Entrepreneur Mindset is KEY
“Entrepreneurs have a mindset that sees the possibilities rather than the problems created by change.” For the past few years, I’ve pursued the answer as to how are entrepreneurs different from the rest of us? It’s apparent that more and more young people are starting to build their own businesses. Tobi Lutke, who founded Shopify in 2006 used his experience as an entrepreneur and a software developer to launch Shopify and it is now a billion-dollar company.
According to FOUNDER INSTITUTE, employees don’t become successful entrepreneurs simply by starting a company; they must also embrace an entirely new way of thinking to adapt to and thrive in the unpredictable world of start-ups. Are you an employee who’s looking to make a transition to becoming an entrepreneur, keep in mind the following five key mindsets you’ll need to adopt before taking the leap.
What Are The Entrepreneur Mindsets?
1. Reach Out To The Customer First
Though it may seem to many like product development should come first, master bootstrapper Greg Gianforte insists that is the wrong approach. When it comes to reaching customers, public relations can either be a company’s best friend or its worst enemy. Building the foundation for a strong customer/business relationship comes from mutual trust and respect.
Greg Gianforte focused on the tech sector where his experience was strongest. But instead of starting with a prototype for a product or service and then seeking funding, he started by getting on the phone with potential customers. That led to conversations about what kind of product they would buy. After a month of phone calls, Gianforte spent about 60 days coding the product his customers said they wanted. He claims his company, RightNow Technologies, was cash positive from the beginning. The business makes cloud-based software for large consumer businesses and was sold to Oracle in 2011.
2. Network To Build Business
Many entrepreneurs talk about the importance of networking, but few are as specific about how and why networking is important as Jason Nazar, co-founder, and CEO of Docstock.com. Today, studies have shown that up to 80% of jobs are never advertised — they are filled by word of mouth. So it’s who you know and who knows you that matters. You must develop relationships and connections within your network to have more opportunities to advance your career. Attending meetings and social events hosted by your professional association is a great way to connect with people in your field. Always have a goal in mind when networking. People always say that a plan without a goal is just a dream. Networking events should be part of your overall plan to ensure you get the most out of your valuable time. If there is no connection between your strategy and your actions, there is a problem. Want to explore various networking goals? We got you covered here.
Nazar says he owes his success — particularly the founding and growth of his current company — to his networking efforts. He says he used networking to raise $4 million in startup funds. He says he also used it to locate a co-founder and build the majority of his organization.
3. Keep Control Of Your Vision
It is important to have vision and purpose because it helps make our decisions that create our lifestyle. Discovering your vision isn’t that hard. I’m sure you are like me, wanting to achieve and accomplish certain things during our lifetime, and for most of us, the passion we feel deep down ignites us and brings our hopes and dreams to the surface. If you have trouble discovering your vision, ask yourself this — What are you deeply passionate about? What type of work do you find engaging and truly enjoy? At the end of your life, what will be the greatest accomplishment?
Jack Ma, also known as Ma Yun, is the founder and guiding hand behind Alibaba, a giant Chinese-based wholesale eCommerce site. Despite its popularity and financial success, Alibaba’s road to acceptance outside China has not been easy. Ma believes in his vision for his company to get the job done. Now Alibaba is one of the largest companies the world has ever since.
4. Take Ownership
When you begin to do the work and take ownership over your life, you start to realize the power of time management, control, and autonomy. You live life on your terms this way.
Oprah Winfrey had experienced plenty of success as a broadcaster and even in the entertainment industry before ever launching the Oprah Winfrey Show in 1986. But it wasn’t until after taking ownership of her syndicated talk show from ABC that Winfrey’s entrepreneurial skills began coming into focus. Her production company would eventually produce other TV and film projects.
Winfrey’s entrepreneur mindset eventually led her to launch a magazine and even her own TV network.
5. Focus On What’s Good For Your Business
You can’t grow a business until you have a focused vision of where you want it to go. The overall strategy is the big picture and the ultimate direction as well as the purpose of the business. To achieve focus on a daily level, consider the following: The Pareto Principle (80/20 Rule). It states that 20% of your actions and inputs will create 80% of your desired outcome. The key here is identifying and focusing on the 20% that is actually achieving the 80% of your desired outcome and not falling in the trap of working on the 80% that’s only achieving 20% of the desired outcome. The 20% you do choose to work on should mostly work towards improving the one metric you chose to focus on.
From bestselling albums to a nightclub, a clothing line, a sports franchise and more, rapper Jay Z is known not just for his music but also for his business acumen. His success is based in part on his focus. It includes a refusal to spend his time on anything that does not expand his entrepreneurial ventures.
Cultivating an Entrepreneur Mindset
Do you see yourself having these mindsets? Channel these qualities into your business and be persistent. Or pick a trait to which you aspire and see how you can put that trait to work in your professional life.
Mindset is crucial. In the words of Oprah Winfrey, “The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change by merely changing his attitude.”
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