Breathing life into a startup business begins with a single idea. Nurturing the growth of that startup business so that it can sustain a competitive market and incite change is no easy feat. It requires courage, passion, ingenuity, dedication and, well, a lot of embracing what it feels like to “fall on your face” so to speak. Not all lessons have to come the hard way. Utilizing these tips along the way will help you to minimize the bumps in the road and maximize the success potential for your startup business.
Startup Business Tip #1: Ready, Set, START
The wise Zig Ziglar once said, “You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.” While continued market research is instrumental for startup business success, don’t waste too much time overanalyzing the location of your starting line – learning how to inspire business growth and handle the marathon ahead is going to require a lot more of your energy. Successful entrepreneurs are problem solvers, not complainers. That being said, garages aren’t just havens for parked cars, dirty tools and teenage punk bands…
Startup Business Tip #2: Don’t Be Afraid to Start in a Garage
Do you think that the expert minds behind the most beloved billion dollar companies stumbled upon their empires by chance? (Cue imagery of Bill Gates singing Beyoncé’s “I Woke Up Like This” here) Back to the point… no. Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, has not been declared the “richest person in the world” for 18 of the last 23 years all because he woke up on the right side of the bed. Gates had to earn his spot on Forbes’ rich list, with an increasing net worth last estimated at $83.9 billion – an empire that got its start in a garage in Albuquerque, NM. Other billionaire brands that began as garage startup businesses include Google, Apple, Amazon, Hewlett-Packard (HP) and more.
Startup Business Tip #3: Learn How to Get Comfortable With Failure
If you aren’t comfortable with failure yet, we’ve got some news that might be hard for you to digest – you will fail. In fact, studies indicate that an alarming 9 out of 10 small businesses will fail. Before you start abandoning your idea out of fear, it’s important to toughen up and recognize that how you choose to respond to those failures is the exact factor that differentiates the successful 10 percent from their failing counterparts. In the inspired words of an unknown author with a killer point, “Giving up on your goal because of one setback is like slashing your other three tires because you got one flat.”
Startup Business Tip #4: Use Those Failures to Fuel Your Business Baby’s Future
When you hear your inner voice shouting, “Nobody ever said it would be this hard!” do yourself a favor by ignoring it and getting back to work on your next solution. That phrase is often associated with the challenges of being a new parent, and much like babies depend on their parents for a strong foundation, your startup business needs you to succeed. Successful entrepreneurs are problem solvers, not complainers. Carlos Castaneda was really onto something when he insightfully said, “We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same.” Remember to work smarter, not harder.
Startup Business Tip #5: Strive to Utilize Passion to Make a Difference (Not a Paycheck)
We aren’t suggesting that you abandon money as a driving force entirely, because that would be ridiculous. After all, who wouldn’t want to feast their eyes on a personal bank statement with too many zeros to count? We are simply suggesting that the hard work and energy you put into your startup business is driven by the meaning behind the paycheck, not the numbers on the line. Passion and perseverance paves the way every time. We’ll leave you with some insight from an iconic entrepreneur with a net worth of $4.9 billion who shared the following with Business Insider:
“When I started Virgin from a basement in West London, there was no great plan or strategy. I didn’t set out to build a business empire. For me, building a business is all about doing something to be proud of, bringing talented people together and creating something that’s going to make a real difference to other people’s lives.” – Richard Branson, CEO of Virgin
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