Being an entrepreneur is similar to a track hurdler running a major race. We enter the starting gate with confidence and enthusiasm… The starting gun fires and we jump out and run. But we know there is a hurdle in our near future; no, there are many hurdles in our future.
For the track runner, these hurdles are simple wooden gates they must leap with grace to keep their pace in the race.
But for entrepreneurs, hurdles can be made up of a variety of objects with some easily seen and others somewhat invisible.
I will be your entrepreneur hurdle coach today and just as the track coach of a major university would probably tell his/her hurdlers, 95% of clearing those obstacles is the runner’s mindset.
So the most important tip I can give you today is to believe!!!
Believe you can and you have the hardest part defeated.
Here are 7 tips to jump those hurdles and win the entrepreneur race.
Entrepreneur Hurdles Tip #1: Call Someone Who Has Faced Similar Hurdles
There have been others who have run the race before you. They have had to defeat the same or similar hurdles.
As an entrepreneur, you have a network of like-minded people. So, you see the hurdle before you… Pick up the telephone and call one of your entrepreneur friends to discover how he/she defeated the same hurdle.
Entrepreneur Hurdles Tip #2: Perfect Is Not Attainable
It is one of the most common reasons entrepreneurs trip and fall; wanting perfection!
We are humans and perfect is not attainable. So if you are waiting to start until everything is “perfect,” you will never start.
Remember, you can always make updates to get it better. Just start and you will discover improvements afterwards and you can make changes to take your business closer to perfect.
Entrepreneur Hurdles Tip #3: Say No
This is another area many entrepreneurs often slip in.
They start a business and someone comes along offering them a chance at another opportunity. While that opportunity may sound good, if they do not have their first business running at 100%, taking on another opportunity is a disaster waiting to happen for both.
It is okay to say no and there is really no reason to have an excuse for doing so.
Entrepreneur Hurdles Tip #4: Embrace Instability
Let’s be honest, entrepreneurship is a roller coaster ride.
You need to be prepared to break routines. There may be sleepless nights and crazy days.
The best way to jump the instability hurdle is to just embrace it and go with the flow.
Entrepreneur Hurdles Tip #5: Make Moments For Creativity
To build your creative side, take moments at times to undertake creative projects.
- Paint a picture
- Write a book
- Build a model
- Etc…
By doing so, you will develop your creativity and during the heat of entrepreneurship duties, you will find your creativity jumping the hurdles for you.
Entrepreneur Hurdles Tip #6: Don’t Even Consider Shortcuts
While it may be tempting to take shortcuts, it is best that you do not take them. Normally a shortcut in entrepreneurship means cutting quality and that shortcut will come back and haunt you.
Entrepreneur Hurdles Tip #7: Deal With The Base Issue, Not Symptoms Of The Issue
I am going to use a medical situation as an example here…
A man goes to his Doctor. The Doctor knows the man and tells him he almost didn’t recognize him without the man’s glasses on. “Oh, I broke them 3 days ago,” says the patient.
“Well, what is ailing you today,” the Doctor asks.
“I am getting terrible headaches,” the man tells the Doctor.
The Doctor gives the man some strong headache medication and sends him on his way.
I will tell you right now I would never visit this Physician. He treated the symptom instead of the problem. It was obvious that the loss of eye glasses was the problem.
It works the same in your business. For some reason the product you sell has an issue with the paint on one edge. You could treat the symptom by just having an employee touch it up or you can fix the problem by shutting down the paint machine and finding the malfunction and fixing it.
Conclusion
Now these are just a few tips to help you on your hurdle race to entrepreneur success.
You may have other hurdles you are facing and I am willing to help you with them. Feel free to post your hurdles in the comment area and we can all work together to leap that hurdle with you.
One other thing… Let’s help you get profitable out of the gate. Profits can make hurdle jumping easier. So click here to get the free 7 Days To Profitability Course.
And keep abreast of this blog as we are helping you take your business…
To The Top!
