Having taken on the mantel of a new entrepreneur in the market stream is a challenging and thrilling experience in itself. There are always two sides to looking at a situation, and while an entrepreneurship journey can be scary at times, one may also look at it as something fascinating, something exciting, or rewarding even. In recent times, all of us have come across many examples of failures, startups budding and melting, we’ve heard how the competition has changed forever, but there are also examples that give us a bight look into the whole mess.

 

There is no end to the capital, government, product, financing, management, and other issues that a startup faces as it grows, but it is no reason to be disheartened even before going in with the best efforts. For a change, let’s look away from the pessimistic side of things and learn what’s good in the store. We have managed to cull out a few pieces of advice or one may say words of optimism that every fellow founder may need in times when things don’t seem to be looking too swell.

 

Especially now, in the times of the funding winter, many companies and entrepreneurs seem to be sweating with the situation, hence the words of wisdom are now needed more than ever. Where companies are readying their employees for an impact, many startup founders are finding themselves in a bit of depressing times.

The other way to look at it is that the situation is just another night, and the sun is waiting to rise.  

Byte-sized Advice

Starting off with a couple of short pieces of advice from the far reaches of the industry. These bits of advice are designed not as gyan sessions but reinforcement bytes of what you already know.

 

1. Your Passion: Whether you get into any job, or you start a new business, it is your passion that will triumph any upcoming efforts you are going to put in. When you go for a business where you have the knowledge and passion for it, you will simply find yourself operating in your own terrain. It’s only uphill from here.
2. Your Market: If you feel the need for a product or a service, there may be more people that might feel the same. We’ve heard that what works is the product the market wants. So, when you crack the code, when you know what you have to make, you can turn the ship around and create your own wave in the market.
3. Your Intellect: No matter what, there will always be a competition you will have to look out for. Try and go with your intellect and research into the market. You’ll have the odds in your favour if there is market research, a good idea, and a check on finances backing up any business decisions.
4. Your Peers: Don’t think of yourself alone in the drive to build a business out of your ideas. There are countless entrepreneurs who came before, who are, and who will be after. Building connections/networking with fellow entrepreneurs, not shying away from their advice, and helping them once in a while may work wonders for any business. Goodwill is an underrated asset.
5. Your Pride: Always keep where you stand and what you do in check. It is easy to feel proud of your idea, and your product, but it’s important to keep the right perspective above. Learn to set priorities, even though it may seem like you have to keep looking for the right font, sometimes it is best to move on to the next thing.
6. Your Lessons: As they say there is no age to stop learning. An entrepreneur must also remain a student through the years. There is always something you need to better yourself at, there is always something you need to learn from others. Remember that with great entrepreneurship, must also come the drive to keep solving problems.
7. Your Sanity: You are the life support for your startup, make sure you don’t destroy your sanity while making it great. Everyone needs rest to function and think better. So it’s also important to take proper sleep, eat healthily, and tend to your mental sanity now and then. At the end of the day, your startup needs you as much as you do so take good care of yourself and your business will be there to have your back.
8. Your Instinct: It is okay to go by your instincts and impulse, but not without a plan. Don’t wait for a miracle to happen.In certain instances, you have to take the leap towards your business, follow your gut, as they say. Even though you may be employed at a decent job, if you think business is the way to go in future, just do it even if it is part-time.

 

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Words from the Veterans

It’s your company, you have to nurture, provide, and decide what goes on. So, feeling low at times is only natural, especially when you see so many businesses thriving out there. There is no reason for you to fail if you have the right tricks up your sleeve. Need some testimonials? Well, how about hearing from the best?

 

Take a look at these few words from the prominent entrepreneurs out there who were once where you stand right now.

 

1. “Stay hungry. And bootstrap.” -Rob Kalin, Co-founder @Etsy

 

2. “We are our choices. Build yourself a great story.” -Jeff Bezos, Founder @Amazon

 

3. “The value of an idea lies in the using of it.” -Thomas Edison, Co-founder @General Electric

 

4. “An entrepreneur is someone who has a vision for something and a want to create.” -David Karp, Founder @Tumblr

 

5. “Stay self-funded as long as possible.” -Garrett Camp, Founder @StumbleUpon

 

6. “Timing, perseverance, and ten years of trying will eventually make you look like an overnight success.” -Biz Stone, Founder @Twitter

 

7. “Anything that is measured and watched, improves.” -Bob Parsons, Founder @GoDaddy

 

8. “See things in the present, even if they are in the future.” -Larry Ellison, Co-founder @Oracle

 

9. “Before dreaming about the future or making plans, you need to articulate what you already have going for you - as entrepreneurs do.” -Reid Hoffman, Co-founder @LinkedIn

 

10. “Whether you think you can, or think you can’t – you’re right.” -Henry Ford, Founder @Ford Motor Company.