Succeeding as an entrepreneur takes hard work and persistence because, unfortunately, there is no business-startup fairy who magically bestows success on small businesses and their owners.

Most successful entrepreneurs follow comparable patterns and share similar basic characteristics. Hundreds of online articles and published books claim to know the secret of success in business, but for the most part, they boil down to the same major points.

Passion, perseverance and a positive attitude tend to set successful entrepreneurs apart. Cultivating these attributes requires an innate skill set and some tips to get started.

So here are the main items to take into consideration if you’re trying to develop a business platform. These elements constitute will support a smart strategy for any new enterprise:

1. Love what you do.

Passion is key to keeping a business strategy moving. Half-heartedness in an entrepreneurial endeavor will chip away at your drive to succeed. Perseverance is the one thing that’s guaranteed to move anything over time, whether it’s a person, a job or an entire company. Abraham Lincoln failed at most of his efforts until late in his life, but he never gave up.

2. Take baby steps.

Jumping all in is rarely ever successful. There are success stories about people who invested everything once and came out winners after six months or a couple years, but those are rare. Risk management is an essential factor in any startup, and balance is vital. You can absorb losses more easily if you take smaller risks in the beginning. Those will provide essential and productive lessons.

Free Tips:- If you can see it in your heart, you can have it in your hand.

3. Learn from others.

Successful entrepreneurs often worked for others in their field of choice before striking out on their own. Spending a few years in the industry under an excellent mentor will provide a good launching pad. Learn from your predecessors’ mistakes and brainstorm about how to improve upon their model. Find someone willing to teach, and think about starting your business elsewhere when you leave.

4. Learn how to self-promote.

Confidence and a good elevator speech can take any pitch to the next level. The first marketing any company experiences comes from its founder. Spend time learning how to share your vision without coming across as “salesy.” Don’t be afraid to ask for the sale, but remember: the client is always the focus.

5. Constantly take action.

Entrepreneurs are movers and shakers. They can’t afford to analyze every detail or they’d never get anywhere. There is no place for procrastination in a startup. It’s a 24/7, no-vacation-or-sick-days kind of job that demands constant forward momentum. Make a brief assessment at every step and move on it. Trust your instincts.

Free Tips:- What you perceive is what you receive.

6. Make a plan.

Read about successful businesses. Take in the wealth of knowledge that’s been provided by successful entrepreneurs such as Steve Jobs and the personalities from Shark Tank. A successful business plan does not have to be a book. A 10-page plan is digestible yet long enough to include everything you need to start.

7. Build a reputation.

According to Brandi Bennett at HostGator.com, maintaining a blog on a well-hosted website, or volunteering your time and skills, shows instead of tells the community, and thereby builds expertise and trust.

8. It’s never too late to start.

Many successful entrepreneurs started later in life. J. K. Rowling (Harry Potter author), Julia Child (chef), and Sam Walton (Wal-Mart) all started their wildly successful brands after they were comfortably along in their lives. Having the experience that comes with age can give you a unique outlook on your business. Life experiences bring depth that the most educated young adult, by his or her nature, is less able to foresee.

Free Tips:- Foresight gives you the desire to perspire so that you can acquire

9. Build your “A team”.

Finding the skill sets and attitudes that support the culture of the brand you want to promote will foster innovation and enhance your reputation. Include folks from outside the company for the people you rely on. That will start a free marketing chain reaction that can build confidence and revenue.

10. Be mindful of your attitude.

The attitude of the founder will set the tone for the business. Negativity, laziness and entitlement waste time and money while they tarnish your reputation. Success largely depends on making mistakes and accepting blame in stride. Owning up to and facing challenges head-on is what makes a mere business owner a leader.

Starting a business can wreak havoc on the owner’s personal life. While all the above tips are necessary for success, taking care of yourself mentally and physically is also imperative. Exercise, sleep and diet play a central role in ensuring you implement these policies successfully. All of them drive attitude, motivation and relationships.

Free Tips:- Have a picture of a desirable end in mind and move step by step towards it

Successful CEOs tend to follow a structured, daily schedule of rising early, exercising, having snacks on hand for fuel and socializing many evenings of the week.

Striking a balance may take a while, but working toward this list as a goal for starting your company will make the difference. How an owner feels about progress and how quickly a business can be up and running — and feeding that bottom line — will swiftly feel the impact.

Iamlordgee:
OK It Is Noted

Thoughts are powerful, and negative thoughts can prevent you from achieving your goals. The flip side is that positive thoughts can be just as powerful. The next time you feel unmotivated, use any of these 50 positive thoughts to reenergize yourself. Really: They work!

1. I can do anything. It’s a simple phrase, but it helps to remind yourself — you really can do anything you set your mind to.

2. This is why I can. Instead of giving yourself reasons why you can’t do something, give yourself reasons why you can.

3. I deserve more. You deserve a better life — whether that means a better job, a healthier body or more money. Work for it.

4. It’s never too late. No matter how old you are or how many opportunities you’ve passed up before, it’s never too late to make a decision and get a fresh start.

5. There will always be challenges. No matter what you do in life, there will always be challenges — don’t let one set get the better of you.

6. There’s no “perfect” time. If you’re waiting for the perfect moment, forget about it — there’s no such thing.

7. There’s no perfect plan. There are some definite flaws in your plan — but there are in every plan.

8. Everybody starts somewhere. Nobody is born successful. Everyone starts somewhere, and usually from the bottom.

9. One step at a time. Don’t try to do everything at once. Reduce it to baby steps.

10. It can only get better. If it’s hard at first, it can only get easier.

11. Failure is temporary. If you fail, you’re in good company — most successes come only after several rounds of failure.

12. Mistakes are learning opportunities. If you mess up, you can only become better for it.

13. Today is all I can control. Forget about what you did yesterday. Today is what matters.

14. If it were easy, everyone would do it. Nothing worth doing is easy.

15. “Someday” is today. If you’re like most people, you use the word “someday” to describe your goals and desires. Make today that someday.

16. Negative thoughts can’t stop me. Your negative thoughts are just thoughts — nothing more.

17. I’ve done harder things. Think back to a time when you succeeded against the odds.

18. Everything has to be earned. You can’t get anything in this life unless you work hard for it.

19. Action is a better regret than inaction. Making the wrong decision is always preferable to regretting never having done anything at all.

20. I don’t need anyone’s permission. If people think you’re crazy, so be it.

21. I’m in control of my own destiny. You can decide whom you want to become.

22. There is no pass or fail. Nobody is grading you. You can’t objectively “fail” at life unless you never try anything.

23. Boring decisions get boring results. Make an exciting decision.

24. The risk is worth it. Know that risks are real, but the potential benefits are worth them.

25. Discipline feels better than regret. Discipline is hard, but it’s easier to deal with than regret.

26. Many good ideas seem crazy or impossible at first. Yours is no different.

27. I’ve got support. Friends, family, colleagues — even if they think you’re crazy, you can always find support in networking groups, support groups and other community resources.

28. Experience is always valuable. Even if your mission doesn’t turn out the way you’d expected, you’ll walk away with experience.

29. Hard work is its own reward. You’ll feel good just for making the attempt.

30. Every day counts. Today, tomorrow and the next day are all steps toward your end goal.

31. What I see matters more than what others see. Forget about what others think — prioritize what you think.

32. There is no problem that can’t be overcome. Everything can be solved or worked around.

33. Ordinary actions make an ordinary life. Nobody wants to be ordinary. Don’t let yourself be.

34. Everything can be improved. Even if you start out rough, you can always make improvements to your approach.

35. I can learn whatever I need to know. Free resources are plentiful.

36. I can master whatever I need to do. Practice can make you good at anything.

37. Willpower is all in my head. You can have all the willpower you want — you just have to want it.

38. I know what I want. Know what your end goals are, and visualize them.

39. Feelings are the product of thoughts. If you’re scared or unsure, know that these are feelings generated by your thoughts; then you can control them.

40. Trying and failing is better than doing nothing. This is universally true.

41. I am whomever I want to be. There’s nothing stopping you from being whom you want to be.

42. I can’t win unless I try. Effort is the only way to get results.

43. My life is a product of my decisions. Make the ones that matter.

44. I’m better than I was yesterday. You’re older, wiser and more experienced than you’ve ever been before.

45. Nothing great happens overnight. Work and patience are your friends.

46. Once I get started, it will be easier. You’ll feel more motivated once you get rolling.

47. I’ll reward myself when I’m done. Even small rewards can be great motivators.

48. I’m doing this for more than just me. Maybe it’s for your family or community — whatever “it” is, external motivation can be powerful.

49. There are always more chances. If you screw up, you can always try again.

50. If nothing else, this will make for a good story. You’ll walk away with great memories and interesting anecdotes.

The power of positive thinking isn’t just an adage — it’s scientifically proven that positive thoughts (and the elimination of negative self-talk) can improve your mood, feelings, and performance. These thoughts should get you started doing whatever it is you need motivation to do. The rest is up to you.

siegfried99:
Cool

When I was a young entrepreneur just beginning to enjoy the first flashes of success in my business career, I befriended a very successful businessman from my homeland. Ariston Chambati was a towering figure in his day. He was the nearest thing I ever had in those days to someone you would call a mentor today. He'd already gained international recognition and often travelled to international meetings, and served on several international boards.

He would often say to me, "Master two things: your time, and finding the right person for a job. Get those two things right and you are on your way."

He was a "no-nonsense type" and he did not "suffer fools." If he invited you for a meeting, no matter what time of day, he would turn up on time and well dressed.

I will never forget how he once asked me to come see him late one Sunday evening. Arriving at his home, I found him dressed up and in his study. He never joked around and expected you to get to the point quickly.

After the meeting, I asked him why he went to such great lengths ahead of such a simple meeting, even with me. His response was well measured and serious.

He first explained to me a very painful experience he'd gone through on one of his business travels. Then he added: "Young brother (he always used a term of endearment in my mother tongue and I always addressed him by a similar term, which means "senior brother", you have the talent to go very far. . ."

__"Only remember this," he said, "Don't expect others to take you seriously when you are not prepared to take yourself seriously. When you walk through that door, I want you always to know that I'm a serious person."

Those words still ring in my ears over what must be two decades now, as though that conversation took place only yesterday.

The men and women who are going to take Africa to the next level are those really prepared to become serious, very serious.

End.

usermane:
Hey, OP. Reduce the number of blog posts you publish daily, weekly or monthly and respond to only important comments on your blog post. Consider outsourcing some of your work too. You sound like a Jack of all trade kind of blogger. Truth is, as your blog grow and earn significant traffic, researching new topics, reading and responding to comments, writing and editing manuscripts for blog posts become a tall order for one person.

People mistake working from home as freedom. This is not true. The only guaranteed gain in it is that you become self employed, period. Working from home don't necessarily mean more time for yourself as most people imagine.

And blogging, coming up with regular quality posts to generate and maintain significant traffic is strenuous. With all these, it takes a couple of years before the passive income start to flow.

I don’t know the business, I don’t know the startup. What I do know is how to live your passion!

When I started my career in 2008, the term “entrepreneurship” was catching on, and in 2012 I found that it had become a commonly used term. I never really knew what entrepreneurship was, but I knew that there was a difference between doing business and living your passion.

Later in 2014, when everyone seemed to want to be an entrepreneur, I took a look at myself and wondered if I was an entrepreneur myself. Not understanding the term completely, I googled the term one day to find out what the formal definition of “entrepreneurship” is. This is what I found:



So, in a nutshell, entrepreneurship is all about starting a BUSINESS.

I realized that I was running a business, but I never really set out to establish a business enterprise. I was simply enjoying following my dreams and my passion. I was never cut-throat or competitive, nor did I ever consider hurting anyone in order to establish my position in business. I don’t mean to imply that every business is a blood- sucking, money-grubbing enterprise, but we all know that there are many businesses whose aim it is to get to the top by any means possible, regardless of who might get hurt in the process. This is what I thought business was as well, and it is what I had learned was important since childhood: “Be at the top!”.

That is the essence of competition, and it is how most of us have been taught to live our lives. Money and power equals success!

And indeed that was my understanding of business, and it has been so for the past 28 years.
The question is: What’s an entrepreneurship?

An entrepreneurship is all about starting a successful company, and ensuring that it doesn’t get swelled by VC’s, incubators, or any stake holders. It’s all about fighting until you become an icon, or you get acquired by an icon.
How convenient is that?

So let’s say you work on something for years, and you ultimately make more money than you ever anticipated making, and then you sell out. With the money you made, you can start a new venture, make more money, and sell out again. Believe it or not, this is what I used to think startups and businesses (and thus entrepreneurships) were!

You may not be like that, and your startup may be much more than just a money-making enterprise, but ask around and you are likely to find that most people consider that part of the definition of entrepreneurships or startups.

Not for profit:

When I was in college, true success was measured by being placed in an MNC. If you were placed, people (your colleagues, teachers, etc.) would start believing in you. And the day after being placed, you became an icon with the ability to tell others “how to get placed”.

On the other hand, entrepreneurship is all about failure. It’s about people who couldn’t pass the test to prove themselves, and college dropouts who don’t care about maintaining the status quo. It’s about someone choosing to live his passion. Someone who doesn’t care about a name tag, but who prefers to be defined by what he passionately believes and what he passionately lives.

They decide with whom they want to mingle:

I think this is the true power of entrepreneurship. When you do business, you negotiate and bargain and sell and deal with whomever you must in an effort to keep your business on top.

When you are following your passion, you decide with whom you want to work and with whom you want to have value exchanges.

It’s like dancing with each other because it’s about having an experience, rather than doing business.

Determine your competition:

Business is all about beating your competition. Entrepreneurship is also all about competition, but the difference is

You are not doing things to get some paper-based certificate, or to get awards. You are doing it because every day you want to be a better version of you. And you want to prove to yourself that “nobody is perfect” and that “impossible” means “I- M- possible”!

Spreading the idea:

Spread good ideas

This is another point that differentiates entrepreneurship from business. Entrepreneurship is all about finding the solution to a common problem, and spreading the solution. In the process, one needs to educate users that they have a problem, or that there is a better solution to a problem they are facing.

Money is something which will follow, as long as your startup model is about value addition. As long as you are giving value back, and you win the trust of others, you are a good and valuable entrepreneur.

Entrepreneurship is not about doing business; it’s about dancing with someone who values his work like you do.

What is entrepreneurship to you?

Is it business, or is it the value addition?
Is it money, or is it living the passion?
Is it earning money from someone, or is it giving value to someone?

I would love to hear your thoughts about what entrepreneurship is to you. What would you be like as an entrepreneur? Feel free to share your thoughts using the comments section below.

dboss444:
I believe ideas rule this world, I'm a follower of trends in bussiness and economy arround d world, I do this to see opportunities for investors to invest in. But is like I'm d only 1 of my kind cos evry1 arround me dnt find interest in such issues. Nice write-up

wapmingle:


Cc: seun, lalasticlala, obinoscopy

kaycodes:


Nothing keeps you out of women wahala, if you got the cash to spend them go find you see, if you like work from the moon or Jupiter

Mishidoo:
I've been working from home for a while now and I can identify with the op's experience. But i've also found out it can be prevented (or solved as it was in my case).

After working from home for a while, I got to that point where I had to sit in front of a computer all through the day, and into the night sometimes. This is the point you don't want to reach. I got burnt out, became less productive, hardly left the house, worked weekends yet despised mondays .... summary, it got ugly. But then I found a balance. I was working with a software company over the internet, and I changed my shift time to early mornings (4 hours only). I cut down on the time I spent blogging by a great deal and arranged a proper schedule, and I'm now starting a business that takes me out of the house almost every day.

I love working from home. The rewards are many. If there is one advice I would give it'll be "dont work more than 8 hours a day". In fact i recommend less hours and a physical business on the side. Also, dont let it kill your social life, try to go out every day for something productive.

About people feeling you don't have a job, it sucks but I try not to let it get to me.

vascable:
Cc: seun, lalasticlala, obinoscopy It will be useful to some folks here, thanks.

more:- http://marvejohndaily.com/10-keys-to-financial-stability/

phemoluv02:
Ole ni e joor (You are just lazy) ...just kidding tho no work no gain my broda, u just hv to sacrifice something, Good Luck bro

Most of us work our whole lives to build wealth. Some of us achieve financial freedom while others don’t. There’s no secret that I can give you that will lead to financial stability. But here are ten surprisingly simple steps you can take that can help calm any financial anxieties you may have.

Know where your money is going.
It’s a good idea to track everything you spend for one month in order to assess your current spending patterns and evaluate your cash outflows. You can use one of the many available finance apps, a spreadsheet or the envelope system to track your expenses. Are you spending money on things you don’t truly need?

Determine what you need to live the life you want and achieve your financial goals. Compare and contrast what you need with what you want. Keep in mind your personal financial goals. What things do you really need? What things can you do without, at least for now?

Stop buying things you don’t need. It is common to justify spending patterns and impulse purchases, especially if you see others spending money on similar things. We all do it. But if you’re going to achieve financial stability, you will need to exercise some restraint.
Create a budget. Your monthly budget is your financial plan and it should reflect your personal financial goals. A budget is simply a tool to help you stay on track. If you don’t have a current budgeting system, there are many free budgeting spreadsheets available online.

Live within your means. Challenge yourself to live simply and within, or better yet, below your means. To build wealth, you must spend less than you earn. As your income grows, try to avoid lifestyle inflation at all costs.

Pay yourself first. No matter how much we try to control the future, life can throw us some curve balls. Having an emergency fund is one of the most important keys to financial stability. You have to have something set aside just in case the unexpected occurs. Learn to pay yourself first. Prioritize and automate savings. The peace of mind that comes with this is priceless.

Get out of debt. Develop a debt payoff plan that is feasible yet challenging. Weigh the pros and cons of paying the lowest balance debt or highest interest rate first. Regardless of the method you choose, getting out of debt is central to achieving financial stability.
Protect your family. Make sure you have adequate insurance, especially if you have a family – but not more than you need. We cannot predict the future, but we can prepare for it.

Invest in your future. Start by investing in your employer-sponsored program such as a 401k to take advantage of the tax benefits. Continue learning and growing by investing in yourself as your primary asset.

Develop an attitude of gratitude. When you are grateful for the things that you have – in spite of your current circumstances – abundance is sure to follow.

I hope these suggestions move you toward financial stability. Don’t be discouraged if it doesn’t come quickly. Remember that all good things take time. Stay focused on your financial goals and it will come!

Craigston:
Your assertions are true except this one:
"Takeaway: There is always a girl behind
every successful man!"
For me, the take-away is, "let people do the work but take the credit for it".
If you think the CEOs of most companies do anything as much as the efforts of the unappreciated laborers they employ, then know that my take-away is correct.

mitchyy:
I've been working from home for three years now and some of these things you mentioned isn't a challenge for me.
I have a team of persons who equally work from home, they don't need to come to my house. We only meet when we need to address some issues. So it's cheaper to pay them.
The only challenge is, when you are out with friends, you don't concentrate. You find yourself always checking your phone to monitor your blog or respond to mails from clients.
You are also very skeptical to go out, because when you do, you'll be scared sth might come out that you'll need to be online on your PC to handle. So if my outing isn't very important, i don't go.
I sleep well at night tho, but i always have a habit of waking up twice at the middle of the night to check for one thing or the other.
But i can never trade my working from home with a full-time job. Never

shumuel:


Okay, nice one though

kaycodes:
I believe that working from home has its gains.

For a techie like me, working from home has great advantages, since I get to work with a lot of smart peeps. I learn a lot on the job and I do what I love. Plus mine is structured.

However what I have learnt thus far is that you have to plan and stick to the plan. NO matter what. In my day to day tasks, I have learnt to start with a written plan, and then follow up. I have learnt to prioritize, and schedule properly.

Using my Google calendar helps me set time frames and reminders when I need to follow up with a customer and such.

If you don't organize your schedule you may burn out and suffer reduced performance.

I quite agree with your assertions on frustrations, but then it all depends on your personality. I keep very few friends, and I am free on weekends, no matter what I don't touch work on weekend except it's absolutely necessary. That's something I have learnt from my colleagues across the globe. If its not an emergency then let it be till the next business day, that's what my manager always tells me.

Again working from home is fantastic, but seriously it's not meant for everyone...

shumuel:
Hmm Op what is the aim for creating this thread, to advice or to discourage ?

eninaija:
Nice one , too much theory in Africa. We need youths that can make physical impact in the Society.
Its a pity that many even the jobless struggle to do masters when their degree has not made any impact. The quest for paper qualification limits impactful thinking and ventures.

kay29000:
OP you said you have been blogging for 6 months, and then at another place in your write-up, you said you have been blogging for three years.


Anyway, I can totally relate with your write-up. I have been blogging for 7 years now, and working from home hasn't been easy. The burnouts after working long hours continuously for days...the zero social life and lack of a girlfriend...family members begging you to go and get a regular job cos they don't understand what you are doing...Having to fuel your gen regularly cos Nepa life is not reliable...sometimes running out of money cos you poured all you make back into your blog...I can go on and on, but I want to take time out and watch a romance movie on DSTV...Nepa just brought light.

Demmocrats:
OP you are correct but no pain no gain and you are feeling this way because you haven't started making a lot of money from your blogging business give it time you might be lucky and catch your Dasuki gate and start smiling to the bank and owing a house in banana island.


By he way whats the name of your blogging site.

Demmocrats:
OP you are correct but no pain no gain and you are feeling this way because you haven't started making a lot of money from your blogging business give it time you might be lucky and catch your Dasuki gate and start smiling to the bank and owing a house in banana island.


By he way whats the name of your blogging site.