Entrepreneurship is a lonely journey?
Yeah, sometimes. But not always.
Not If you have got the right tools in your sack and a big smile on your face because then, you can attract as many people as you want and build your own support system.
Grab up these 8 essential insights_ based on experience_ into the world of micro-entrepreneurship and check out yourself to see how they benefit you.
Happy journey!
1. What really makes an entrepreneur?
Passion, determination, and a thirst for knowledge.
A micro-entrepreneur is somebody with a lack of resources, alright, but also LOTS OF DREAMS. He is neither rich nor capable of getting a huge loan but he is steadfast, passionate and either has the knowledge or at least, the thirst for it.
2. Entrepreneurship is all about HONING YOUR SKILLS
Whether you are a micro-entrepreneur with a new startup or the one who plans to build a business in a foreign land, your focus should not be on asking for work, but honing your skills so that the work is offered to you. Among these skills, those related to your field of education come first.
3. Do NOT ever say no to opportunities
You should open-heartedly accept the opportunities, including the ones you find out, ones that come to you, and those upon which you stumble accidentally.
Accept them even if they are indirectly, or not at all, related to your field of choice. If you do not possess knowledge about a particular job or task, you still may accept it, learn about it as fast as possible and complete it.
Do not consider, or even talk about, the things you DO NOT KNOW. Talk about the ones YOU KNOW and enhance and work on them.
Do not say no to opportunities just because the pay is small. Enhance your work in a way that you are automatically paid for it and you don’t have to ask for the money.
4. Build trust with other entrepreneurs
You have to accept opportunities and build trust with other people. This will save time.
If you have the qualities of an entrepreneur as mentioned above, you will not hesitate to approach another person who has been through the entrepreneurial journey, build trust with him, and discover new paths to progress. You can, for instance, manage sales or marketing for him.
5. Keep learning and have patience
You should be able to bear losses and have patience.
If you see someone who is doing a job and getting the “instant money”, as some call it, do not feel bad. That person has also been learning for 16-17 years of his life with patience and belief that one day he will get the job.
6. Believe in yourself
Every budding entrepreneur has a proof of concept, something he wants to prove, even though he himself does not know what it is.
You may not have done enough learning but believe in yourself and that will make a lot of, what is needed to get through.
7. Do not cut the main artery
There is a time limit with job hours, there is no time limit with working in a business.
I know you have a kitchen to run and bills to pay, but you have to work for your survival (job) as well as your future (business) at the same time.
Ejaz Khan, the principal solicitor at Juris Australia, worked 5 days at a law firm and drove a taxi on weekends but he did not make taxi-driving his destination and aim of life. He built on his business alongside.
Hear his story in his own words.
First-year of a new startup is for learning about the business and improving it.
Second-year, the startup should bring you money, you should not be investing in it from your earnings.
8. When you are on top, give a hand to others.
So you have learned and worked hard for years and have reached the pinnacle of your dreams, now is the time to present this opportunity to some other budding entrepreneur too, the one who looks like you, avid learner and beaming with passion.
It’s the rule of all businesses, bring the like-minded ahead and make them stand with you.
A shining example
“New budding graduates from grade 11 and 12 are being given yearly training about the business world and entrepreneurship in Australia,” says Shafqat Ali, mentor at Young Innovators Australia.
“I myself have mentored 480 young people till today, with the maximum number being 160 IN A WEEK. I later went on offering them jobs to support themselves in the meantime because of their will and passion.”
He conducted a big mentoring project in Pakistan called STEM On Wheels.
He formed four teams in his organization http://younginnovators.net.au/ and trained them for different tasks
- Online Selling ( The team members formed Save 24/7 platform and train other young minds now)
- PakOZ ( To connect Pakistani community),
- Social Media Marketing ( Their detail can be found on WebKnowLogic.com)
- Ptapd.edu.au(Where teachers and mentors are trained and counseling is provided to young entrepreneurs facing new challenges).
“These are not the platforms for jobs but for learning, training, and mentoring. Remember, you create your own work. These models are not for 9 to 5 job people,” Shafqat Ali.
Conclusion
Entrepreneurs need to join hands, they need to get up and help others do the same. They need to save time, theirs and others’ too. Teams are important. I know that micro-entrepreneurship is supposed to be a loner’s voyage, but there is a sea, wind, and sky present too, all are there to make up your support system.
Whatever you want, share it with others. ( Top Headline)
Small actions matter the most. Give them a try and they will lead to bigger opportunities one day. Whether it’s calling someone for a piece of advice, emailing somebody, or pitching a prospective buyer, do it right now.
Don’t wait.
Just do it.
But don’t forget to tell me about it later in the comments, because I would love to watch another young micro-entrepreneur take his first step. Good Luck!
