As business and sales coaches, we are lucky to work with some absolutely amazing entrepreneurs. Whether they’re early in their careers and working with a coach to help them navigate rough waters or they’re experienced entrepreneurs who want a professional coach in their corner, entrepreneurs of all kinds make America tick.
In honor of National Entrepreneurship Week, which falls on the third week of February each year, we wanted to celebrate those entrepreneurs and highlight what we think are the top six benefits of breaking out on your own:
It’s a Rewarding Career: You can build a wonderful, lucrative career as a cog in a wheel, but there’s just something special about being the one who actually designed, built and now owns the entire wheel. While others “go to work” each day – if you design your business around systems and not your own technical abilities – you can spend your days focusing on making that business stronger rather than doing the day-to-day work. Being an entrepreneur gives you the opportunity to build a legacy.
You have Independence: While being an entrepreneur can be super demanding and it might take some time to work the kinks out of your work/life balance, you’re not clocking in to anyone but yourself. While you’ll certainly have staff members who need your attention and you’ll be focused on growing the business, entrepreneurship gives you a level of independence you just can’t get with a 9-to-5 job. If you are already on your own and you’re struggling with this balance, we can help.
You’re in Charge: Ever have a boss you hated? How about one who just couldn’t steer the ship? When you’re an entrepreneur, even if you have an amazing management team, you’re still in charge. If there’s a pandemic and you think the entire business needs to shift to meet new demands, you can do it. There’s no standing around and hoping your leadership team makes the right decision. Of course being in charge sometimes is a double-edged sword, which is one reason why working with a coach can make a huge difference.
You Can Follow Your Passion: At The Growth Coach, we are always encouraging business owners to get back to their WHY. If you can focus on what led you to open your business in the first place, you can reset your priorities and find your north star. When you’re an entrepreneur, that north star doesn’t have to be something that just pays the bills. You can build a company that keeps you excited and helps you follow your own passion.
You Can Build Wealth: It’s OK to be in it for the money and for your passion to be living a life of luxury as long as you approach it right. Some of the most successful businesses were built because people had a need – not because of a true passion. Junk removal? Portable bathrooms? Shipping solutions? They aren’t sexy jobs, but there’s money to be made if you can do it right. No matter what industry you decide to enter, putting people and their needs first will make an impact.
You Can Make a Difference: When you own your own business, you get to make the decisions on how you give back to your employees and to your community. While some businesses are built on the ideals of giving back – like giving a pair a socks for every pair sold – even just sponsoring a local youth sports team or buying an ad in a local theater program can make an impact. And when you’re an entrepreneur, you get to decide when, where and how you’re going to focus those efforts
Being an entrepreneur can be a tough and lonely road, but it’s also a fantastic opportunity to build a rewarding career, control your future and make a difference in your community. Hats off to all the entrepreneurs during National Entrepreneurship Week!