There are things better experienced than told. These things just can’t be explained in a way that will be understood and that is why one is left to experience it as it will leave the feeling of originality and thorough exposure. In entrepreneurship, the same is applicable. There are things you will go through that even your mentor gave no hint about it. Let’s help you identify some of those things so that when you eventually encounter them, you will be well-prepared.

Irregular flow of money

You have to prepare your mind for this one, as most entrepreneurs go into a business with profit and regular cash flow at the center of their interest, but that is not always the case. It will take a while for customers to become loyal to your brand which will then result in continuous purchase which means a regular flow of money. So, till that time comes, you have to learn to use your resources wisely. Whatever little money you make should be used appropriately. Think more about calculated risk, rather than investing in anything that looks or sound good. This experience will surely teach you financial management.

You will need to keep your eyes on the goal

If you had always wanted to be an entrepreneur, that’s great, but if you are someone that transitioned from being an employee to entrepreneurship, then you should be able to remember the tight deadlines that you were often beset with, and how you so badly craved for freedom. Yes, entrepreneurship gives you freedom, freedom to make your decisions. If your decisions are not in line with your goal, then you’re actually being counterproductive. You have a goal, which means you have also mapped out the systems and processes needed to achieve it. Then, you should focus on them; anything other than those processes should be seen as mere distractions which you should not entertain. Stay true to your plans and see them through to the end.

The beginning stage is usually lonely

Unless you have a co-founder who has agreed to work together at a location, be it an office or workshop, you will feel lonely as there would hardly be anyone to talk to. It’s just you and your drawing board. Probably, as time goes on, you will begin to bring in staff, but till then, you need to manage your lonely times. It is advisable to go out once in a while in order to network with other people. This will help stimulate your brain that might have been clustered with your various business strategies and perhaps, gives you new ideas relating to your business.

You have to test what works for you

A copycat entrepreneur would want to copy everything about a successful entrepreneur’s business which is absolutely wrong. You have to do what works for you by testing it out. Don’t throw in all your money only to find out the project is a failure. Try to test it out a bit and get feedback from customers to know if you should terminate, improve or flood the market.

You will need to delegate some duties

As times goes on, you will be overwhelmed by the workload your business brings, and this is where you should understand that you can’t do it alone. You might pride yourself as a workaholic, but it’s better to focus on some important responsibilities and let others do the rest. Being the jack of all trade could sap your energy and delay you from making important decisions for your business.

Keep improving

Most entrepreneurs tend to get complacent when they get to a stage where they feel they’ve done a good job so far which has yielded huge returns. It really feels good to see your dreams and ideas come to actualization and yield profit too, but trust me, this is the best time to plunger further, while the ovation is loudest. The truth is anything can happen at any time and you certainly do not want to be caught unawares or left behind. So, you must keep up the grind, keep striving and look for ways to continually improve your business.

There you have it; nobody might tell you all these and so much more you will get to find out on your journey to becoming a successful entrepreneur. You need to make research, be very observant and enthusiastic towards learning.
Source: The African Entrepreneur Magazine

Who were you expecting to tell you
You should have read good books and followed virtual mentorship from real life entrepreneurs like Jeff Bezos,Mike Adenuga,Warren Buffet,Mark Zuckerberg,Bill Gates,Jack Ma,or even Dangote.
Were you expecting Nigerian copy and paste business owners and artisans to tell you what they know nothing about