As an entrepreneur, it is important to understand: who you are, what you are good at and what you are passionate about. Once you understand yourself, it is important to surround yourself with the right people to help you achieve your goals. It can be extremely rewarding to own your own business, but it takes a lot of determination and sometimes risk in order to succeed.
I have been fortunate enough to work at a company which grew from the basement of our CEO’s home to a successful organization that now employees over 70 people. Through the years I’ve been able to witness and identify many of the ways Beyond.com continues to grow, and thought it would be beneficial to share some tips on how to be a successful entrepreneur.
- Push Beyond your comfort zone. Many business leaders, especially in technology, end up falling into what is the most comfortable for them. If you are an introvert, it is important to try your hardest to become an extrovert. If you are most comfortable coding, it is important to step back and allow employees to take care of this aspect of the business, so you can focus more on leading the business to success.
- Be willing to be the hardest worker in your company. No one cares about your business as much as you do, which is why it is important as a CEO to demonstrate your dedication to the company. You can’t expect more out of your team than you are willing to give yourself.
- Grow your business conservatively. It is important to understand your marketplace and who you are in your marketplace. Don’t try to grow beyond your means.
- Make strategic hiring decisions. It is important to hire employees based on their ability to grow and succeed within your organization, which does not always mean they are going to possess the perfect skill set. Skills can be learned, however knowing how to be a team player is not something that can always be taught.
- Trust your instincts. When you think something is right, it is almost always right. When you are questioning if something is right, it is probably wrong. Remember to trust your instincts when you are evaluating a major company decision. You need to feel comfortable that you are looking out for the best interest of the company and your employees, but you also don’t want to pass up a good opportunity because of uncertainty.
- Focus on strategy. As an entrepreneur, it can be easy to get caught up in every minute detail of your company…after all, it is your baby. It is important to realize when to step back and trust your employees. In order to make room to focus on the strategic growth of your company, you must let go of some of your lower-level responsibilities.
- Learn how to be flexible. In today’s fast paced world, it’s not always possible to follow a plan exactly. Consumer interests are constantly changing, which is why you must be able to adapt your business at any given time. While it may not be necessary to change your entire strategy, you should be prepared to adapt along the way to reach the same end goals.
- Ensure customers are satisfied. If you want to grow your customer base, make sure you are properly servicing your customers. At Beyond.com, we are dedicated to providing a superior level of service to our customers, and even offer live chat via the internet.
- Create a fun and rewarding atmosphere for your employees. Team spirit is critical to the success of a company and because employees are your best resources, it is important to provide them with the necessary tools, resources and support that they need to accomplish and exceed their individual and corporate goals. At Beyond.com, we believe in the creation of a healthy and productive work environment which promotes and rewards collaboration, creativity, continuous learning, flexibility and leadership.
- Take the time to network and give back to the community. Take the time to share ideas, network and give back to the community, which will allow you to grow both professionally and personally. Participating in community service as an organization allows your employees to work together to achieve a common goal, allowing them to feel good about themselves for giving back to the community, while also learning how to work together as a team.
