Guest Contributors
How to Recognize and Take Action on Your
Most Important Entrepreneurial Goals
At any given time, budding entrepreneurs are sprouting up daily. According to the Small Business Administration, there are about 600,000 new business started annually. With the economy in a state of flux, downturns are typically the times when people start thinking about starting a business.
There's all sorts of energy and ideas brewing and people get hyped, but people seldom get going. A lot of people get stuck at the starting blocks because they are lost, entrepreneurially speaking. They fret over having enough money, or time, or information.
More often than not, these considerations are excuses to hindering progress. Many people flounder because they have the target, but not the arrow. However, you don't have to get caught in start-up burn out. There are tell-tale clues to your entrepreneurial purpose.
- Have you ever found yourself awake in the middle of the night with a thought that just won't go away?
- Do you find the conversation you're having with others turning to an idea, concept or business venture that you can't stop talking about?
- Do you have to snap-to or “come back to reality” after finding your thoughts drifting to an entrepreneurial day dream? Or worse... do you feel disappointed when you do?
You know that thing you are constantly talking about with conviction and enthusiasm, that people are always saying, “OK OK, we get it. Enough already...”
This, my friend, is passion. You have just found the arrow.
Think about it this way: Imagine carrying around a picture of your business in your wallet. What would it look like? What would you tell people about it? What about your business would make you so proud of it, that you'd talk to complete strangers about it?
Think about it, you already have something you can’t stop thinking about, something you can’t stop talking about, and something you can’t stop dreaming about. You’re well on your way. Guess what, all of that thinking, talking, and dreaming translates into Products & Services, Sales, and Marketing. How’s that for a jump start?
The business in your wallet may sound crazy, but that’s exactly the level of intensity and passion you want to take with you when you share your ideas with potential partners, investors, and customers. Booyah.
A big reason many entrepreneurs fail to launch is they are waiting to get 100% of the money, idea, time, or resources before they more forward. This is a major waste of energy and enthusiasm.
The key to winning here is to just get started with a plan and consistent action, and the rest will fall into place along the way. It’s like the road being built just before you need to walk on it.
Think about it, when you left high school, did you know everything you needed to know about the world when you left? Many of us would like to think so, but the truth is, you did not.
The same is true of when you started college, and started a new job. You didn't know everything you needed to know, you knew just enough of what you needed to get started, and the rest you acquired on the way.
Entrepreneurial vision is a lot like the wallet picture and the road — you may not see it, but you believe in it so much that you take the next step anyway.
Now that you know where you're going, here's how to get there:
Create a plan of attack: Planning, scheduling, and meeting become strategic armor when you are invigorated by the energy of your ideas. Energy is effortless and ideas are inspirational.
Find where you lack: We'd all like to think we know it all, and worse, that we can do it all alone. To be most successful, identify and fortify your strong points, and get help for your weaknesses – find a mentor, get coaching or find a small business incubator or brain trust.
Hit the sack – proper rest sets the tone for success. Use your TV hours to build an entrepreneurial reality tv show you can't live without.
Get on the right track – Ready the course for success, set short and long-term goals, and get going.
Recover Quickly from Setback – Mistakes are learning Opportunities
My grandmother used to say, “take the lesson, leave the pain.” Sometimes entrepreneurs get this backwards... they leave the lesson and wallow in all the pain about their failure they can recall in their minds. Ouch. A stumble is not a fall and a fall is not a failure. Remember, you only fail if you quit. Stay teachable and reachable, accountable, and actionable.
About the Author:
Shonn Scott is a professional speaker and facilitator who has presented to small to large groups at Morgan State University, Community College of Baltimore County, Project Second Start; the State of Maryland Department of Human Resources, (DHR) and the Maryland State Department of Education, to name a few.
Click the following link to learn more about: Shonn Scott
The Target and The Arrow: How to Recognize and Take Action on Your Most Important Entrepreneurial Goals
1. Plan your attack – begin and end each day with a list of accomplishments – those which you will do, and those you have done.
2. Find where you lack – identify and fortify your strengths, and seek a coach, role model, or mentor to fill gaps in your weaknesses.
3. Hit the sack – proper rest sets the schedule for success.
4. Get on the right track – visualize and follow YOUR dreams, not someone else's
5. Recover quickly from setback – mistakes are learning opportunities. Take the lesson and leave the pain. You only fail if you quit!
Newsletter
