You’ve set your goals and been executing. Unfortunately, all your efforts seem less than fruitful. Frustrated and stressed are just a few of the adjectives that could be used to describe how you’re feeling. You may question can you make it or can you be successful?
Finances
A major hurdle that many upcoming entrepreneurs face is financing. You should never throw in the towel because you don’t have enough money. Entrepreneurs often struggle in financial mediocrity by ignoring what’s right in front of them. When the shadows of doubt arise, it’s important to know this doesn’t mean you should quit. Sometimes you’ve got to slow down to speed up. Re-assess your situation.
Being an entrepreneur is not easy. I’ve encountered many things that could’ve potentially crippled me from continuing to pursue my goals. There are roadblocks that every entrepreneur should be aware of. Let’s discuss what they are and ways to deal with them.
Spending
If you’re lacking cash, it might be time to re-evaluate how you are spending the money you have coming in.
Do you find yourself going shopping every weekend?
Are you eating out multiple times during the week or paying for memberships that you are not fully utilizing?
Do you go to the nightclubs every weekend?
If your answer to any of these questions is yes, it may be time for a reality check.
Simple tweaks to your budget such as eating out less and redirecting those funds into a savings account can have a remarkable impact on your finances. Consider this scenario. Let’s say that on average it costs about ten dollars to buy your lunch every day and you eat out three times a week. If you change your habits to eating out once per week, you will save eighty dollars a month! Multiply that out over one year and you will have saved almost one thousand dollars. Imagine what a thousand dollars could do for you.
Earning Money
If you’re working a 9-5 job, your pay is typically set, but don’t let that stop you from using the other 16 hours in your day to earn income! Keep your eyes open for opportunities to maximize your time and income.
Think about those clothes lying around in your closet. They could fetch a pretty penny with the right person.
Remember the Xbox you bought and aren’t playing? Sell it and put some cash in your pocket.
Do you have a special skill/service to provide? Use it to earn some extra cash.
Every little bit helps!
Business Politics
The 2nd hurdle we’ll address is business politics. The Business Insider describes business politics as people advancing their careers or agendas by means other than merit and contribution.
Whether you like it or not, business politics happens in every industry. There are individuals who reach positions of power without putting in the associated effort. These individuals can often develop a “clique” with other like-minded individuals whose bonds are seemingly unbreakable.
The “old guard” likes the way things are and resists the new ideas and perspective that, you, the “newcomer” bring.
Some may even go as far to sabotage your efforts to reach success, viewing you as a potential threat.
So how can you overcome this?
In my experience, the best way to jump the hurdles of business politics is to:
- Hustle Your Face Off – Hard work beats talent, when talent doesn’t work hard
- Network- Put yourself in position to win by surrounding yourself with people who believe in you
- Build Relationships – Be willing to scratch someone’s back so that they’ll scratch yours
- Keep a positive attitude – self explanatory
No Support
The road to success is often a lonely one. Though you may believe that family and friends will be supportive of your dreams and goals, they are sometimes the first to criticize. Don’t let a lack of support force you to give up on your dreams. If you are passionate about what you do, stay after it.
One simple way that you can begin building a winning team is to begin networking with new people. This can be scary at times but the payoffs can be exponential. Attending networking events in your line of work or simply having brunch with co-workers is an easy way to get started.
Additionally, engaging in social media can have a dynamic impact on your team. Some of my greatest business partners were met online. Seek out positive peers who you look up to and start engaging in conversation. Ask questions. Contribute your experiences. Make an effort to create the team that you want to be around.
