My friend opened a new school recently. She invited me to go check it out. After years of studying, learning, and saving money, she finally opened her new office.
I was super impressed by her because she knew absolutely nothing about starting a business, but she told me that she dove right in. I can tell you that she never spent a single minute reading a book or watching a video.
A business is a learning experience.
How did she learn?
She learned by doing, trial and error, and after putting her efforts in, she managed to open her business. I took a photo of it because I was really in awe of how her motivation turned into something that was genuinely magical and deserving of attention. She opened K&G Career Academy.
Regardless, of what kind of business you want to open, don’t be afraid to dive right in. You can spend a good amount of time researching how to start a business. You may have books, articles, and attend webinars to truly understand the journey you’ll undergo.
While this is a smart step forward, starting a business is a learning experience.
There is no amount of hours, knowledge, or education which will prepare you for what running a business will prepare you for.
Starting a Business Challenges Your Ideas
When you start a business, you may have your morals and your beliefs. I’ve realized that when you get started, a business challenges your ideas. What you thought was correct could not be the case. For example, maybe there is a business you don’t want to partner with, but they have service that you need, a wise business decision is moving forward with them.
Feelings need to be placed aside when making decisions for your business.
Generally, while you want to be fair and stay true to yourself, there are moments where you’ll have to think about putting your ideas aside for the betterment of your business.
It’s Okay to Be Afraid. You Learn More About Yourself
I hear this a lot from my friends who own businesses. Many of them are at the startup level where everything is scary. I tell them that it’s okay to be afraid. Being feareful, means you care. Believe it or not, being afraid keeps you on your toes. It motivates you to ensure that nothing goes wrong.
If something does go wrong, it’s not the end of the world either. You learn from it and move on. While you don’t want your business to fail, you have to avoid being too afraid to make mistakes. There are no rewards without risks. As long as you believe in yourself and your product, you can go far.
It Exercises Your Flexibility
A business exercises your flexibility. You’ll find more often than not that starting a business requires you to be flexible. You might not like a certain service or product, but your customers do. What will you do?
Flexibility is a word that we hear often. Are you flexibile? What this indicates is that you can change and move without hesitation. In business, being able to shift gears, is necessary.