*This article was written and edited by Tracey Spicer’s mentee Natalie Scanlon
There’s no better time to pursue your business idea.
Starting a business is hard work. The uncertainty of what is to come can be crippling to a mind that is determined to make a business idea not only sprout, but make some serious profit.
However, an entrepreneur navigates this uncertainty with a cultivated set of skills and mindsets to handle nearly any problem that comes their way. Even the distinctive way that an entrepreneur thinks helps in developing existing skills and expanding thought processes.
The question is, how? How does an entrepreneur get to this point? And, how can other people learn to think like an entrepreneur?
There are several techniques that a person can adopt to think more like an entrepreneur as they navigate the highs and lows of the world of business. Here are just four of the big ways you can start thinking, and feeling, like an entrepreneur;
1. Don’t Just Think Big, Feel Big.
Entrepreneurs not only think big, they feel big. They have big dreams and even bigger goals, with no restriction on vision or foresight. They visualise exactly how it feels to be where they want to be, and don’t stop until they get there. This train of thought can be intimidating, but the more we practice dreaming big – the easier it gets. Part of thinking big is refusing to allow for limitations. Thinking small in itself creates boundaries and that is something an entrepreneur will never allow. Think big, feel big, do big!
2. Determination For the Win
Entrepreneurs are determined. They have drive, grit and don’t let things like failure slow them down. In the world of business, failure is inevitable. It hurts to see, but it should never become a reason to quit. In fact, within the first year of business approximately 20% of businesses fail. That’s where determination comes into play. Entrepreneurs need to have mental fortitude. It takes strength and persistence to build up a business from nothing more than an idea. Likewise, it takes a certain level of initiative to get back up after a failure. You’ve got this.
3. Strategy is a Question
Entrepreneurs are problem solvers. They’re the people who don’t just look for the answers, they search for the questions and build from there. They’re the dreamers, the ideas people, and the socialites all-in-one. An entrepreneur has to do more than come up with a business idea – they have to generate an entire business plan and know the answers to the big problems. This takes a certain level of strategic thinking, as well as the willingness to do the research. Work on planning, creating connections, networking and spotting opportunities. This will get your entrepreneurial mindset on track.
4. Commitment is Key
One of the trickiest parts to master about thinking like an entrepreneur is commitment. It’s so easy to walk away from an idea when it seems to go sour. But that isn’t how entrepreneurship works. Entrepreneurs dedicate themselves to an idea. They don’t switch from project to project with no warning. When they pick up a challenge, they either solve it – or learn from the experience and utilise this knowledge to grow, develop and continue with business building.
Everyone will approach entrepreneurship differently, and this is what makes the entrepreneur journey so distinctively versatile.
However, the common factor in the entrepreneurial journey is that an entrepreneur will risk it all by taking a single chance, and won’t stop until that single chance creates something beyond anything they could have ever imagined.
It’s magic, and it’s yours. Go for it!