What are Everyday Aspects of an Entrepreneur?

Forming an idea is simply the beginning. It is the catalyst of the many challenges and successes that come with owning a business. Success is defined by the entrepreneur’s response to those challenges and successes. You must go through it to grow through it. The building of a project or going through a tough situation is where entrepreneurs experience the most potential growth. 

Overcoming Challenges 

Sometimes, challenges are looked at as failures. However, it is crucial to keep in mind that every business, whether big or small, endures hardships. Joe Nelson states, “The most significant hardship that I had to overcome was not having a good bookkeeper when I started The Window Cleaning Co. and my other companies. This led to many other challenges.” Financial organization is a challenge for many businesses and can cause various setbacks. Putting the time and resources into maintaining your books and finances at the beginning will set you and your business up for future success. 

• “Not developing internal systems soon enough was a mistake we had to learn from. As you grow you need systems to scale. Every issue that we have experienced in our business is due to a system that we have not yet established. It needs to get from our head and into a system.” 

            -Bill Svoboda, co-founder of Close Simple

• “Our lack of systems at the beginning of our business made it difficult to keep track of payments and we were forced to set systems in place that should have been there a long time before.” 

           -McQuaid Boo, co-founder of Boo Creative

Celebrating Successes

Although owning a business comes with a lot of hardships, there are also times that entrepreneurs get to celebrate their successes. These are the moments that remind entrepreneurs why they started a business as it is encouraging to sit back and reflect on your accomplishments. Here are some responses from several interviewees when asked what they were proud of regarding their business: 

• “We simply put ideas in front of people and actually listened to the clients. We were not overly attached to our idea which allowed us to adapt. Being willing to adapt and listen to what your consumers want is often overlooked but is extremely important to success.”

            -Bill Svoboda, co-founder of Close Simple

• “I usually like to take control of things and simply do the job myself. But hiring a financial and operations manager allowed me to fill the existing gaps and skills that I do not have.” 

             -Joe Nelson, founder of The Window Cleaning Co. and operations manager of Pane’N the Glass Window Cleaning

Both Nelson and Svoboda experienced what most entrepreneurs must do, letting go of pride and being willing to adapt for the best interest of their business. 

Building a Network 

A major part of finding success is building a network. People are the driving force of a business’s success. If you do not attempt to make connections, then you will significantly decrease the number of opportunities you have. When asked how making connections has impacted their videography/photography business, Shay Boo replied, “It has impacted us so much. Ninety percent of our business has stemmed from making connections with people. We did a lot of complementary work at the beginning which definitely paid off.” See the opportunities that are at your fingertips each day and utilize them. Word-of-mouth advertising is cost-effective and extremely impactful.   

• “Make connections with everyone you possibly can. I make connections with the lawn care guys to the AC guys when I am cleaning windows. Never underestimate the power that word-of-mouth has. Creating a large network provides you with an immense number of opportunities.” 

            -Joe Nelson, founder of The Window Cleaning Co. and operations manager of Pane’N the Glass Window Cleaning

• “Everything revolves around your network in this business, and trust runs it. It is all in relationships.” 

            -Bill Svoboda, co-founder of Close Simple

Svoboda touches on a crucial part of making connections, trust. Entrepreneurs should not view their connections as simply people that they can use to get what they want. You need to build trust with your connections and create relationships with them. Without trust, your network will be weak. 

• “There are a lot of factors when starting out that you need help with. You can have an idea yet following it is so humbling because you realize that you need a lot of help and expertise from other people.” 

            -Margaret Stokman, CEO of The Window Box

Through building her network, Stokman was able to find places to rent and have pop-ups. Building networks increases opportunities for entrepreneurs and will aid the success of a business. It is very essential for practical means of business and encouragement. The challenges and successes that entrepreneurs experience may be small or big, yet each is worth being celebrated.