As an entrepreneur you get advice. Solicited and unsolicited, minuscule and huge, helpful and irritating. It comes from everyone and everywhere. In the beginning, especially you listen with rapt attention, eagerly absorbing everything you’re told with anxious anticipation. You try to sift through it all to determine what’s really important and what can be tossed aside. Hoping to avoid the mistakes that so many budding businesses have made before you.
As you build your business you realize that none of the advice you’ve received comes close to reality. As you stumble, fall, get up and stumble again you start to realize that what really happens during the process is completely different than what you were told.
You start to wonder why, in all that well intentioned advice, did no one tell you what would really happen.
Why did no one tell you that you would work like a dog, harder than you ever did working for someone else, and still struggle. That there will be weeks and months where you barely break even despite doing all the things you’re supposed to do.
Why did no one tell you that building a successful business is hugely due to luck. There are a million and one business books out there telling you all about how to plan, organize and grow a business but the world isn’t as orderly or as kind as that. Things around you will go to hell quicker than you can react. There’s nothing you can do to control them or even minimize the impact they’ll have on your business.
Why did no one tell you that there are people out there that will do their best to hurt your business. Not just outsiders but people close to you as well. Employees will stab you in the back. Unhappy customers will write unkind and often unwarranted things about you and your business in very public forums. Other business owners will say unflattering things behind your back due to jealousy or simple pettiness.
Why did no one tell you that no one really knows what they’re doing. That everyone, including you, is making decisions every day that are sometimes, often, sheer guesses. Decisions made because you had to pick a direction and move, not because you actually knew which direction to go in. Because standing still wasn’t an option.
And why did no one tell you that there will be bad days, terrible days even.
And most importantly why did no one tell you that these days don’t define your business and they certainly don’t define you.
As you journey down the road of entrepreneurship keep this in mind. You are not going blindly down this road. Remember when the difficult bits seem overwhelming that I told you this would happen. And finally remember why you started your business in the first place. Hold that why near your heart and you’ll get through it.
Another article you might like;
How to protect your business…From your employees
https://www.thepetbusinesscoach.dog/protect-your-business/
About Eliza
Eliza is the owner of two successful pet related businesses; Preferred Pet Partners, a pet sitting and dog walking company, and The Pet Business Coach, offering coaching and resources to aspiring or current pet related business entrepreneurs. She maintains two awesome blogs. One for pet parents https://preferredpetpartners.com/blog/ and one for pet business owners https://thepetbusinesscoach.dog/blog-page/. Eliza also supports various animal rescue and shelter organizations. Eliza and her husband have a growing pet family. Visit her websites: www.preferredpetpartners.com or www.thepetbusinesscoach.dog.
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