Entrepreneurship is not an easy path at all. Being an entrepreneur means forcing yourself to get up every morning to work without any guarantee of success. It often means years of hard work without profit or recognition. Then the accomplishments start to trickle in, slowly. In short, entrepreneurship is not for everyone.
See Also: Resources that will help you start, market and grow your business.
With the recessions hitting many world economies in recent times and the skyrocketing unemployment rates, more and more people are trying their hand at entrepreneurship. No one can deny the freedom and flexibility of defining your own work hours and taking your standard of living into your own hands.
What the full video of signs that show that entrepreneurship is not for you here. Also, subscribe to our channel to get business ideas and insights.
Certainly, in theory, anyone can start a business. However, this doesn’t mean that everyone should. In this article, we’ll discuss some of the signs that one is not cut out for entrepreneurship. If some of these apply to you, no worries.
You don’t have to become an entrepreneur if you don’t want to. There are numerous fulfilling career paths in life. However, note that none of the traits we’ll discuss here are unchangeable. You can overcome each one with dedication and hard work and become the entrepreneur of your dreams!
See also: 35 Booming Business Ideas and How To Start Them
5 Signs That You’re Not Cut Out For Entrepreneurship
1. You’re Afraid Of Leaving Your Comfort Zone
98% of people prefer to stay in their comfort zone. These people are okay with just “getting by”, with settling for less than they deserve, or with procrastinating for so long that they never get anything done.
On the other hand, the 2% is willing to try things they’ve never done before, to embrace the unknown, and to do things that make them uncomfortable. Needless to say, every entrepreneur who has ever made it has been in the 2%.
According to Bob Proctor, a 75-year old millionaire, all change happens outside your comfort zone or beyond what he calls the “terror barrier”. The terror barrier is the imaginary point at which fear usually causes us to stop trying in life. Whereas if we had gone on beyond this point, we would have found success.
Being an entrepreneur is about risk-taking and careful gambles. If you are completely averse to taking any risk, to trying even when you’re afraid, entrepreneurship might not be for you.
See also: How Entrepreneurs Should Deal With Risk
2. You Aren’t Willing To Spend Time On Your Hustle
For at least the first few years, for most business ventures, you can expect to struggle. Nothing is built in a day, and this includes a flourishing business.
Most entrepreneurs will work for a year or more without ever earning a kobo in profit. To succeed as an entrepreneur, you will have to treat your business like a 9-5. That is, at least 8 hours a day for many, many days before you start to see results. If you are someone who only wants to make money quickly without spending time hustling, then entrepreneurship is likely not for you.
Nonetheless, remember that while the first few years might be tough, entrepreneurship is a journey. And it’s a journey that can be a wonderful teacher, especially through the rough times.
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3. You Procrastinate Often
As an entrepreneur, time-management skills are key. Working for yourself, there is no boss to keep track of your progress and to query you when you fall short of company goals. If you want to be productive every single day, you’ll need to do so only on your own will power. This is easier said than done.
If you are one to procrastinate and to put off difficult tasks for later, you’ll never get ahead as an entrepreneur. Additionally, if you are one to get distracted easily, it is important to put measures in place that will help you stay on track. For example, consider working in fixed time intervals using The Pomodoro Technique.
The Pomodoro Technique, introduced by Francesco Cirillo in the 1980s, is a system that helps people optimise every minute of their time. This is how it works: you break down your workday into 25-minute blocks, separated by 5-minute breaks. Each block is referred to as a pomodoro. After every 3-4 pomodoro, you can take a longer break of around 20 minutes.
This time management system increases your sense of urgency when you work and allows you to focus for longer. It also makes you get up and take breaks at optimal times. Basically, you develop the understanding that you have to be as productive as you can before the timer goes off. If you use an Android smartphone, check out the Pomodoro Technique Lite application to get started. Otherwise, for Apple users, check out the Focus To-Do app.
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4. You’re Afraid Of Commitment
When we say commitment, we don’t quite mean it in the personal relationship sense (although that might be relevant eventually). We mean that running a business is a long-term commitment, one that requires serious thought before jumping in.
Just like commitments in human relationships, a business commitment requires stepping up to solve problems, making tough choices, and not getting your way all the time.
One of the most common reasons for business failure is that business-owners give up after the first sign of trouble and wash their hands of the entire thing. Making a commitment to your business is akin to making a promise of persistence even during hard times.
If you are afraid of making commitments because you fear having regrets in the future, entrepreneurship is not for you. If you can relate, check out this brilliant guide on how to deal with fear as an entrepreneur.
5. You Think Complex Solutions Are Better
Here at entrepreneurs.ng, we are huge proponents of the importance of a strong marketing strategy. Complicated solutions are all well and good, but are they marketable? In general, simpler solutions are easier to create, market, and sell. In fact, across the board, they tend to be the most successful.
For people who enjoy appearing smarter than everyone else, complicated solutions tend to be the most appealing. This is a pretty strong sign that entrepreneurship might not be for you.
Essentially, for real progress to happen, you need to be able to breakdown concepts into their simplest forms and communicate these concepts in a way many can understand. Consequently, unnecessarily complex solutions are just not worth it. In summary, while creativity is a precious quality in a business product, marketability is just as important.
See also: Steve Jobs – Life And Business Lessons To Entrepreneurs
In this post, we went through 5 of the most glaring signs that one is not cut out to be an entrepreneur. As we mentioned in the beginning, if you relate to any of these and becoming an entrepreneur is a dream of yours, don’t give up! With some careful planning and a strong will, you can overcome any of these shortcomings. In fact, we made sure to include some tips to help you with your journey within the article itself.
What did you think of the signs we discussed? Have you noticed any other signs that show someone isn’t cut out for entrepreneurship? Share some in the comments and tell us how you would overcome them yourself.
If you’ve decided entrepreneurship is for you, contact us today to make your brand the preferred choice among our audience of entrepreneurs and business leaders.
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