5 Misconceptions about Entrepreneurship
Hello, lovely readers! Hope you all had a great weekend!
I am back, and I have another post about myths... This time, I shall be listing common misconceptions about entrepreneurship. Back when I started my journey as a business owner, it all seemed very daunting and confusing. In fact, it took me a while to let myself even go there. There are a lot of mixed opinions about entrepreneurship, and that's why I felt the need to help clear it up a little bit. As a business coach, one of my main goals is to show my clients that the whole process of starting a business doesn't have to be so scary. While the journey itself may need a lot of work, it can be one of the most exhilarating and rewarding experience of your life.
Here are five common misconceptions I've heard (even believed) about being an entrepreneur:
1) Becoming an entrepreneur is taking the easy way out.
Let me tell you firsthand, starting and running a business is most definitely not easy, not by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, in some ways, it can be even harder than having that 9-5 job. Us entrepreneurs do not finish work at 5, we bring it home every night and every weekend.
2) If you are an entrepreneur, it's because you're stubborn. You don't like being told what to do.
This one hits close to home for me... as a person who comes from a family of entrepreneurs, I have heard a lot of these assumptions, as well as how they affect people. My late grandma used to always say that as entrepreneurs, our clients are our bosses. This is so true! As business owners, our income relies on the people we serve, our clients. If they don't like our work, we don't get paid; therefore, we really do need to listen to what they say. I think about my grandma a lot, and hope that she would be proud of me. As odd as it might sound, my business really took off right after she passed away, so I truly believe she is helping me from wherever she is. Okay, cheesiness over now. Back to the list.
3) Entrepreneurship is all about money, and it's all business owners care about.
I feel like we hear this one a lot. The moment the word 'business' comes up, what do we think of? I'm willing to bet it has something to do with money. Totally not our fault, by the way! This is what we are lead to believe by society and the media. You hear 'business' or 'entrepreneur', you see dollar signs or bills. There may be some business owners out there that put emphasis on the financial aspect, but there are a lot of us that are in it to help people.
4) All you need for a successful business is luck and one "million dollar idea".
Names like Steve Jobs, and big products like Facebook or Google, are what symbolize successful entrepreneurs for everyone. The one successful business owner who came up with the big hit product, and became rich and famous from it. The truth is, these situations are the rare ones; business is actually a combination of a lot of work, a lot of networking, teamwork, and a product or service that is needed by a lot of people.
5) Disabled individuals can't find work, so they become business owners due to lack of options.
If you take nothing else from this post, then just remember this one paragraph. Business and disability are not mutually exclusive. Just as becoming a business owner is not the easy way out for able-bodied people, the same goes for those with disabilities. Entrepreneurship is not our last resort, it is a decision and lots of hard work, just like for anyone else.
Well, there's my list, folks. I hope you enjoyed reading, maybe even learned something, or could even relate to some of it. What other myths are there? Drop your answers or comments in the section below!
In the meantime, have a wonderful week!
Until next time,
Zoey