BUSINESS IS PERSONAL…

Who ever the wise guy or gal was that created the slogan, “Business is business, it’s not personal” had this statement only half correct. Anyone who’s built a business from the dirt floor up knows that without a doubt business is personal. In my opinion the tears, sacrifices and stress that go into building a business can’t be summed up or defined by a calculator equation alone.

In the world of black and white and yes or no answers…this is half true. For example, just because you love your idea doesn’t mean you can ignore a growing pit of debt. Or overlook the fact that sometimes you do have to let people go that you care about because they can’t do the job. Now let’s dig into this statement from the entrepreneur’s standpoint of what this statement doesn’t include.

The reality is that our businesses are a reflection of the creator in every facet. We eat, sleep, breathe and shed many tears over our companies in their development. They might as well have a chair at the dinner table they are such a part of our lives on a daily basis. When you invest a huge portion of your income – or should I say give up a portion of your income – to pursue this business, give up time with your family, give up sleep waking up at three a.m. stressing over how to pay the bills, and give up a third or more of your living space to accommodate it, to say this is not personal is a bunch of “you-know- what”.

It’s more personal than some entrepreneurs ever expected. There is no such thing as leaving it at the office or waiting until the next business day. The best opportunities in my life have come from the “light bulb moments” at a restaurant where I’m sketching out my next design on the back of an IHOP receipt. There is nothing better than following the creative passion that makes an entrepreneur unique and special, but…

As every good businessperson knows, a good idea without a solid financial plan and structure will often collapse upon itself. So don’t be foolish. Just as a parent does for a child, you must provide all the key ingredients to a healthy upbringing for your business. However, make sure you balance your uniqueness with the obligations to your company’s long-term growth. Never give up what makes you unique, but be responsible in controlling how you develop it.

In the end the statement I think should read, “Building a business is one of the most personal endeavors one can embark on…but don’t be foolish and run it into the ground by putting your ego first and your business’s foundation second. Nobody will love your business more than you do, but no child can live on love alone.”

Written by Roxanne Reed

SO…YOU WANT TO BE AN ENTREPRENEUR?

I’ve had a few recent inquiries about this topic. It’s not an easy one to answer, but I’ll give it the “old college try”. Thanks to all of you that submitted this question!

There seems to be two perceptions of entrepreneurs. One that is based on reality, or my reality so far, that the work is long, hard, full of trials and tribulations, but also a lot of reward if you stop and smell the roses on the journey. The other is not what I consider reality. I’ll share a real life experience I went through that summed up the other philosophy I’ve heard.

I was in a Fed Ex store one day packing boxes for a customer shipment. Once I got in line there were two gals in front of me and I just happened to overhear them talking about work. One of the young ladies said, “I just wish I could have a business of my own so I could go on vacation when I wanted and have my own schedule”. As you can imagine I just about fell out of line laughing. I’ve never come across a successful business owner who doesn’t spend years just hoping and praying to get to that “ideal”.

If you like a quick and reliable paycheck, you better leave your entrepreneurial hat at the door, because for most of us it’s not really about the paycheck. It’s about the adventure, the “Hail Mary Pass” that gets us to the next step, and it’s more about climbing the mountain than actually standing at the top. It’s about making people happy with your products and taking pride in their satisfaction – just to make sure you got that – “it’s taking pride in their satisfaction”.

To me an entrepreneur is about making a unique difference. Enhancing products and services that others need and want, but don’t want to build themselves. They just want to have access to it. A good entrepreneur is visionary and wise in how to answer this call. You don’t have to have a business degree to succeed, but you must trust your intuition and remain humble in your deeds.

Often I hear as an excuse, “I don’t have a college degree”. Some of the smartest people I know with degrees galore can’t build a vision to save their lives. Whereas others, who have tons of smarts, learned through life’s lessons, make the most practical and ingenious of the bunch.

My experience as an entrepreneur has taught me to believe in myself, believe in my vision and have the guts to jump in a fast moving river with no end in site. I never stopped dreaming and building. I looked deep into myself to find out why I wanted this life. Money came with good faith, helping others and following my passion. It didn’t happen right away, but patience was truly a virtue I needed to learn to be successful.

If you are always “seeing opportunity” and keep saying, “I dream of the day when…” you’ve been an entrepreneur in spirit. The gut check of whether you are brave enough and persistent enough to step over the line and build your vision is the ultimate test of you being an entrepreneur.

Written by Roxanne Reed