Young Entrepreneurs are the heart of England, we are the future leaders, the ones who are here to create change and bring forward new innovations. We want to give every young entrepreneur the opportunity to see success in their business. Which is why we have created the Young Entrepreneurs of England platform.
We see so many stories highlighting successful entrepreneurs and the steps they took to get there, but it is not as common to hear about the hard truths and realities of what it takes to be a young entrepreneur.
Why do stories of successful entrepreneurs rarely touch upon the dark and untold rejections that are far more representative of entrepreneurship? Perhaps because stories of impending doom, anxiety, fear and doubt hardly qualify as inspirational. Or, possibly, because nobody really wants to read about a young entrepreneur’s uncontrollable desire to crawl under his or her desk and hide in a foetal position.
The stories of young entrepreneurs are rarely inspirational, because much like the search for true love, entrepreneurship always starts out awkward and clumsy, clouded in insecurity and wrecked by numerous surprises along the way. Here are just a few of the hard to swallow truths about entrepreneurship.
1. You know very little.
Entrepreneurs are confident, but what hurts most new entrepreneurs is overconfidence. Believing you know everything and have all the right answers will quickly be replaced with a very large helping of “humble pie” on day one.
2. It Doesn’t Matter What You Do, It Only Matters What You Get *Done*
Working all day, week or month on a blog post, eBook or product line doesn’t mean anything. Be a completer and do your best to start and finish the tasks that you set yourself out to do.
3. Every responsibility always falls back on you.
Being an effective leader is all about understanding that at the end of the day, anything that happens comes back to you. Instead of pointing and blaming, it’s important to acknowledge yourself at the helm of the ship.
4. You control almost nothing.
Entrepreneurs love to be in control, but most will learn immediately that the vast majority of problems and challenges are completely out their control. The sooner you learn this, the sooner you can turn your focus on resolving those challenges you can control.
5. Growth And Development Are Slow
….and there’s no shortcut, except to keep going. Being an entrepreneur is like riding a bicycle. You have to pedal every day to arrive at your destination. If you pedal slower, or take a break, you arrive that much later.
6. You will constantly feel uncertain as to whether it’s working or not.
This is your venture, your vision, which means success is entirely dependent upon your own definition. Along with that freedom comes the constant uncertainty as to whether you’re actually “succeeding” at all–and that feeling can be difficult when felt over long periods of time.
7. There’s no guarantee of anything.
No matter how great the idea, how talented the team, at the end of the day the market decides. You aren’t guaranteed success, no matter how hard you work.
8. You will try to run the marathon as if it’s a sprint, and it won’t be sustainable.
Your personal health will be the first thing to go. You will ditch things like going to the gym or eating healthy in an attempt to get more work done. And while this may work for a small amount of time, eventually it will start to hinder you severely. Do not fall into this trap.
