Entrepreneurship is treacherous ground. You’ll face great risks, from
the inception of your company through the growth stage, and even as you
stabilize and gain momentum. If you’re going to be successful as a
business owner, you need to be prepared for those risks, and address your fears proactively.
While
each entrepreneur and each business is unique, there are five common
fears that almost every entrepreneur will need to face before starting a
business:
1. Running out of money
Capital is one of the
biggest concerns most entrepreneurs have, and with good reason. Starting
a business requires a lot of money, which usually comes directly from
the entrepreneur’s savings, or the pockets of independent investors. If
you can’t secure a reliable revenue stream by the time that initial
startup capital runs out, the business -- and all that money -- is in jeopardy of being lost for good. Disappointing investors is one thing, but losing your life savings is another. If
personal investment loss is what’s keeping you from moving forward,
consider other means of funding. Use crowd funding to collect small
amounts from thousands of people, or seek business grants from the
government to help get you started. Most of all, you need to have faith
in your business model -- if you don’t, then you shouldn’t go into
business.
2. Not being good enough
Whether you’re worried
that you aren’t good enough as an entrepreneur or that your product
isn’t good enough to be competitive, the fear of not being good enough
can be debilitating for new entrepreneurs. Remember a simple
concept that applies to all businesses: launching with a minimum viable
product. Your product doesn’t have to be perfect when it first launches,
and it doesn’t have to be the best. It just has to be acceptable. From
there, you’ll have plenty of room to make improvements to it over time.
No product ever starts out perfect -- some of the greatest businesses in
the world probably started with a product of a similar quality to
yours. As an entrepreneur, you too can be a minimum viable
product. You don’t have to make all the right decisions, and you don’t
need to be a perfect leader. You just have to be passable until you have
the time and experience to improve yourself.
3. Failing
The
fear of failure gets the better of all of us occasionally. There are
small failures -- such as a botched email-marketing campaign or a major
bug you discover post launch, and massive failures -- such as your
company going under. Failure will set you back no matter what, but you can’t let the fear of failure stop you from making a decision. Failure is only the end of the road if you let it be. Otherwise, it’s just a temporary stopping point in a long path to a final destination. More
important, failures are learning opportunities. Every failure you
experience yields a lesson you can incorporate into your business or
your life.
4. Being overwhelmed
The entrepreneurial life
isn’t chosen because it’s easy. It’s chosen because it’s a challenge
with many rewards along the way. If you’re getting into entrepreneurship
because it seems like an easy way to get rich quick, someone has lied
to you. Entrepreneurship is riddled with obstacles, stress and hard work. But
the flip side of entrepreneurship is control. Yes, you will inevitably
feel overwhelmed at times, but it’s all completely within your power to
change. If you’re dealing with too many financial problems, you can hire
a financial advisor. If you aren’t getting the results you want out of
your developer, you can let him/her go and seek new help. You will
experience a greater workload than you’ve ever faced before, but
remember that you’ll be in full control of your own destiny.
5. The unknown
The
unknown is indescribable and impossible to prepare for. When you first
get started with a business plan, a bit of money and maybe a partner or a
mentor by your side, you’ll have no idea what to expect in your first
year. For many, it’s a thrilling thought, but it’s also terrifying. Entrepreneurship isn’t a job. It becomes a lifestyle.
You’re choosing to be in this role because you’re a risk-taker, you’re
passionate, you work hard and you believe in your idea. Those four
qualities are more than enough to conquer any obstacle that gets in your
way -- even the unknown ones. So put those fears to rest and believe in
yourself.
Conclusion
Entrepreneurship isn’t for the
fearless. It’s for the individuals who are prepared enough and strong
enough to learn from their fears and work past them. Instead of avoiding
your fears, embrace them, and use them as a motivation to learn more
about your business and prevent disaster.
Culled from: entreprenuer.com

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