Are you an entrepreneur or just LAZY?

I always arrive late to office, but I make up by leaving early
-Charles Lamb

So you want to be an entrepreneur? But why?

Is it because of venture funding, laziness to follow the 9-to-5 routine or just peer-pressure? In the current scenario when start-ups are mushrooming in every nook and corner of the country, being an entrepreneur is definitely the ‘in thing.’

It’s incredibly easy to buy into the illusion that being an entrepreneur is easy. There are several reasons that people get swayed by it, especially if they are lazy.

Unemployability

They can’t hold a job. They react to getting a job the same way as a cat reacts to getting a bath. They can’t absorb the organization, it isn’t their baby. They believe they are slaves, working in a feudal set-up for the Big Boss who might not even know they exist. That’s why, they hate jobs. Everything and anything about it.

Anti-Authoritarian

They just can’t be an employee. It’s a disgrace. They have to be the CEO, the Executive Director or the Head Manager. Anything less than that, they give
two hoots about it. Does not matter they are just 23. They are highly ambitious and everything else is pure dirt.

Spendthrift

A full month’s salary, earned after days of slogging might just be bits of paper for them. Nothing more. Maybe because they have never been guilty for using money, thanks to a well taken care of childhood. They haven’t been exposed to the tragedies of life, which often are a result of lack of finance. So, it’s easier for them to just sit back and spend.

Unplanned

Yes, be it for their future, their responsibilities, their name or even their identity. Things have come handy to them. They haven’t struggled. In fact, they don’t even know what struggle is. Most of these traits are found in entrepreneurs who are in a rush to make things happen. They don’t understand the business model, they don’t know what the cause or goal of their idea is. They don’t interrogate. They don’t prioritize. They don’t have a plan B. So, what’s the end result? They just proudly say to the world that they are on a sabbatical, thinking about life, investing in ideas. But they actually aren’t. And it’s going to get difficult for them.

So, for those who secretly have these traits, it’s high time to stop and ponder. They have to know how to plan. So, here are few tips that every entrepreneur must follow:

Be hungry

Not for food, but for ideas. Say, for example, you do not understand digital marketing and the fundamentals of it. Take a course. Understand what SEO is, what Google Adwords are, how Google Analytics are used, how websites can be made, how content can be optimized and how data can be analyzed. There are thousands of websites that can teach you from where to start. It’s not rocket science. And everyone starts some day.

Don’t be scared of the jargons

It’s not that difficult. Same goes for planning for the business model and revenue generator. Know the angel investors, know what sells and what does not. Learn from the mistakes of other entrepreneurs and chart out your own plan of action.

Don’t be afraid to take risks

Some of the most successful entrepreneurs took major risks, and they paid off in a big way. Many would assume it isn’t possible to start a business with very little money, but those who aren’t afraid to take risks don’t see things such as limited funding as a handicap. Keep striving for more and more. Never stop networking.

Embrace failure

Failure is part of being an entrepreneur; you will take those failures and use them as learning experiences. Real world experience, even failing, will teach you more than you would ever learn in a classroom. It’s not necessary to have been born Steve Jobs’ creative genius or Gates’ iron will. You need to figure out your own strength.

What is that keeps “you” going? What can make you stay awake for hours, work and seek pride in it?

What is your spark?

Passion

Most entrepreneurs I know believe they will change the world. And this illusion is worth the risk. There’s an excitement and belief in what they’re doing that gets them through the hard times. Don’t fall prey to naysayers who don’t take entrepreneurs seriously because they don’t work from an office building, office park, storefront, or factory. Little do these skeptics, who rain on the home business owner’s parade, know is that the number of people working from home, and making very good annual incomes, has grown by leaps and bounds in recent years.

Plan

A business plan also serves a second function, which is having your goals and how you will achieve them, on paper. You can use the plan that you create both as map to take you from point A to Z and as a yardstick to measure the success of each individual plan or segment within the plan.

Network

In almost every case, entrepreneurs never get to success alone. The best understand it takes a network of contacts, business partners, financial partners, peers and resources to succeed. Effective people nurture these relationships and surround themselves with people who can help make them more effective. Any good leader is only as good as those who support him.

So, here it goes. Don’t be lazy. Have a plan and follow it to the end. You never know what new you can create, how original your ideas can be. Never be desolated by failures and always stand up and fight. Being an entrepreneur is a risky business, admit and embrace it. And never ever be lazy about it. If you are, you will soon disappear. The competition is getting harder day by day. And it’s getting tougher to earn your name, your brand’s name. So, don’t think short term, always go for the bigger picture!