Here are 5 Ways to Stand Out as an Entrepreneur & Make It Big in Business:
1. Think BIG, act SMALL.
…no one really talks about the months and years of hard work it takes to get there. When you think small, you limit what’s possible. Stop thinking like an employee, start thinking like your own boss. You don’t need permission or a title. The first step is being self-aware that you have an entrepreneurial mindset–ready to do the work it takes to create something new. Then commit yourself fully to accomplishing your goal by practicing your vision every day until it becomes second nature–“You’re only as good as your last game.” Time is your biggest resource – don’t squander it. Entrepreneurs work on an 18-hour clock – never wasting time by running unnecessary errands.
2. Seek out problems to solve
As per Paul Haarman, every business starts with one person’s problem-solving skills and vision for making things better than they were before. It all starts with a personal frustration or lack of satisfaction due to existing circumstances. If you want your business to be around long term, start with something that solves a real pain point–not just another idea that needs “perfected”. The longer you work at building something that solves people’s problems, the bigger your business becomes. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to be so hard on yourself that your vision for making things better than they were before gets blocked out because you’re too focused on what’s wrong vs. right with something. Everything has problems…even if it seems like “the best” at first glance, there’s always room for improvement (and there isn’t anyone alive who doesn’t want things to be even better).
3. Be willing to go ALL IN
Entrepreneurship takes guts and commitment (a true passion that burns deep within your soul). If you feel like skydiving without a parachute–do it! You’ll never know how much control, freedom, and empowerment feels until you take the plunge by quitting your job (putting in your 2-week notice) and starting something that is 100% yours. You’ll never know how satisfying it feels to be the one calling all the shots, making all the decisions, taking care of your loved ones’ financial needs on your own terms…even if there are some sacrifices along the way. New opportunities come out of nowhere when you decide to go ALL IN on creating something new vs. complaining about things being too tough or wanting more money–you have to be willing to jump towards an uncertain future. When you’re working with fear, you’re always chasing it instead of overcoming it–and then what happens? You die a little inside every time you give up an opportunity because it “wasn’t perfect” yet.
4. Remaining positive is a key
When you’re always on the lookout for problems, it’s easy to forget about everything that’s working in your business. You don’t have to implement every new idea 100% immediately but keep an open mind by being willing to test things out by seeing if they work for other people besides yourself…it doesn’t mean you have to agree with every idea that comes your way. Just be open to new opportunities that can help you grow. If something’s not working, it doesn’t mean you should give up on the whole business just because one piece isn’t playing nice.
5. Build a strong support system
Direct-to-customer brands chose to run contrary to the natural order of things and overturn the business-standard. Furthermore, it has paid off. Direct-to-customer brands, like Warby Parker or Dollar Shave Club, are incredible instances of this. They tracked down ways of upsetting the inventory network to carry quality items to buyers at a lower cost.
Conclusion by Paul Haarman:
Entrepreneurship is freeing, empowering, and rewarding in a way that you can’t experience with a 9-5 job. Are you willing to prioritize something different in your life if it means freedom? Make a difference–and make a bigger impact on the world than you did yesterday by making smaller changes in your life today.
