Whilst some might say that being an entrepreneur is all about being ambitious, it's more about solving problems. That might seem very daunting, but an entrepreneur is by nature the type of person that's continuously looking for the next challenge, which requires a good amount of logic. Driven by passion for what they believe in they're often quite stubborn in a sense that, should you try to convince them that something cannot be done you might very well find that, ironically, it will simply encourage them to do it.

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It Starts With A Game Plan

I have absolutely no experience in taking a boat out to sea - in fact, the mere thought of doing this scares me. But, if I suddenly found myself in the unavoidable scenario where this mission was pressed upon me with utmost importance, my first step would be to research what I am required to do and of course, safety would be a priority. Life jackets, flare guns, a radio for emergency calls, a lifeboat etc. would be gathered and tested. 

The point is that I am taking a risk but that I am going to put whatever I can in place to avoid falling to risk by doing research in every possible form, testing theories by playing them out in my head over and over and by asking people that are more experienced on the subject a lot of questions. Risk is OK, risk is good - researched risk where you come prepared is even better.

It Follows Through With Respect

Imagine driving on your way back to the office in a rush because you have a prospective client on the way for a meeting that could potentially bring in a lot of business. At a traffic intersection a car in front of you does not notice that the light has turned green and you decide to overtake the car. Very annoyed you speed past him and tell him off. You make it to the office in time, but the only problem is, as the client arrives seconds later you notice he is the driver that you had just told off at the traffic intersection.

Of course this is a very unlikely scenario, but the point is an entrepreneur inevitably becomes a public figure and you need to be very careful how you treat everyone around you. Please don't get me wrong, to keep up your reputation is not the only reason you should treat others with respect. I think we all need to admit to ourselves that we get what we give. Being an entrepreneur means you always have to try harder each day. You have to strive to treat your employees as well as your clients and everyone else around you with the utmost respect on a daily basis, setting a good example, acting like a true leader.

Give Back

Giving back is very important. Even when you are struggling to make ends meet you should never put off opportunities to aid your local charities. With my latest business venture, two of our biggest clients are 3rd and 5th tier referrals that originated from helping out a local charity. The networking that followed after assisting the non-profit organisation (NPO) was not planned at all. At the time I simply felt the need to help this NPO, because their cause tugged at my heart strings.

Save Your Earnings

Needless to say, entrepreneurs are not guaranteed a paycheck at the end of the month, therefor you absolutely have to put money away to fall back on in hard times. In my experience the easiest way to do this is to set up a stop order to a 32 day account, i.e. an automatic, monthly recurring transfer from your current account to an account that earns interest where you can only access the funds by giving the bank 32 days notice for the amount you wish to withdraw. Then, forget about it. See it as a monthly overhead for the business and don't touch it unless you really, really have to.

Stay Calm, Feel Positive

Easier said than done, I know, but practice makes perfect. Some good advice I received once was to imagine yourself in a situation where you've lost everything. Think about where you might be at that point. Perhaps you're back at your parents' house or you've had to move your family into a broken down caravan in a caravan park/ trailer park. Now, make peace with it. Put all your negative thoughts about it to bed. The shame and guilt that you might feel even just at the thought of it - put that aside and think about the opportunities of starting over. What would you do? What creative things can you think of that would get you back on track? Train your mind to focus on the positive things.

Much love - @sweetpea

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