4. Don’t let “no” stop you
Sara Blakely created Spanx – a billion dollar business – while still working her day job. She was successful because she didn’t take no for an answer. Being an entrepreneur means being rejected. But knowing when to persevere, pivot or give up on an idea is key. If everything is telling you that your idea is good and that customers will want what you are selling, don’t let the fact that other people don’t see your business vision stop you.
5. Be willing to work
David Heinemeier Hansson worked as a consultant before starting his company 37Signals. He warns that even though many entrepreneurs dream of being an overnight success, “building something great takes a long time.”
6. Don’t seek validation
Sara Blakely also cautions against seeking validation, even from friends and family members. In fact, she didn’t tell anyone except her then roommate and boyfriend about the company she was building on the side, despite the amount of work she was putting into it. Though your friends and family may be well-meaning, they may also try to talk you out of your idea because to them it might “sound a little crazy.” But what seems crazy today might be visionary tomorrow.
7. Focus
Steve Wozniak continued to work at HP while he co-founded Apple computer with Steve Jobs. He stresses the importance of focusing on the problems at hand and getting things done. “If you can’t figure out a way to test something and get it working, I don’t think you’re the right type of person to be an entrepreneur. Entrepreneurs have to keep adjusting … everything’s changing, everything’s dynamic, and you get this idea and you get another idea and this doesn’t work out and you have to replace it with something else. Time is always critical because somebody might beat you to the punch.”
8. Do something you’re passionate about
Leo Babauta is an extremely successful blogger who started his business while working full time. He also has six kids. His advice is to, “Make sure it’s something you’re passionate about — do it because you love it, not just to make money. If you do it for the money, you’ll eventually get tired of it and then you’ll be doing something you hate … and you can only do that for so long.” You don’t have to quit your day job to be successful when you start a business. These entrepreneurs succeeded because they knew that in order to make it, it would take more than just more hours. Knowing what to do – and what not to do – with those hours is what will give you the edge. Featured photo credit: campuspartycolombia via flickr.com
