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02/12/15 | Uncategorized

3 Key Pieces of Advice for First-Time Entrepreneurs

Thinking of launching a startup but have no idea how to do it? Take these pearls of wisdom from a founder who felt just the same.

By Ciaara K. Bordeaux (Founder, Young Women Entrepreneurs Club)

When I first started my own business, I had no idea what to do. I had just graduated from university and was working a corporate job. And I hated it.

I had an idea of starting my own business but thought I needed to go back to school first. Before making a decision I reached out to a stranger who seemed very successful and asked him for his advice. He became my first business coach and mentor.

He helped me overcome my fears about starting my first business and catapulted my ability to succeed. These are three vital lessons you need to learn if you’re adamant about succeeding as an entrepreneur:

1. Don’t Take All Your Mentor’s Advice

Don’t just blindly take your mentor’s advice. While you should follow their instructions, the most important lesson you can learn from a mentor is to find out how they think. What makes their mind tick? Think about how to apply this mindset to the way you think about things in life and business.

A lot of people falsely believe that they just have to find a mentor, copy exactly what they’re doing and then they’ll get the same result. This works to some extent, but if you want to get lasting results, you need to learn to THINK the way they think.

What beliefs and principles does your mentor have? Ask them questions. You may need to check your own beliefs. If you have scarcity issues about money, learn to think about money the way your mentor thinks about money.  

2. Stop Thinking and Start Acting

You don’t need to overanalyze and plan out every detail before you get started. If you spend all your time thinking or learning information from reading blogs, you won’t get to do the stuff that matters in your business. At some point you need to take action to start seeing results. Think about what you have learned and how you can immediately apply those lessons in your business.

Early in my business, I over-analyzed everything and it kept me from taking action. I thought I had to know every little detail before taking my first steps. Eventually, I learned that taking action is what is going to give you momentum in your business.

You can only learn to be great by practice. Spend less time in your head, jump in and take action – even if you feel like you don’t know what you’re doing. Trust your instincts and put yourself out there – this is the only way you will grow.

I wouldn’t have landed my first client if I hadn’t taken the action to go talk to him and share my ideas. I didn’t even have a business card or a website before I landed my first client, but I was willing to put myself out there.

3. Create a New Habit of Growth

As an entrepreneur, it’s important not to get stuck in the mud. That means not being complacent. Create a habit out of looking for new ways to grow. Whenever I get bored or find myself doing repetitive activities in my business, I know it’s time to change things up!

Since I quit my job, I’ve stopped and started several business over the last few years. Each business that I started, I used the skills and lessons I learned to propel me into the next one. It’s only a failure if you don’t use the lessons you learned from the past to grow into something greater in the future.

It’s about the little steps you take everyday that amount to growth over time. Be willing to take risks and make it a habit. Get comfortable with pushing your boundaries and taking risks until it becomes second nature!

What was the first step you took when launching your business?

Photo credit: Valentyn Volkov via Shutterstock.

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