Usually aren’t we all like, “Oh! I want to be an entrepreneur like XYZ. I want to open up my enterprise like ABC.” But often we fail to realize that before being the E of an entrepreneur, there are few things we need to contemplate about and steps to follow. So here are the essential D’s you need to follow to make your entrepreneurial journey a smooth ride.
- Discover: You haven’t thought of being an entrepreneur just for the sake of being one, have you? I’m sure there is some kind of deep motive and self-interest associated with it beyond just being fashionable. But the question is, Will the idea stand out? To answer this question, you have to explore the possibilities. You need to get a metaphorical binocular and look through it to discover what’s going on around you. Is your idea contextual? Is it aligned with the current trends? Discovering what your strengths are, the uniqueness of your idea, and its viability is what allows your idea to stand out in the competitive market. Often entrepreneurs rush to plunge right in with a barren idea that seems unique and fresh, but lack of research and self-analysis often leads to failure. So make sure you make enough discoveries before trying out your ideas for real.
- Dream: You are done with your discoveries and have the idea solidified in your mind. It’s time now to start dreaming and laying the foundation for your dreamland. As the saying goes, A dream which doesn’t let you sleep is the reality you want. You must let that idea be the vision that haunts you in your dreams. To be a successful entrepreneur may look like a dream come true but one overlooks the nightmares they had to face to reach that place of success. It’s alright to dream, but dream in a way that will drive you to get up and turn the dream into reality. The dream of achieving your idea must be the motivation to enlighten your way towards success in the real world.
- Define: The first thing a customer notices is how you define your business. The more eloquently you can convince people with your ideas, and how your business benefits them, the easier it is to earn their loyalty. If they do not find your motive clear enough, or enticing enough, they will not want to be your customers. For example, companies A and B have a similar business of delivering flowers. A defines their business as “Gifts of nature to enhance the beauty in your life”. B defines their business merely as a “Flower Shop” with price tags splattered all over the boards. Analyzing it, the customers would want to go to A because of how they have defined their enterprise’s motivation and aim in favor of the customer rather than portraying their own benefit. Therefore it is a good idea to give your enterprise a nice definition that appeals not just to people’s senses but also their hearts.
- Design: You must thoroughly design the pathway upon which your enterprise will tread upon. You must determine beforehand, the ‘what?’ and the ‘how?’ of your plans to ensure your ideas spark into a full-fledged flame. Plan step 1, then move to step 2, and gradually plan everything in a neatly-structured sequence about what you want to do. Making a doodle of your plans before rushing to launch can also be effective. You need to imagine yourself as an artist and paint your canvas with colors of your ideas in a well-thought-out sequence to create your entrepreneurial masterpiece. Designs could be either just in your mind or you can jot them down to plan with your partners. Be open to feedback and be mindful of all the potential pros and cons of each step. This makes it easier to analyze if the steps you have planned are going to work out or not.
- Destiny: Destiny is the final step of the journey where you see the fruits of your labor. The dreams, discoveries, the designs, and the plans, all are designed to lead you here. If all the prior steps are carried out correctly, destiny is your dream come true. Your entrepreneurial painting is finally ready to be portrayed and you can see where you will stand. It is the time when you finally see all your ideas come alive into action. Sometimes the result may not be as successful as you had hoped, but that doesn’t mean it is not your destiny to be a successful entrepreneur. It just means you have to re-evaluate those prior 4 steps and redo the entire process based on what you have learned and experienced. Just like Edison failed 1000 times before successfully making the light bulb, it’s all about perseverance and having the right attitude. So have trust in your entrepreneurial spirit and it will be the destiny for your bulb to glow.
