Most entrepreneurs are dreamers. They have a vision for the future and many ideas that can change the world as we know it. They are driven by ambition, passion and dedication to success. Successful entrepreneurs know what they want to achieve and are ready to take action no matter the risk. This all sounds challenging yet very exciting. But the reality of entrepreneurship can be slightly different than that.
Most startups fail within the first 8-12 months of their existence. The rate of unsuccessful businesses that started strong and died fast is growing. If the chances of succeeding to even survive (not to even think about thriving and growing) are so little why so many people continue to start businesses? How can one know if the fate of their company will be different than the rest? How can a person sense if they are ready to launch a company? To help you answer these questions, here you can find five obvious signs proving that you are not ready to start a business.
You fear failure
Failure is inevitable part of success. As an entrepreneur you should be ready to face setbacks and difficulties along your way. If you want to be successful, you should be ready to embrace failure as a stepping stone. If you hesitate to start your venture because you are afraid to fail, you should re-consider all of your other motives for wanting to be an entrepreneur.
You believe in overnight success
The fascinating stories of entrepreneurs, who sold their companies for billions just after the first year of existence, quickly become very popular. The truth is that behind every “overnight success story” there are many other things that nobody talks about – the entrepreneurs have spent years of learning, practicing their skills, working hard and making a lot of personal sacrifices. If you believe in overnight success and tend to think that if you are lucky you will make the next big exit without a lot of efforts, you are definitely not ready to jump into the real world of entrepreneurship where “hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard”.
You don’t want to network
Networking plays tremendous part in the lives of entrepreneurs. The success of every startup venture depends on the support system that the entrepreneurs form around themselves. Networking and pitching events give great opportunities to the business owners to showcase their companies, to meet fellow entrepreneurs and potential investors. If you are not willing to attend networking and pitching events in order to present your company to the world, you are not ready to be part of the competitive world of entrepreneurship.
You are not fully passionate about the idea
Passion is one of the most important ingredients of startup success. Investors look for passionate entrepreneurs, who strongly believe in their ideas and have elaborative plans about how they are going to achieve their goals. If you don’t believe strong enough in the idea and you are in just for the sake of making money, maybe you should re-consider your priorities before it is too late.
You don’t like change
The only thing that is certain in entrepreneurship is that nothing is certain! The business world is changing with the speed of light and even the slightest change can tremendously affect your business. Entrepreneurs should be ready to embrace change and to pivot when it is needed. If you don’t like change and are not ready to feel comfortable with embracing it, you are probably going to be very unsatisfied with your entrepreneurial experience.
Don’t wait for everything to be perfect in order to start your business. Challenge yourself to take the leap and if you are passionate enough, if you work hard enough and hustle you will get to the right destination.
