An entrepreneur, according to definition, is a person who organizes and manages any enterprise, especially a business, usually with considerable initiative and risk. It is a French word for ‘one that undertakes’. Does this definition describe you?

Running Your Own Business

In order to run your own business, you must have an entrepreneurial spirit. A person who shies away from risk or does not want to take any initiative on their own will have a very hard time jumping into the arena of the business world.

Many people want to run their own businesses these days. They have ideas, and they want to get them out there and share them with the rest of the world.

Sharing your ideas is essentially sharing a part of yourself and risking being vulnerable with others. Not everyone will need your product or service or even like your ideas. Part of being an entrepreneur is understanding this fact and moving beyond it, knowing that there are customers who do need you and what you have to offer.

The Ups and Downs

One of the nice things about working for yourself is that you get to be your own boss. You are in charge of everything! And, the downside of working for yourself is that, yep, you guessed it- you are in charge of everything!

There are the freedoms of creating the vision, making the important decisions and doing what you want to do. Then there are the days of taking care of all the details that seem tedious and mundane, but after all you are the boss. You get to crunch numbers and create a budget and promote yourself to gain a following.

Selling Your Ideas

Before you go about trying to sell your idea, whether product or service, you need to determine who it is that you are trying to sell to. This will help you decide how to market yourself and in what way. Without making this decision, you are basically throwing money into the wind and hoping that someone will grab it.

Networking with other people and groups is also very valuable. Doing this can help you to find supporters, advisors and partners to help you in your business venture. You never know who you might meet; someone you sit next to may end up being a main client or referral for business prospects.

Marketing Yourself

Marketing is the driving force behind sharing your ideas. The way you market yourself can determine if you will gain attention for your business or if you will get passed by. It is important that your marketing and branding be consistent with your product and service, so that people know what they are getting from you.

This can also help build rapport with your clients, as they see who you are and come to expect a certain level of quality and professionalism from you. Your marketing will allow your business to become known for the vision and characteristics that you outlined for yourself in the very beginning. For more on marketing and branding, read our blog, What to Include in Your Brand Guideline.

You Can Do It!

It’s wonderful to get your business established and out in the open. It takes an entrepreneur’s determination and motivation, but it also takes a lot of hard work, time and courage. Anyone who undertakes starting their own business knows that there are good and bad sides to venturing out on your own, but it is worth the risk!