The Making of an Entrepreneur and 5 stages that come in the way

What goes on in the mind of an entrepreneur when he or she is deciding whether or not to set foot in the world of uncertainty?

Where does the courage to start a venture come from?

Is it the availability of a certain capital which provokes someone to see an alternative path? Is it the identification of a physical need gap in the market or the society that encourages one to take the leap? Does it get triggered by a rebellion against the existing norms? Can failure in love beset someone on a path of entrepreneurial hardships? Does a need for fame motivate? Or maybe all of the above are valid possibilities.

I believe that whatever the reason may be for an individual to jump off the cliff, it necessarily has to be an urgent one. If it is not urgent, it would not be a reason enough. An entrepreneur is probably born out of desperation and there is always a story behind it. It is not just a plain commercial objective that drives an entrepreneur and that’s what makes an entrepreneur different from a businessman, although, it all boils down to business eventually.

Here are the 5 things that I believe are the steps towards becoming an entrepreneur:

1. The Urge: Mostly it takes some time before a person takes the plunge. Before the idea takes over and one begins to consider the options, there is always a period of restlessness. The urge to do something better starts building up due to circumstances or due to influence. However, mostly the person is not sure at this stage and hence tries to hold on to whatever he/she is doing and tries to do it better.

2. The Stuck-up: The rules of the game are mostly same for all. Most people play by it. Some play around it. Few try to change it and lesser few succeed in doing so. An entrepreneur mostly tries to adapt initially but due to his/her restlessness, quickly slips through all the above phases and ends up hitting a dead end.

3. The Disillusion: Just when one hits the ceiling or the floor (which depends on the luck of the person) a sense of rejection starts taking over. The period may last for a couple of days to a few weeks or even months. During this phase an entrepreneur starts shedding all the notions of a cushiony life due to the inner turmoil. This is also the time when one starts seeking for options and assessing alternatives.

4. The Epiphany: For some it comes late, for some it arrives early but the moment occurs nonetheless. This is the time when either an idea strikes or an incident happens such that it causes the entrepreneur to shake out of the inactivity which had continued from the ‘stuck-up’ state. This is the moment of decision. Mostly, an entrepreneur succumbs to the temptations of the free will.

5. The Struggle: Then begins the long drawn battle for survival. Just taking the plunge is not enough. One has to also sustain the flight. Before the clouds are cleared and one can see the blue sky, there is a lot of turbulence to be faced. Competition is fierce and an entrepreneur can only survive if he/she has a unique idea to carry forward. Learning to innovate becomes crucial at this point.

These are the initial steps to entrepreneurship. Of course it continues into finding a support system, seeking mentorship, attracting funds and so on but these 5 stepping stones form the story behind the making of an entrepreneur and that’s what we are looking forward to hear from all of you who have taken the plunge…

Checkout this interesting infographic from http://www.entrepreneur.com

An Entrepreneur’s Struggle and Dilemma

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Marty Huggins

Brand Freak at The Local Brand

Administrator and Chief Editor for TLB. Loves to talk. Super freak about publishing. Loves watching obscure movies, good cook and overall gentle fellow. Reach him if you want to write an article for TLB. Email him on marty@thelocalbrand.com