You can improve your product, you can improve your revenue streams, but if you don’t constantly improve yourself as an entrepreneur you’ll find that success is limited. You’re the competitive advantage – no other company has you and your ideas. It is imperative that you constantly improve yourself every day. Here are a few ways you can do that.
1. Outsource and Delegate
You can’t squeeze more hours out of the day, but you can get more time to do important tasks. Outsource and delegate the little things. This will give you the time and energy to focus on top-level tasks instead of getting bogged down.
Learning to delegate may be difficult for you. You founded the company, you came up with the offering – no one knows the business more than you. In terms of commitment, you’re likely the one with the most to lose. It can be tempting to involve yourself in every aspect of the company just to make sure that everything goes according to plan. But that’s not a sustainable plan. You can’t be everywhere and you have a finite amount of energy. Let your employees do your job and focus on top-level decision making.
2. Let it Out
Stress is insidious. You can’t see it, but you can feel it. The days get longer and it gets harder to get out of bed. Even the little things can send you into a roaring fit. Being in this state is good for no one. Employees start being afraid to give you bad news and partners will question your stability, among other things.
One of the best ways to let off some steam involves voicing your opinions. Don’t hold back your anger and concerns. If you have something to say, say it. Don’t let it fester. That doesn’t mean that you should swear and shout at everyone. You can still be polite no matter how angry you are, and your employees still deserve to be treated with respect. All it means is that you shouldn’t stay silent.
3. Learn from a Mentor
You can only learn so much about being an entrepreneur from school and even personal experience. There are some things that only time in the industry can teach you, and that’s why getting a mentor is a fantastic idea. They won’t have the answers to all the questions, but they’ll help with many of them.
You can save time with a mentor. Instead of spending time figuring out the answer to a question, you can simply ask him if it’s been done before. This saves you from wasting time and prevents stress.
Remember to always treat your mentor with respect. Even if you’re offering value for their time, they’re still giving you the benefit of their experience. Without them, you’ll find being an entrepreneur a lot more difficult.
4. Stay Healthy
You are a critical member of the startup team. You’re the entrepreneur and founder, which makes your presence mandatory for any number of meetings with suppliers and potential investors. The start-up’s employees may be competent, even better than you at some things, but no one can represent the company better than you.
This is why you need to stay healthy. You can’t afford to miss meetings because you were sick. Make the time to exercise at least once a day, every day. 30 minutes daily should do the trick. Staying healthy will also allow you to be present and able to represent your company. It’s hard to do business with someone who looks like they don’t take care of themselves.
5. Have Fun
One of the best ways to enhance your performance as an entrepreneur is to have fun. Enjoy yourself, and get your team members on the fun train too. There’s something to be said about doing what needs to be done and not just what you enjoy, but you should like what you’re doing most of the time.
People who enjoy their jobs perform better and are less likely to leave the company. That includes you, by the way. You’re not exempt from feeling like the start-up’s become more of a grind than a passion, which can lead to giving it less than your best or even just leaving when you’ve had enough. Don’t let it get to that point. Find the fun in your job.
Constant self-improvement is one of the hallmarks of successful entrepreneurs around the world, and it should be one of yours. Find a mentor and benefit from his experience. Enjoy what you do and make sure you’re always ready to do it by staying healthy. Improve yourself as an entrepreneur and eventually you’ll find your startup is improving with you.
