Putting the Pieces Together

From the previous post, Can I Become an Entrepreneur, we came to the conclusion that entrepreneurship involves putting together various pieces in order to produce the predetermined vision. It is important to highlight the fact about putting various pieces together because many aspiring entrepreneurs believe you can produce a vision in its entirety immediately. This wild belief is what helps create the high rate of failure many entrepreneurs endure along their start-up journey. An important rule to follow for aspiring entrepreneurs is patience, without it you will have a hard time moving forward in a rational manner. Patience is vital in regards to your putting together of the pieces because it allows for you to strategically prioritize or better yet analyze what fits into your given puzzle. Understand that this is a very complex puzzle and every piece is not made to fit and sometimes the puzzle will not turn out how you once imagined so it is a continual work in progress that is never truly finished.

You may now be wondering what exactly are these pieces that I am talking about. What I am describing are the various people, resources, networks and skills you will need to have at hand in order to succeed as an entrepreneur. Remember that time is a very valuable and important resource so wasting time on those things that will not move you forward is not very wise. You have to really be knowledgeable about the things you sow your time into and how they will positively impact your entrepreneurial endeavors.

Lets start off by describing the first two pieces to the puzzle you must put together:

People

People are a tricky aspect to contend with in life. I say this because people will filter in and out of your life, make various promises to you, let you down and just overall complicate your life. As an entrepreneur you will have to deal with this at a much significant  level; that can have greater impact on your emotional and mental psyche. You want to make sure you interact and align yourself with the right people. Sometimes as an entrepreneur we want to know everybody so everyone will know about us and our ideas but that is not always the best decision. Sure, tell the world and everyone you meet about your products and services but some people deserve more attention than others. It is not a mean thing to do at all but  rather an important buffer that helps towards increasing your chances of success. Some people will talk you in circles without making a move, others will deceive you for their own gain and a few will actually provide substance to your efforts. Create relationships with the few in order to gain different  insight and perspective on how to better structure yourself and your business for the long haul. Interaction with different people is very important towards your personal development but as an entrepreneur you must be ensured that you are spending time with the correct people, who will provide true value.

Resources

Your resources can be compiled of people, places or tools that help to strengthen your capabilities as an entrepreneur. The resources you have at hand  are very important because you cannot do it all on your own. You have to have multiple weapons in your arsenal in order to be effective and produce a strong offense. As an entrepreneur you are trying to develop a successful product and service that eventually develops into a viable business. In order for this to happen you have to strategically position yourself in the middle of those things or people who will be effective in helping you do so. Lets say you need some training and education; then you go to that place you know can meet your needs. Lets say you need advice on a particular issue and know of someone who should be able to help; then you contact that person for their input. Your resources are valuable components to your entrepreneurial journey because they help you see and accomplish those things that may be beyond your grasp. It is in your best interest to ensure you assemble a beneficial resource treasure chest that can be dipped into whenever you need assistance in moving forward.

In order to not give you information overload we will cover the remaining pieces in my next post. After covering the final two pieces we will examine how the pieces coincide with one another and enable you to become more efficient and effective as an entrepreneur.