Entrepreneur Essentials
Running a business is a bit like riding a century on a bike. There are thrilling moments — starting out, coasting downhill — and moments where it's just grinding work: going uphill, or miles 50–70 where you wonder how you'll ever make it.
I have an MBA, but some of the most valuable lessons I've learned are the ones I learned by doing. I'm not sure they can be taught any other way. Here are what I call Entrepreneur Essentials.
Overcoming
Overcoming is having the inner resolve to get up and try again. After your proposal isn't accepted. After the potential client chooses another vendor. After being told your work doesn't work for them. It's being willing to make changes, to try something new, to change on the inside so your business can become more than what it currently is.
Get. Up. Try. Again.
Being You
I learned all about the various aspects of business in my MBA program — accounting, marketing, sales, operations. But it's impossible to run a vibrant, successful business if you don't know yourself. It's easy to copy someone else's way of doing things, but over the long haul you'll lose yourself if you aren't being you.
Being you is what makes your business stand out. It's the DNA of your business. You can find people who do accounting, marketing, sales, or operations anywhere. You can't find another you. Stand. Out.
Do What You're Good At
Even though I learned about all the aspects of running a business in my MBA program, I don't do all those things as a business owner. We aren't designed to do everything. Find partners along the way — an accountant, a bookkeeper, an organizer, a mentor. Focus on what energizes you and find ways to minimize everything else.
It may mean doing the accounting yourself until you hit a certain revenue milestone, or hiring a marketer once the business reaches a certain size. Let others join the adventure doing what they love, so you can keep doing what you love — and what you're actually good at.
Sales Your Way
I am not a salesperson — at least not in the way I picture salespeople. And yet, obviously, I must be selling something, because I'm still in business. We're constantly bombarded with the "right" way to do sales. But the right way is the way that works for you and meshes with who you are.
Find that approach and go for it. If you need help, find someone. But don't assume you have to do sales a certain prescribed way. Find what works for you.
A Simple System for Your Work
Beyond the personal essentials, the practical ones matter too. A reliable place for work to live — whether that's a project management tool, a well-organized folder system, or a trusted process — keeps things from falling through the cracks and keeps your brain from carrying it all.
An Online Presence You Own
Social media matters, but it's rented land. A website is something you control. Even a simple one sends a clear signal to potential clients that you take your work seriously. It doesn't have to be elaborate — it has to be clear, professional, and genuinely represent you.
Running a business can be hard and lonely at times. That's part of the ballgame we're in. But it can also be exhilarating — and it can impact many lives. That's worth remembering on the uphill miles.