• Start Up

Taking The Baby Steps

by admin

February 27, 2019 2

It is always amazing to see infants take their first steps. We are always anxious to see them walk. They crawl, stumble and finally take that first step we are eager to see. I remember that MTN advert where the parents of the little child were more that joyous when she took the first step. You also must have seen a movie or two where a child’s first step brought untold happiness to the parents. What these little children go through before they can finally walk is sometimes disheartening to the impatient parents. But the child’s resilience and undying eagerness to walk trumps all obstacles and when that day finally arrives, the child takes the first step, second, third and never to crawl again.

Starting a business is just like a baby trying to walk for the first time. You stumble, sometimes you fall. As most start up companies, you may end up failing. However, it is very important to have it at the back of your mind that as so many businesses fail yearly there are other few ones that succeed and end up becoming great companies. There a few basic habits you may need to develop if you really want to be successful not just as an entrepreneur but as anything you want to be in life.

Courage: Starting and running a business is perhaps the most difficult job in the world. Come to think of if, according to US statistics, 55% of start-ups fail within the first five years. I’m sure the percentage is even higher in Nigeria. When you think of the rigorous activities of running a business and the uncertainty that lurks around, you may want to pitch your tent with getting a good job and just be contented with that. Courage however gives you the strength and the foresight to see beyond the fear of failing. It gives you the strength needed to pick up the pieces when things fall apart. it gives you the ability to forge ahead irrespective of obstacles and hurdles you have to cross. It gives you the strength never to give up.
Discipline: A person without self-control, my Bible says, is like a city without walls. Having self control means you have control over your life. A lot of people are control by materialism, alcohol, sex, food and many more. To become successful, you need to begin to identify areas of your life that you may need to cut down on some excesses. A great man once said that the first rule in heaven is discipline. Without discipline, you, your business and its employees can do anything they like. There must be rules to follow and zero tolerance for flouting them.
Learning ability: No Books, seminars, degree, etc will prepare you for what you will go through in the first few years of starting and running your business. There are a number of things you will have to pick up as you run your business. You will make mistakes, you may even fail but your ability to learn from all your mistakes and failures makes you an entrepreneur. Experience, sometimes, is the best teacher. You must be willing to also learn from the successes and failures of others. Find out what caused them to fail or succeed, what were their reactions, and how did they manage to overcome their problems. If possible get a mentor who’s more experienced in what you are doing, it may save you a lot of trouble. See every situation as a opportunity to learn and whatever you learn, put it into practice.

Perseverance: Failure, in this part of the world, is almost a taboo. When people fall short of expectations, they are either castigated or stigmatized, most times, without any hope of a second chance. An entrepreneur must understand that the chance of a business surviving and thriving is very slim and that it takes a lot of hard work and perseverance to succeed. When your business is not giving you the result you expect, do not give up. When your business fail, and you are down to nothing, do not give up. You can start all over, learn from your mistakes and move on. I believe there is a right time and season for each business to boom and grow exponentially. Always prepare your business for that time. Never give up, never back down. When you fail, raise your head up high and believe that you can always start afresh. Do not allow societal pressure and expectations categorise you into a failure. Get back on your feet and like a phoenix, rise from your ashes.

Strong work ethics: Running a successful business is not for lazy people. You can’t expect your business to grow well if you are not putting in your best effort. A lot of people wish for easy money. They look for get-rich-quick means. I have never seen a business that grew overnight. You need to work tirelessly to get your business off the ground. Make hard work a critical factor to your success. Let your employees see you work hard. Drive them to put in their best and compensate them accordingly. Do away with little work, higher reward mentality as it will not get you anywhere. People talk about working smart, I say there is a place for that. There is a place for working hard too.

Dream: the power of imagination can never be over emphasized in building a sustainable business. You have to dream. Most businesses fail to grow simply because of this. Their owners see them as just a means to sustain themselves and their families. They do not see large corporations in their businesses. They do not see their businesses growing to become strong competition in their industries. Dream has the power to give your business a sense of purpose and direction. It can propel you and your business to begin to strive towards achieving a greater feat. It can lighting up your spirit, give you insight to see the end even at the beginning. So dream on. Dream about where you business will be in ten years, how much money you would make in ten years, how many branches or outlets would your business have in ten and so on. It costs you nothing to dream but gives you more to achieve.

Integrity: Finally, relationships are built on trust. Your customers, clients, suppliers, employees and even the community will relate well with you if they can trust you. Never promise what you cannot deliver. Integrity in business can actually determine how long you stay in business. Nobody wants to have anything to do with people or businesses they cannot trust. And when you begin to falter on your promises, you begin to lose credibility. I once heard that credibility is like virginity, you only have it once. Get it right as you start your business. Business integrity is a must for your business. If you ever falter on this, go and make amends with whosoever. Apologise, be honest with the reasons why you abused their trust and promise to always keep your word. Integrity is a key to building a long lasting business. It is a must if you want to succeed.