I meet and talk to multiple individuals who have sacrificed the 9-5 grind gladly for a chance to be an entrepreneur, to become their own boss, to grow and thrive. Many of them think there is something wrong in their business and they need to find the magic formula to get the things solved.
The constant search to get into some DIY course, certification, accreditation keeps them curious throughout. They believe if they spend their energy on these things, they will gain a credibility to drive business. If this sounds like you, then you are not alone. It is true you will get to know things related to finance, economics, business theories but you should know the fact that these business schools will not teach you everything you should know to run a business successfully.
Business fail at the rate of 90 percent. Scary, right? I count myself fortunate to have survived. Since the launch of ProofHub in 2011, the business adventure throughout has been unstable ― new beginnings, failures and mistakes. Well, with many competitors ― project management tools being evolved, ProofHub has managed to carve a niche of its own.
If you are also getting on-off the ground in your business, I have some valuable insights that you need to know because these are the lessons no school will teach you.
Being a successful entrepreneur doesn't come up with a certification or having a glamorous lifestyle, or working on the laptop for hours, there is a lot more to it. Let’s start:
1. Be a Learner Always
All the entrepreneurs need to know: success is more than just getting a degree, learning the first 18-22 years of life, the process of learning should go on lifelong. It’s more important than ever to stay up-to-date, willing to continuously improve to cross the unexpected hurdles. Richard Branson, English business magnate, left school at 15 but his love for learning inspired him to chase his dreams.
2. Celebrate Small Wins
Make the euphoria of your small or big wins memorable. Small win can become a big win. Whatever may be your goal, celebrate even the small win on the way that will add up to boost your motivation. Want to become happier at work? Stop relying on emails and switch to ProofHub!
3. Give Yourself Mental and Physical Breaks
Your brain may try to kill you consuming your health, relationship, and life. All work and no play is a big disaster. The push can be productive but at the same it’s exhausting. According to the Gallup Wellbeing Index, 45% of entrepreneurs report being stressed compared to 42% of “other workers.” Elon Musk has stepped back from reportedly working 80-90 hours weekly, because he realized the body and mind are not computers. Give yourself a break -- walk, bike ride, enjoy solid hours of sleep, decide for a day nothing is urgent.
4. It’s a lot More than Just Plans
Every business should have a plan, but a plan can fail if it is a ‘bad’ plan. That means;
- Poorly written
- Sloppy presentation
- Incomplete steps
- Unrealistic assumptions
- No research
5. Procrastination is Death
When you become your boss, there is no one breathing down your neck. And on the way you might be a victim of procrastination. A laid back structure of working can be extremely dangerous for you as getting back on track can become tough. Stay away from procrastination by maintaining real work hours, setting priorities, tracking your time, keep routines and stick to them.
6. Find a Single Tool than Multiple Tools
Keeping up with changing technology trends is a good way forward but it is complex to invest in multiple tools for different services like managing tasks, file management, managing deadlines, time tracking and many more like reporting, timesheets etc.. Find a centralized place for everything to keep everything in the loop.
There is no school that will teach you how to solve the ups and down in journey. Spread your little wings and fly far away!
A version of this article first appeared on Medium
Author Bio:
Vartika Kashyap is the Marketing Manager at ProofHub and has been one of the LinkedIn Top Voices in 2017. Her articles are inspired by office situations and work-related events. She likes to write about productivity, team building, work culture, leadership, entrepreneurship among others and contributing to a better workplace is what makes her click. For more articles regarding leadership, inspiration and productivity follow Vartika Kashyap on Medium as well.