Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Take heart! Entrepreneurship isn’t for everyone. It might be the most difficult challenge you face easily. And that’s fair: It’s something like trying to lift a bowling ball one-handed that’s been dropped in a cement mixer (that is, if the cement mixer has been dropped off the empire state building … so, it has momentum).
Check out these nine hacks to overcome some of the daily challenges that come with being an entrepreneur and find your way to success.
1. Don’t go for perfection
As an entrepreneur, you’re going to have to make a lot of decisions.
And it’s easy to get caught up in the idea that you must make the perfect decision.
The truth is, though, entrepreneurs don’t go for perfection — they go for progress. You can always make adjustments and improvements later on, but if you waste too much time trying to get things right now, you’ll never be able to do anything.
So, instead of perfection, aim for progress — and then make adjustments as you go along!
Related: The 4 Biggest Difficulties Every Entrepreneur Faces
2. Be proactive, not reactive
One of the hardest things about being an entrepreneur is that there’s no one to blame for your problems. It’s not like you can go to someone and say, “I need this thing done,” and then get mad when it doesn’t happen. You have to be your own boss, which means taking responsibility for everything in your company.
That’s why it’s important to keep yourself from becoming overly reactive. When something goes wrong, it’s tempting to throw up your hands and say, “This isn’t my fault.” But if you’re always pointing fingers at other people instead of taking responsibility for your mistakes, someone else will eventually find some unexpected free time on their hands — and it won’t be you!
3. Be comfortable with discomfort
As an entrepreneur, you will face situations that make you uncomfortable. You’ll have to deal with clients who don’t understand your business, people who are unhappy with the results you deliver and colleagues who are not pulling their weight. But the only way to grow as an entrepreneur and become successful is by learning to embrace and overcome these challenges.
4. Focus on the customer
Every entrepreneur knows that customers are the lifeblood of their business. But sometimes, entrepreneurs get so caught up in their schedules and goals that they forget to make time for their customers.
When you’re an entrepreneur, getting lost in your own world is easy, especially if you’re working from home or in a small office with no employees. But focusing on your customers can help keep you grounded in reality and remind you what’s most important: delivering value to people who use your products and services.
Related: Help Is on the Way! (for 5 Common Obstacles Every Entrepreneur Faces)
5. Don’t try to do it alone
Entrepreneurship is a lonely business, but that doesn’t mean you have to be alone in your journey. You’ll find yourself facing challenges unique to your industry and experience level, so it’s important to reach out for help when needed. From mentors who can offer guidance and advice to friends who can share their own knowledge and experience with you, plenty of people out there want to help someone just like themselves to get through the tough times.
6. Get to know your numbers
One of the most important things you can do as an entrepreneur is to stay on top of the numbers. You must know how much money you’re making, your expenses and where your business is headed. If you don’t pay close attention to these things, it can be hard to decide what’s working and what isn’t or even if you’re making any money!
7. Automate wherever possible
Automating tasks and processes is one of the easiest ways to save time as an entrepreneur. Rather than doing something manually every day — like sending out invoices or responding to customer emails — set up a system that will do this for you automatically so that it happens with minimal effort on your part.
8. Always track your time
It’s important to keep an eye on how much time you spend working on each project and on general admin tasks like emailing or answering calls from customers/clients. This will help with forecasting future costs and planning for long-term growth plans, such as hiring new employees or buying new equipment (if necessary).
Related: Ways to Overcome the Challenges Entrepreneurs Face
9. Invest in your employees (and self)
Many startup owners forget about their employees until it’s too late. But when you invest in your team, you create a culture of success and productivity that will help you succeed as an entrepreneur. You’ll also attract more talented employees who want to work for a company that cares about them as people, not just cogs in the machine. Investing in yourself can bring more energy and passion into work daily —which can be contagious!
The next time you are in a tough situation, keep these principles in mind and practice them.
The life of an entrepreneur is not easy. You must be self-motivated, resilient and flexible. You must have good time management skills and the ability to multi-task, delegate and communicate clearly. If (or rather, when) things go wrong, you’ll need a healthy dose of optimism to see you through. Indulge in these amazing hacks, and watch your life transform as you effortlessly conquer everyday business challenges!
