6 Types of People That Help Shorten the Entrepreneurship Learning Curve
Ready… Set… Wait…Even if you are a self-starter – which you should be as an entrepreneur – starting your own business comes with certain challenges. There are so many uncontrollable factors that, even if you have done it before, you can’t possibly know everything about running a business. You can prepare for what you know, but how do you deal with things that come up when you have no idea what to do?
Think back to when you were first born (if you can remember that, you must have super powers)… There are so many things that babies don’t know. We have to learn objects, language, physical movement, etc. Parents, family, and other educators are there to help along the way and guide you, but ultimately, you grew up to be who you are because of choices you made along the way. You took the information they gave you and applied it to your unique personality and thought process.
As your business grows up, that principle remains the same. There will be so many things that you don’t know, but you will have to learn them along the way. Of course, your personality plays into the equation significantly. You could be a “learn-as-you-go” entrepreneur, a “calculated and scheduled roll out” kind of entrepreneur, or perhaps you are a “know-it-all” entrepreneur.
Whatever your entrepreneurial style, you aren’t the first person who has started a business, and you definitely won’t be the last (someone has to run the robots eventually, right?). That means that there are valuable people that will be able to help you navigate the tricky entrepreneurship learning curve.
Here are the people you should connect with on your entrepreneurial journey to the top:
Mentor: A mentor is an experienced and trusted advisor. If you are just starting out in the business world, finding a great mentor will help you focus your energy in the right place. It is an ongoing relationship that has give and take where you can come to them with challenges you are facing, concerns about your business and your overall well-being as a business owner.
Business Coach: Similar to a mentor, a business coach will help you get your business on the right path. The difference is that this is a paid resource for you to tap into. Business coaches will get into the nitty gritty of your strategy and help you to make your approach more effective. They will point out what aspects of your business you can improve on.
Business Partner: It’s simple, you either start a business on your own, or you bring on one or more partners to start it with you. Starting a business alone can be hard, especially if you are used to working with a team of people. There is a certain sense of isolation if you are a solopreneur. Working with a business partner means that you can be accountable to each other and, if you have chosen the right partner, it splits the work load so it is less of a burden on one person. To make it the best partnership, you should find someone whose skill set and personality complements your own so together you have more strengths than weaknesses.
Other Entrepreneurs: As an entrepreneur, it’s important to network with other business owners. Building relationships and a strong network can provide opportunities for growth and learning. Why not learn from someone who has “been there, done that”?
Employees: If you are at the point where you are putting a team together, the most important thing is to work your strengths and hire your weaknesses. If you have five people working together that are all carbon copies of you, how can you expect to push your own boundaries? Find people that have complementary skill sets the will help you perfect your product/service offering for your customers.
Customers: These are some of the most important people in your business. Be sure to communicate WITH them on a regular basis to make sure they are happy and to find out things that you might be able to do better to make their experience better. Happy customers will become brand ambassadors for you.
Of course, you will and should make mistakes on your own. How you run your business will be unique to you, however, there are principles in business that you will be able to apply to your own operations to help you grow your own entrepreneurial venture.
