Start your own business and very soon you will find yourself in a situation
where there are many things you want to say, all printable.
It happens to every entrepreneur: a moment of extreme challenge that causes
wonder why you started the (expletive) business in the first place. I have
I’ve had my share of those moments since we started our public relations firm in
March 2002.
But while exchanging notes with a fellow entrepreneur recently, I began to think
about all the moments of extreme defiance I left behind when I decided not to
I no longer wanted to be someone else’s employee.
That made me think about what really matters to me as an entrepreneur. like me
shared my thoughts with my friend, a new list developed: the “F” words that
I think every entrepreneur should know. They have done the job for me so far,
staying grounded, married and talking to my kids as we build a successful
business. I hope they have the same effect for you.
1. Faith: I am not a street preacher, but I have a deep and abiding faith.
that starting my business is what I was meant to do in life. I also have a strong
faith that I have been given the tools to get the job done, even in a time of extreme
challenge. Without faith in yourself, in your business and in your purpose, how
Can you be successful as an entrepreneur?
2. Family: My wife and daughters are the most important people in my life.
Starting my business has allowed me to put them at the center of my life,
where they belong Oh yes, I work long and hard, but today, it is with a clear
objective. The generations of entrepreneurs who built this country understood
this principle. Their businesses often carried the family name, and generations of
people who were born, lived and died together managed to build great
business together.
3. Friends: Fortune 500 companies have boards of directors. Contractors
to have friends. When no one else listens, friends will. when others don’t see
the beauty of the product or solution, friends will. And when no one else will
talk to you directly about a silly business move, friends will. and they won’t
send you an invoice.
4. Focus: It is good to say that you are an entrepreneur, that you are your own boss.
But do you have the commitment to turn that idea into a true success? Tea
The final measure is your ability not only to set a goal, but also to stick to it, despite
those moments of extreme challenge. I may have to change course along
the road, but like a good sailor, you focus, keeping your business pointed to the
right bank.
5. Finance: Let’s face it, most of us are entrepreneurs because
we believe we can improve our financial situation. I know I haven’t missed the
restrictive limits and small wage increases of corporate America. How
How much do I want to make this year? There is only one answer: How tough am I?
wanting to work? And there is only one reason to ask that question: to ask
good on my commitment to all the “F” words that rank above money on my
ready.
6. Freedom: This may be the greatest gift of entrepreneurship. but it is the
that comes only after you can act on all the other “F” words in your
entrepreneurial vocabulary. So many entrepreneurs seek success,
which they define as freedom from all the things they hated to work for
someone else. Unfortunately for these people, they lack a true entrepreneurial spirit.
vision – they are simply running away from something. true entrepreneur
freedom comes from a vision that encompasses what is really important to you.
Are these the only “F” words an entrepreneur needs to know? Obviously not.
But in times of extreme challenge, remembering these “F” words can help.
you weather a moment of extreme challenge without resorting to
non-printable variety. And if you’re like me, they can also help you remember
why you started the business in the first place.