The Entrepreneur VS. the Wannabe

This is a repost of a blog post my partner Ren did on our business blog. I though I would share it here as I think it’s a great post that many entrepreneurs or aspiring ones should read. You can read the original here.

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The Entrepreneur VS. the Wannabe

When we started Marketing Stream, we had already gone through at least a dozen of business ventures. Some successful, some not so successful, but each time learning from our failures and moving on.

When January 2014 hit, with the launch of our business, I kept finding more and more fellow business owners struggling with their identity in the entrepreneur world and it made me frustrated.

Here’s why; they wanted to be an entrepreneur and be their own boss, but didn’t want to do any work. The difference in comparison is huge.

What I’ve found with people who want to be their own boss, are one of two things; an entrepreneur, or a wannabe. If you’ve ever wanted to be your own boss, I’m sure that you can relate to either one.

The life of an entrepreneur doesn’t stop.

You don’t get to shut off your office lights at the end of the day, go home to your family and let the days work vanish while watching your favourite tv program. No, they keep going. Yes, they have a nice work/life balance, but the wheel never stops.

Entrepreneurs don’t have set hours to work. They are non-stop; no clocks. They embrace failures so they can learn from them and improve.

They look to make the right connections. If they don’t know where those connections are, they find them. If you find yourself complaining that business isn’t coming in, then you need to ask yourself, what are you doing to get it.

Complaining doesn’t make money.

Remember that. Keep in mind how your market works. Some people have a “3 strike rule” so don’t give them ammunition to use such rule. Especially if your business is in a small town.

News spreads fast, bad news spreads faster.

On that note, don’t be a flake. Don’t cancel a meeting an hour before. Unless it’s an emergency! In this day in age, if you cannot communicate the problem, your clients will remember that and that is not good for you. If your communication skills are lacking, then hire someone to communicate for you.

Be transparent. Be honest. Make sure to communicate.

If you’ve made a mistake, fix it. No one in business likes a bad taste in their mouth from an old mistake. You are as successful as you want to be. If you are the boss, you set your hours. If you are the boss, you have the ability to do great with your business, but only if you really want to.

Remember, you and I have the same 24 hours.