How To Be An Entrepreneur

When a man hates his job, the only thing worse might be a long relationship with a loathsome partner. Like, the sound of her sipping a coffee makes him ill, the whine of her voice is like nails on a chalk board. At this point, it’s time to move on.

And many of us subject ourselves to this self-imposed doom.

Even waking up sucks. He turns on the shower and each dewy drop feels like a hug from his best friend before departing for the trenches.

He drags himself to the office, the restaurant, or construction site of despair, for his daily forced ritual; like a retarded woodpecker with a flattened beak, bashing his skull on petrified wood. Repetition and monotony, each day blending into the next…ugh.

But it doesn’t have to be like this; as it is for millions of men.

There are those who love their work. They wake up early, on their own, brimming with fresh inspirations. They can hardly wait to get started on their next project. They might even skip their shower because they don’t want to be late. They stay after the clock, and take their work home with them, so that the end result is spectacular. They have a team of employees who respect and admire him for allowing their own talents to be nurtured.

These people are called, “Entrepreneurs.”

But the world still needs employees.

We need people to wash the laundry, swing the hammer, and fill the database. Without employees, the tick-tock of industry would run silent. The lumber mills would halt, the toilets would clog, the buses and trains and planes would stop.

Sometimes being your own boss is a trap too. You might create a career that imprisons your soul. But the power of being a creator is that you can change things. For those who have found financial freedom, or time freedom, I salute you. For those of you who dread the ritual we call, “work,” and want to try their hand at being an entrepreneur, here is some advice:

Try something new, anything fresh, that could make you a little bit more money, every day.

Make something out of nothing and sell it for one dollar. Then the next day, do the same thing and sell it for two dollars. Then the next day, sell it for ten dollars. If you can’t find a buyer for your product, the demand is either too low, or the price too high. This could be a paper crane, an ebook, a song, or a rock.

The first step is to ask for money in exchange for a good or service. Don’t worry about the details beyond this first step. This is where most people stop: right before they even try.

Read books about business. Some of my favourites are, “The E-Myth Revisited,” “Rich Dad, Poor Dad,” “Think and Grow Rich,” and, “The 4 Hour Work Week.” Self-education is crucial. Start with these popular, mainstream books and then move on to the more advanced courses.

Volunteer in an industry that interests or inspires you. I used to volunteer to write for music magazines, and if it wasn’t for that experience, I wouldn’t know how to write. I wouldn’t have written all those books you guys loved.

Instead of thinking about what sort of job you want, think about how much money you want to make. For example, say you would like to make $40 an hour. Think of something you could do for somebody that would take an hour, and that someone would be willing to pay $40 for. Maybe it’s cleaning out an attic, or painting a fence. Forget that it might take you three hours to do the job. Speed will come later. Or when you have two employees working for $20 an hour each, and you charge $80 an hour. Don’t worry about not having the skill — learn on the job.

Buy something for a low price, and sell it for a higher price. This is probably the easiest way to make money. My friend has a business where he purchases crafts from craft fairs, and then resells the crafts on the net. Another friend used to buy women’s shoes in bulk, and then sell them online for a higher price. Anyone can do this.

Believe That You Can Be Your Own Boss

If you don’t believe it is possible, it never will be. And if it seems like hard work, ask yourself, how you would rather spend your time? Working at a job you hate and making someone else money, or working for yourself. This is nothing more than a lifestyle choice, and one is not necessarily better than the other. But if you’re miserable at your job, this is an escape plan.

How does Tony operate?

What did I do today? I got up at ten am, showered, came to a cafe to write this post. Then I will work on my blog’s search engine optimization. Then I will go to meet a client and teach him how to approach women for four hours. Then I’ll come home, re-write this article, market via social media.

In 2009 I was a thirty year old bus boy, making $2k a month, working 40 hours a week for people who had no respect for me or my ambitions. Even though I felt I worked very hard, and with great loyalty, I was told that I was slow, lazy, and unreliable. I spent too much time daydreaming, and I should be more humble, accept my position and shut up.

This month I cleared $6k in sales for the 3rd month in a row. I have over $10k in sales leads for next month, and I’m training junior coaches. This took me 5 years, and even if it doesn’t last, I’m happier than I’ve ever been with my work.

There is a distinct difference in mindset between the two ways of being. An employee might have a steady paycheck, a set schedule, and benefits like health care and employment insurance. An entrepreneur must be ready to work long or strange hours, and deal with financial insecurity. It’s hard out there for a pimp.

If back in 2005 someone had told me I could start my own business I would have scoffed. “Oh I don’t know how to do anything. I don’t have any talent. It’s too much work. I just want an easy job.”

Bullshit. The only thing separating you from success in life is your brain. There are the things you do, and the things you don’t do. So do things that matter.

If your boss respects you and allows you to grow with the company, then there’s nothing wrong with being an employee. If you love your current job, this post isn’t for you. If you despise your work and it destroys you daily, then you must, must take action for yourself.

The alternative is ….

Well…

There isn’t really an alternative, is there?