6 Ways to Get Yourself in the Entrepreneurial Mindset
Contrary
to popular belief, being an entrepreneur is not just about having that one big
idea. It’s about understanding the complex relationships between established
social structures and finding ways to influence them. If you are a new business
owner, you need to be able to think like an entrepreneur in order to take
advantage of all the opportunities that you will come across. Here, we’ve
identified 6 activities that will become a critical part of your life as a
member of the business elite.
1. Define Your Vision
Your
vision is defined not by what you want to do, but what you want to accomplish.
How are you going to impact the lives of your customers? Instead of telling
yourself “I want to build the next Facebook,” try saying “I want to change the
way we access information.” Notice how broad and simple it seems? Just as there are many ways to travel from one
destination to the other, there will be many ways for you to work towards your
vision. By having this in place, running into roadblocks won’t mean failure. It
will simply be an opportunity for you to change direction and identify new ways
for you to work towards your goal.
2. Be Dynamic
From the
day you establish your company to the day you retire, the business environment
will be constantly changing. It is vital that you assess your clients, your
competitors, and your industry on a daily basis. Are you still positioned to
best meet the needs of your clients? Are there opportunities you haven’t acted
on? Being able to adapt to rapidly changing priorities will
keep you competitive within your industry, even when things shift. Just as you
wanted to change the industry when you began to take an entrepreneurial
initiative, there will be others who are looking to shake things up. Constantly
assessing your competitive environment and adapting your strategy appropriately
will help get you to the top and keep you there.
3. Build Relationships
Ever
notice how entrepreneurs always seem to be in the know? They always seem have an insider connection with people
from this company or that startup. This isn’t because there is some sort of
secret entrepreneurial club you weren’t invited to, it’s because business
owners are excellent at leveraging relationships.
Building a
network of likeminded people who understand both what you offer and what you
need is an important resource. These are people who are able to identify and act
on opportunities. People who want to make things better. People who are able to
understand the way that things work. Spending the time to interact with them is
an excellent opportunity to pick their brains and get yourself comfortable with
the way that they think. Sometimes, all you need to do is discuss an idea with
somebody who understands where you are coming from and you’ll think of a new
way to approach it.
4. Establish Self-Direction
You
already have the destination in mind, now it’s time to select the path.
Whenever you get an opportunity to work on building your business, think back
to your vision. Ask yourself what you can accomplish today that
will act as a tangible step toward your goal. As an entrepreneur, it is your
job to decide what to do and when to do it. Being able to make the best use of
your time and finding the proper motivation to do so is an essential skill that
will directly impact your success.
5. Find Problems
When
business is steady and profit margins are improving, it can be easy to get
complacent. Remember that as long as you are in the driver’s seat, you should never allow yourself to go on auto-pilot. The times where everything is running smoothly are the
best opportunities to dig deeper and find flaws in your business model. Problems
shouldn’t be viewed as nuisances; they should be viewed as opportunities to
build something better. Don’t give your competitors the chance to knock you off
the top rung. While they are scrambling to play catch-up, use the time you have
been gifted as a resource to optimize your business.
6. Take Risks
While the
thought of implementing a tried and true business model can be comforting,
these will never offer you the growth opportunity to become one of the business
elite. If you are aware of the unique skills you possess, put those skills to
use and take chances. Go out into uncharted territory and see what you can
discover. The riskiest business ventures reap the largest rewards. While failure is an option, failing at something nobody
has ever tried before can teach you things that your competitors don’t know.
Failure shouldn’t be viewed as an obstacle to be avoided. It should be viewed
as a segue to developing exclusive knowledge of your industry. It’s that very
knowledge that will give you the competitive edge you need to succeed.
BY JOSH MACDONALD
http://www.lifehack.org/425190/6-ways-to-get-yourself-in-the-entrepreneurial-mindset?ref=mail&mtype=daily_newsletter&mid=20160811_customized&uid=687414&email=drmsriram%40yahoo.com&action=click
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