By Alyaa Sadek
To become a successful entrepreneur you must have what it takes to control your own destiny, and with some bright ideas, the right skill-set and firm dedication, you can build an enterprise that can become part of your legacy. Unfortunately, there’s a dark side, entrepreneurship is an unstable path towards success. Facing struggles, ups and downs, is a natural part of the process. Ultimately, no pain means no gain.
Stability
With big dreams comes great sacrifice, if you’re starting your new company, there’s no guarantee for success, even if you have a solid plan. You will experience a few hiccups until you recognize which direction your business is heading. Until then, if you haven’t sacrificed your well-paying, stable job to follow this bumpy road, you’ll probably need to reconsider your choices of being an entrepreneur. The more time and dedication you invest, the more successful you will be.
Work/Life Split
Having an ordinary life will be very difficult; your work life and personal life will be on the verge of collapsing. You will start thinking about business 24/7 even when you’re away from the office, or having dinner with your family. Becoming your own boss, you’ll learn how to function like a one-man show when you receive emails and urgent calls which will need your instant attention. Remember, it takes time to work out a balance, so be patient until the time comes.
Sleep
You will find that sacrificing some sleep in order to put your business on the right path is fundamentally important. No matter how hard you try, you’ll be pulling all-nighters just to keep the ship moving or getting up early to catch an important meeting. Your sleeping habits will probably change, so be prepared to make the best of them no matter how hard it gets and know that it will pass.
Comfort
Part of being an entrepreneur, and doing what others have not, is to have a leap of faith and to step out of your comfort zone. Being the boss of your own venture means everything falls when you are not physically and mentally available. You’re going to take decisions you’ve considered before, and delve into new subjects. The most successful people are the ones who dig into uncomfortable situations and come back stronger.
