The hardest things about starting a business
Starting a business can take many forms, and not every way is best for every entrepreneur/industry/situation. We've gathered together an ever-growing list of entrepreneurs, and they have agreed to share the hardest things about starting a business.
Go As Far As I Have To
Shivi Agarwal - Silicon Valley Web Solution
"The first thing I did before officially launching my startup I prepared myself mentally that NO matter what how far I have to go I make it work. Willpower, Consistency, continuity and patience were the key points which helped me the most to keep moving.."
Pushing Despite Anything & Everything
Tatiana Alexa - San Grove
"The hardest thing is to keep pushing despite anything and everything. It's also the easiest too. If you believe with all of your passion, all of your energy, with everything in you, that you are The One that can solve this particular problem. Again, not like you know the answer (today, right now) how to solve, but more like you know that it's YOU that will solve it. No matter what, you will. Do you feel the difference?."
Seeing Your Idea Through
Jeff Dillon - EdTech Connect
"The hardest thing about starting a new business that is a new model is having the persistence to see your idea through. Nobody asked for AirBNB or Uber. These companies created new industries. It takes time and a commitment to improving the product or service rapidly."
Define The Vision
Eric Schaffner - Smart Block Engine
"Define the vision of your business and how you want to reach it. Then test it while you are still under a paid job so you can prepare the maximum before you make the big jump, removing the inevitable financial stress until your business starts to deliver."
Disruption
Riggs Eckelberry - Origin Clear
"What I've learned first and foremost is how to achieve Guided Disruption™. Meaning, disruption is key to achieving success in a crowded marketplace, but without some kind of Disruption Map™, you won't get very far. The core philosophy behind disruption is experimentation - what I call Mistake-Based Marketing™. As my good friend David Batstone put it, "Enlightened trial and error outperforms the planning of flawless intellects." So get enlightened and start your enlightened journey of trial and error!"
What To Do Next
Nathan Foeller - Raffles For Less
"The hardest thing for me has been deciding what to focus on next. It's easy for me to bounce from one thing to another while never finishing any of them. One thing that has helped me is writing down my goals for the next week, month, and year. This has helped me stay focused on specific initiatives and ultimately accomplish so much more than I used to."
Social Rejection
Alan See
"Social rejection causes activation in the same part of the brain as physical pain. When a brand doesn’t follow back their target market, they are in essence rejecting their customer’s attempt to engage and provide feedback. Most major brands do not follow back their social media audience. They really need to work on a follow-back engagement strategy and less on just broadcasting."
Getting Your First Customer
Nate Spangle - Powderkeg
"The hardest part of starting a business is getting your first customer. Finding someone you have never met before to be willing to pay you money for you're good or service. I overcame this by playing the numbers game. Give your pitch, take the learnings, iterate, and shoot your shot again."