Understanding business and personal growth as a young entrepreneur

Starting your own business is exciting. Being your own boss, keeping your own hours, having the final say on everything. It’s an incredibly appealing option for many who don’t like or can’t work in the regular 9-5 job market. Economic uncertainty has led many to start businesses out of necessity, or because they think they’d have better luck going solo in today’s job market. 

There are also plenty of young people taking advantage of the time and resources they have, using it to become entrepreneurs instead of taking a more conventional collegiate path. They have a vision, and the means to realize it. They just need direction. They need to figure out how to grow until they’re self-sustaining. “[Your younger years] are meant for hustling,” writes Jason Parks, CEO of Media Captain. “While your friends are enjoying “Sunday Funday” and going out on a Thursday night, you can be growing your own business and laying the foundation for your future success.”

If you have an idea, a passion, but you don’t know where to begin, you aren’t alone. There are thousands just like you, but not as many with the drive to see it through. Here, we’ll take a look at just what it means to start your own business. How it can help you grow as a person, and how you can grow your new venture into something you can be truly proud of. 

Sound good? Let’s get started. 

 Building Your Business, Your Brand, and Yourself

There are probably hundreds of articles out there with tips on entrepreneurship, and we’ll boil down a few of the most relevant points here. 

Tip 1: Define your mission.

Who are you? What do you provide that’s helpful to people or the world at large? What value do you bring, and how do you bring it? Say you’re building an app that helps people find ethical companies near them. Great! Formulate a mission statement that tells your potential customers and investors why you’re doing that, and why it’s important.

Tip 2: Find your audience. 

Who would want to use the app you’re developing? Picture that ideal user; their age range, job, lifestyle, and potential habits. That will help you get a better feel for where you should be marketing your product, and what advertisers or investors will want to back you.

Tip 3: Market yourself and build your brand.

Technology has never been more optimized toward branding and self-marketing than it is today. With free social media accounts, persistence, and (most importantly) quality content, you can build a formidable online presence in relatively little time. 

Look at what other people in the entrepreneurial space are doing, and see which of their methods you can adapt to yourself. Figure out which platform is right for broadcasting your message and providing value to the people you want to help with your business. Is it LinkedIn? YouTube? Instagram? You can choose to focus on one, or a combination of platforms. Just make sure the ones you choose are suited to you and your product or service. 

Tip 4: Understand that this will not be easy.

There are no overnight successes. True success as an entrepreneur takes years of hard work, passion, and a genuinely good idea. Mentally prepare yourself for the fact that not everything will work out right away. Have a backup plan for when things go wrong, and know that when they do, they’re temporary setbacks. You can get around them, and you’ll end up stronger and smarter for it. 

Tip 5: Become an expert voice in your field. 

Leverage the wisdom and experience you have in your field to market yourself and your brand. If you’re an expert engineer, write articles on the topic and post them on LinkedIn or Medium. Tag them with hashtags and company names to get the attention of bigger influencers who could shine a light on you. Be consistent, and it will pay off. 

Tip 6: Plan ahead, and don’t expect perfection.

Lots of would-be entrepreneurs get excited and jump in headfirst, not considering the consequences of doing so. Take the time to map out where you want your business to be in a month, six months, a year, and so on. Set goals, check periodically to see if you’re meeting them, and measure what works and what doesn’t afterward. Adapt accordingly. Build up a support system of people around you that know the field, are passionate about the work you’re doing, and will push you to do better. Move cautiously and intentionally, but move. Don’t wait until everything is absolutely perfect; you’ll be waiting forever.