The entrepreneurs who get the most profile are those who create significant companies, or disrupt industries. The Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musks and Jeff Bezos type of entrepreneur are featured as role models and rightly so. We make movies about them, write books about them and teach courses in our universities that reference their achievements.
It is an amazing feat to build companies like these people have done.
Sometimes, however some of the messages suggest that all entrepreneurs need to emulate these people, which is of course just not true. We can’t all create multi-billion dollar, global companies.
There are literally thousands of small business entrepreneurs developing, running and growing smaller successful enterprises all around the world. These entrepreneurs are actually creating more jobs than the big mega companies, and are often referred to as the engine of their economy.
The challenges of starting any business are significant and these small business entrepreneurs bring incredible value to their economies through their efforts. Therefore it is important that we never undermine the value of what they do, or discourage the average entrepreneur (who is already an extraordinary person) from starting their dream… no matter how small!
“If you cannot do great things, do small things in a great way.” Napoleon Hill
Here are a few thoughts I would share with budding entrepreneurs:
1. Your enterprise needs to bring value to enough people that is a sustainable idea.
2. Your business does not need to be game changing, huge, global or high tech.
3. Your idea could be servicing an underserved niche.
4. Your idea could be bringing a level of service that is valued by just enough people to make it viable.
5. It could be low tech or high tech.
6. It needs to be something you can be passionate about.
7. Very often small enterprises will grow… and that is OK too, but it does not NEED to be the initial goal.
8. The energy, drive, commitment and attitude needed to be an entrepreneur is significant… so do not be deterred by the people who say your idea is not big enough, different enough or game changing enough.
9. Not everyone is cut out to be an entrepreneur, BUT there are a lot of people who have been successful at creating their business… believe in yourself and make it happen.
10. Entrepreneurs make things happen, bring value to their community (big or small) and are needed!
Have you got what it takes?