There are a whole bunch of big companies out there that are making millions doing what they do well. Look at the big firms like McDonalds and Disney, or some of the great computer companies that make software and hardware, and they have the niche, they pretty much have their share of the market.
Entrepreneurs, however, have an extra edge over these big guys. Entrepreneurs are entrepreneurs because they have made the choice to go out there and make money for themselves, to not have a capped salary, and to make all of the decisions that affect their working life. So they have the edge. In fact, it can be argued that your entrepreneur business has more of an edge than Microsoft is currently enjoying.
You are more competitive for a start. Microsoft is a beast; it knows what it does and does it a million times over every day. However, you can bet the top guys in Microsoft don’t have the thrill that you have when you bag a new customer. They don’t understand the excitement involved in finding someone who loves what you do so much that they will talk to you about it on the telephone or via email, and personally request that you work with them. The top guys at Microsoft don’t have a clue anymore about what it feels like to create a proposal that can bring you direct profit, can drive hundreds of dollars your way by breakfast.
Entrepreneurs have the entrepreneurial spirit. They have the edge when it comes to driving their lives. You can’t tell a good entrepreneur what to do with their life because they have already started. So while the head of Microsoft might have more dollars in the bank, he’s still working. You, on the other hand, are following your dream.
How do you keep the dream alive though? What can you put in place that will ensure that your work stops becoming work, and instead becomes a magnificent passion that drives you on to amazing experiences?
Well, first of all, you have to get out more. Honestly. This means switching on to the world that you are having a direct impact upon. This is the world of business. You may not know much about what your customers do, and this is a problem. Grab a couple of business papers and magazines, or research your companies on the Web, and get involved. The thrill you will feel when you know that you are helping your clients carve themselves a place in that marketplace is irreplaceable. Get interested in what your clients do, and you will feel a part of it. This will transform your already exciting work life. Don’t forget that you got into this business so that you could control your life. So get out there, and get knowledgeable. Get control.
Another way to keep that spirit alive is to not get stale. This means looking at all of the data that your business produces, whether it is a spreadsheet that shows how much turnover you are generating, or even the number of phone calls you make, and look for patterns. If something is not happening as often as it should, get out there and make it happen. If one of your clients isn’t asking for as much work as they normally do, get out there and find out why. You won’t know unless you look at your figures.
Always add value. This is absolutely vital in business. If you can offer something that brings measurable value to a client’s business, and then some, you will feel that you are doing something amazing. And by doing something amazing, your job will become more and more like a calling. If you don’t tap into the thrill of making your customers deliriously happy with what you do, then you will never feel that you have truly chosen to do something that you love. Learn more about what your customers want, and then give it to them ten-fold. If you feel that they want a discount now and then, offer them the discount, and then an extra couple of per cent. This will not kill your bottom line, and it can only make your client want to use you again and again. Adding value will make you feel good and valuable, something that you most definitely did not feel in your old job.
You started this for a reason. This means that you had goals and aims. Drag those written goals out of the drawer, dust them off, and take a good, hard look at them all over again. Re-align yourself to the destiny you imagined way back at the start. Remember, you are an entrepreneur, because you have started an entrepreneur business.
Don’t lose the entrepreneur edge.
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1 comments:
I think we should note that Microsoft and McDonalds are probably two of the greatest Entrepreneurial companies of all-time. Both companies started with a handful of people and now they employ thousands. I would bet that many workers for these companies share the entrepreneurial spirit because they don't do same thing every dayd and they have to constantly innovate their business(excluding the burger flippers).
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