Think you can’t be an entrepreneur? Why you need to think again

Business

Fancy the idea of running your own business, but not sure you’ve got what it takes to be an entrepreneur? Find out why you may be wrong!

Entrepreneurship and business isn’t something I cover on my blog Larger Family Life, and it isn’t something that I am associated with at first glance.

When people read my blog or first know of me, it’s usually the ‘mum-of-13-kids’ label that takes precedence before anything else. I do receive a lot of emails from journalists, but sadly, the only thing they are interested in is whether my womb is currently occupied or not. And whether it’s likely to be in the future.

I know a lot about business

But business and entrepreneurship is something that I do know a lot about. I’ve spent a lot of time doing and learning, trying, falling and persevering.

Many ideas failed but it took only a few to succeed to enable us to live the life we now have that allows us to work flexibly from anywhere in the world and enabling us to travel extensively – even with ten of our children in tow. In fact, we’ve just returned from two months travelling the Balkans.

So… if you think you can’t be an entrepreneur, I challenge you to reconsider. Here’s some food for thought to get you started.

Don’t wait for the magic formula

There is no magic formula to follow when it comes to releasing your entrepreneurial beast. That’s the beauty of entrepreneurship, so make the most of it.

With no rules to stick to or guides to follow it means there is no limit to the possibilities. No idea is so incredulous that it won’t work. In fact, the crazier people think it is, the more likely it is that it will work!

Just start

My first foray into successful entrepreneurship came during the days of Bros, when embellishing Doctor Martin shoes with Grolsch bottletops were the rage.

Supported by my dad, who kindly kept me in good supply of stock, I sold the bottletops to my fellow middle school pupils. They were a bargain at just 60 pence each or a pound for two. I made a fair bit of money for the time and by age. I was about 12-years-old.

Until that point I had tried many methods of making money and failed but that was the turning point that made me realise that I wouldn’t know if something would work or not until I started.

If at first you don’t succeed, try until it’s time to try something else

There is a limit to how far the motto ‘If at first you don’t succeed, try and try again’ will take you.

I mean, there comes a point where you will feel like you are flogging a dead horse. The idea you once loved is becoming a project you loathe and is draining you of time, energy and resource. When you find resentment creeping in, it’s time to stop.

It doesn’t mean you’ve failed if an idea hasn’t worked out

Making the decision to quit on an idea or project is often harder than starting it in the first place.

  • What will people think of me?
  • Everyone will think I’m a failure.
  • Nobody will take me seriously again.
  • Maybe I’m not cut out for this.

None of that is true. What is true is that you’ve tried something, it didn’t work so you will now free up the time to try something else instead. And that is the mark of a true entrepreneur!

There will be bad days

There are days when nothing seems to be going right and you just don’t feel the love for anything.

The day I discovered a freelancer I had hired to provide content for one of my sites had actually plagiarised every single article word for word – and still insisted on being paid – was one of those ‘is it really all worth it?’ moments.

These are the days you need to switch off and recharge. Things will look better with fresh eyes and a rested mind.

Success will come

Whatever your business, idea or project, if you love it enough and believe in it enough you can make it work. It might not be right now and it might not be in the near future, but at some point you will have developed the skills, the knowledge or yes, even the contacts, to turn your idea into a success.

Always believe in the power of YOU

I have had so many times where I did not believe in myself, where I questioned my abilities, my skills and my intelligence. Those times are when your brain bullies you into believing the worst about yourself.

Effective retaliation comes in nipping those thoughts with all the positives, all the achievements and all the things to be proud of about yourself because you are incredible.

Nobody has lived your life the way you have and there is nobody in the world that is like you. In fact, you’re pretty impressive, don’t you think?

Ready to start your business?

If you’re ready to take the first few steps on your own entrepreneurial journey, you’ll find some helpful advice in these articles:

Tania Sullivan is founder of Larger Family Life, the UK’s biggest online resource for larger families.