Being an Entrepreneur is about …….

……… the vision and the passion. The drive and tenacity. The ability to think originally and creatively. It is the propensity for individualism in following our own path not one carved out by the hoards before us. It is a style and sophistication in the way that we think – the way that we come up with new ideas by finding solutions that no-one else would have thought of. It is about solving problems by tackling situations from all angles not just hitting things head on – sometimes coming in through the side door produces more effective results.

It is the willingness to take risks not just with money but with our egos, our pride, and our acceptability by those in our society. It is our willingness to risk losing sight of what we have always known by pushing out the boundaries beyond our safety zone taking us into a future of possibilities.

It is an acceptance that we are likely to be wrong a hundred times and still have the guts to get up from each fall again and again because we know that it will be the hundred and first time that will give us the opportunity to taste success. Failure is not an option – just a learning experience.

It is about knowing self. Knowing our limitations, appreciating our skills and talents fully, and probably most importantly understanding and befriending our fears so that they don’t drag us down. It is also understanding the fears of those who are close to us so that we don’t take them on as our own so that they too can’t stifle our true selves.

It is knowing that second best is never good enough. A true entrepreneur will never bodge a job, or say ‘that will do’ when it clearly will not. Entrepreneurs know that we have a God given right to accept and expect the best in life – no pussyfooting around here mate – only the best is good enough!

And what is the most important thing about being an entrepreneur? For me it is live today as if tomorrow does not exist. If there is an opportunity in front of you – take it. If you believe in something – then stick to your guns and know that you can win in the end – if not in the end then in the beginning. Following our own path not one previously mapped out by someone else – any successful person regardless of whether they think that they are an entrepreneur will know exactly how to do this – and if they succeed in doing what is right for them then they have the prize for the greatest achievement of all – peace in their heart, integrity of soul, and a knowledge that they have played their part.

Being an artist, a designer, a performer or any other creative individual it is vital that we do what is right for our selves. It cannot be over emphasised that we have to be as  creative with our business endeavours as we are with our art. Without innovation in the way that we market ourselves we will drown in a sea of talent because there is certainly plenty out there. We must develop our own creativity originally and not try to copy others – emulate yes – but never copy because that never works. By doing what is unique to us – we create our own niche in the world including our own niche markets. We have just got to have the faith that we can find others out there who will appreciate what we do.