5 Success Tips for Entrepreneurship and Life

Starting a business and the path of entrepreneurship can be an exciting and stress-filled time. There are so many things to consider in addition to worrying whether or not it will be successful. When Angela and I started our business, Better Life Maids, we knew we had a great concept, and that it would take a lot of hard work and effort on our parts to make the business soar.

Being able to franchise our business model has been a source of pride and accomplishment. And yes lots of hard work – but it’s gratifying to see someone take “our baby” and make it their own. We truly enjoy working with our franchisees helping them to grow from the ground up, while saving them all the hard lessons we had to learn by trial and error.

We have found, however, that there are components that help make our franchisees successful. These components work in business and in life, so even if you’re not thinking of franchising with us, you’ll still learn some great tips!

Believe in Your Vision

Whether it’s starting your own business on your path to entrepreneurship or getting out of debt, holding and believing in your vision is the number one thing to remember that will keep you on track and looking forward. If you have the idea, that’s almost half the battle. The execution, and how you accomplish it, is completely up to you. For example Michael Gerber in his book the E-Myth revisited states that “You need to have a picture in your mind of what the business will look like when it is done.” For us that meant visualizing where Better Life Maids would be in 1 year, 5 years, & 10 years and sharing that vision with our staff and anyone that would listen. Talk about, see it in your mind , imagine how it would feel to accomplish this lofty goal, now you are on your way.

Believe in Yourself

If you think you can do it, you’re much closer to actually making it happen than you think. And if you don’t fully integrate that belief into your psyche, you will continue to spin your wheels. The mindset of entrepreneurship is an important component that’s often overlooked, and translates well into your day to day life. It’s easy to get caught up in day-to-day issues that distract you from focusing on your mindset. Take time each day to get in touch with yourself. Continually assess whether you’re getting done what you need to get done or are procrastinating. Consult your gut. It knows whether you have faith in what you’re doing – or not.

Have a Plan – and Follow It

The surest way to go nowhere is to not have a plan. Franchising with us makes that part easy since we provide you with literally everything you need to get your business growing. There’s a phrase “Plan your work and work your plan.” When you think about it, it makes sense. When you break a complex idea into smaller steps (your plan), suddenly the impossible is possible. When you think through whatever it is you want to do, you discover the kinks that might trip you up and alternate ways of doing things. It’s a little like planning your grocery list – if you put things in the order in which they appear in the store, you get through your shopping much faster. (Which is a wonderful thing if you’re doing it with small children in tow!) Conrad Hilton, the visionary founder of the Hilton Hotel Chain (Paris Hilton’s grandfather to our younger readers) was once asked to speak to a large audience of successful entrepreneurs and business men. He was asked to explain the keys to his success. “Always tuck in the shower curtain.” said Hilton. For him this enigmatic phrase meant follow your plan, and stick to the details.

Visualize your Success

Do I really need to say more? You have to do more than visualize, obviously, but this is what helps retrain your mind to believe you can achieve that positive outcome. Entrepreneurship requires that you envision what your business will look like when you are done building it. Follow this technique in life in general.

Don’t Give Up!

I love the accompanying cartoon graphic. It exemplifies what so many people do…work really hard only to give up at the last moment – right before they achieve their goal. Don’t be like that. Certainly, if what you’re doing isn’t working, you’ll need to rethink your plan. But don’t give up when the going gets tough. That’s easy to do, but don’t give into the temptation. You may then always wonder, “What might have been.”