Guest post: 5 Lessons they don’t teach you in entrepreneur school

by Kristi on June 12

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A big focus of my work and this site is helping people determine their ideal career path. “Career” nowadays has a wider definition than it once did, as more and more people embrace entrepreneurship.

For those of us who have the burning desire to be self-employed, it can be a long and winding road to success. Today’s guest post by Amber Riviere shares some lessons learned.

5 Lessons They Don’t Teach You in Entrepreneur School

by Amber Riviere, BrownBugProject.com

Since starting my journey as an entrepreneur, I’ve launched several businesses, had some hits and misses (okay, a few more misses), but eventually landed where I am today – as a web designer, running my own firm.

By all accounts, it’s been one of the toughest things I’ve ever done, and along with the amount of tenacity needed for the job, there are a few other things I wish I’d known before venturing out on my own.

Lesson #1: It takes tenacity to make it work.

That has to be the number one lesson, so it bears repeating. You have to have the stomach for it. There will be a lot of ups and downs, and the key is to figure out how to make things more steady, stable, and consistent over time.

Lesson #2: There is no manual.

Although there are tons of helpful resources (and you should take advantage of them all), many times in business the only way to figure things out is through trial and error. If it was an easy path with a clear and comprehensible map, everyone would go this way. There is no map. Nine times out of ten, you have to chart the course yourself, which leads me to the next lesson I wish they would have taught at entrepreneur school.

Lesson #3: It can be lonely at the top.

Early on especially, it’s very likely that you’ll beat your head against the wall trying to make everyone and your brother listen to your mini victories and monumental woes as a small business owner. You’ll plead for help and advice, you’ll grow increasingly frustrated with the things you don’t know (and never even knew existed), and you’ll keep wishing that someone would take an interest in what you’re doing.

Eventually you’ll figure out that there are tons of people out there who want to help you, but chances are, they won’t be your family and friends. They’ll be a support network of fellow small business owners and entrepreneurs who have been there before you, who understand what you’re going through, and who are so passionate about owning their own businesses that they enjoy sharing their experiences and seeing you succeed in yours.

Lesson #4: If you can only do one thing, promote.

You have to consistently generate leads. That’s all. There is no more. If you don’t, you will not survive, and you’ll be left wondering what you did wrong and why you didn’t succeed. Assuming you have a service or product that’s worth something, of course, you must (above all else) promote it.

You might believe you are (or have) the next best thing since sliced bread, and that’s great, but you have to make everyone else believe it, too. It’s kind of like what comedian Russell Brand said in one of his stand-up routines, “I’m famous in England. Admittedly, fame does lose a little of its cachet when you have to tell people that you have it.” You can believe it in your own mind, but that’s not what counts. You have to let the world know you’re out there.

Lesson #5: You have to be consistent.

With your lead generation, with your level of service, with the way you run your business, you have to be consistent, if you hope to succeed. The value of systems cannot be overstated here. The more methodical you can become about handling the routine tasks of your business, the more stable your income will be.

Develop step-by-step checklists for how you want to operate, and then follow them daily. You have to learn to do the same things, over and over, even when you think they’re not working or not paying off. “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” Thomas Edison said that, and I believe it wholeheartedly.

Be consistent, promote, promote, promote, and most importantly, don’t give up. Remember, too, that it may be lonely at times, but the view from the top is amazing!

Amber Riviere is a web designer with BrownBugProject.com. You can follow her work through her blog and through her newsletter, Inside Brown’s Brain.