Inspired
I was reading books, watching interviews, buying e-learning courses and doing anything I could to stay involved, inspired, and motivated to learn more in order to apply it to my business. Back in Buffer’s earliest days, I was constantly doing this to stay motivated and to have great ideas when it came to my business. I emulated, imitated, impersonated (yes really), and went overboard but the knowledge I gained was priceless and propelled my attempts.
You will have to knuckle down at some point and work your butt off but you must never stop learning new things and finding new ways to do them. When the night is dark, you will find the light you need in your inspirational activities to keep moving forward.
3. Get Out of Your Comfort Zone
I’ve moved and lived all over the world and I can tell you that it is one of the greatest experiences of my life. From the UK to Tel Aviv, Hong Kong, and now living in San Francisco, experiencing different locations and cultures is the best way to stay motivated and inspired. Getting out of your comfort zone and stepping into the unknown could be just the push or drive you will need to succeed in your new start up.
4. Pick the Right Friends
When you think about your life, are there any people that are serious drains or dampeners on your spirit? Do you think about the kind of friends you’d like to have? The go out and get them! Cut all the bad eggs loose and start building up a social circle that is supportive and adopts the same routines or lifestyle you have. Having a large number of optimists can be great for your morale but make sure that it is critical feedback and not just what you want to hear. Try to involve yourself in a social circle with other budding entrepreneurs who will feel the struggle and understand d what you are going through. If you can hire them, even better
5. Stay Focused
Don’t worry about all the things you MIGHT have to do when looking at other businesses and instead, concentrate on finding a problem and providing a solution. Funding, incorporation, and the like all comes later down the track so don’t get distracted or disheartened by any of it. If you start to find some increased traffic and sales, you’re doing the right thing!
6. Be Vocal and Open
Use every form of social media to help gain exposure and awareness for your start-ups. Attending various networking meetings and mentioning your start-up to friends and associates are all great ways to build up awareness. My initial marketing campaign was the 1700 followers I had on Twitter; all I needed!
