Author name: Juanita Rosenior

Let’s get down to brass tax. Being an entrepreneur means taking risks, and the basic Merriam-Webster dictionary definition is partly accurate: “an entrepreneur is a person who starts a business and is willing to risk loss in order to make money.” We can go deeper than that.

Perhaps you are part of a larger organisation, a cog in the great machine that churns out some obscure product or service that only now you have gotten to grips with. In doing so, you have realised that there are ways in which the business could run more smoothly, or rake in more profits. Finding these opportunities is very similar to being an entrepreneur, the only difference being that you are part of something bigger and your ideas impact more than just yourself.

In a world wrought with savage criticism and scathing reviews, you would not be blamed for believing that the feedback you receive from your stakeholders is all you need to gauge your worth. That is just one aspect of self-improvement, the next part is doing it to yourself. Call it what you want: self-evaluation, self-assessment; it is all entirely necessary and highly valuable.

In this modern age of information, digital platforms have become the bread and butter of the budding entrepreneur. From social media to blogging and vlogging, we have made leaps and bounds in the tools we use on a daily basis on our search for success. But beyond the well-known and popular tech giants like Facebook and YouTube, there lies more specialised and niche tools that are vital for any would-be startup.

Success is an ugly thing, one spawned from blood, sweat and tears. It comes kicking and screaming through grit and determination, never from complacency and laziness. It takes a certain kind of person who has the ambition and drive to carve themselves a piece of the pie before others can and find their niche in an oversaturated marketplace. Being an entrepreneur means taking a hit but getting into the ring time and time again, regardless of how much it hurts.