The thought of being propelled to the business big leagues in an instant can certainly be alluring. However, in reality, very few entrepreneurs can claim to have been an overnight success with their companies. In the vast majority of cases, it takes years of hard work to rise to the top.
Dig a little deeper…
Drawing attention to this fact, business expert David Siteman Garland notes that many examples of people who appear to have risen from nowhere to immediate wealth and prestige actually had to work for a long time before they made it big. For example, entrepreneur and author Peter Shankman seemed to shoot to the top with his online journalist service Help A Reporter. His company went from zero to over $1,000,000 in revenue and picked up 100,000 subscribers in the space of a few months. However, the businessman has revealed that it took more than a decade of work building relationships with reporters and getting known in the industry before he could achieve this impressive feat.
Be prepared to play the long game
Expecting your business to take off immediately can be a recipe for frustration and, ultimately, failure. As an entrepreneur, you must have patience as you build your business. One man who’s well aware of this is Chris Niarchos, Appco Group chairman and founder. Writing in a blog post, the entrepreneur pointed out that it can take time for even the best startups to turn a profit, so you have to be prepared to play the long game if you want to reach your goal. He added that to achieve success, you must have a sound business plan in place and you have to be willing to put in the necessary hard work.
Take satisfaction from the small achievements along the way
To stop frustration from setting in, it’s helpful to recognise the smaller milestones you reach along your path to success. For example, hitting certain sales targets or connecting with a particular number of people through social media could bring you a sense of satisfaction and give you an important morale boost that helps to keep you motivated. Your ultimate goal may seem like a long way off, so don’t obsess over it. Instead, set yourself realistic interim targets to focus on.
Even with a robust business plan and bags of energy and enthusiasm, it’s unlikely you’ll become an overnight success. The important thing is to not let this put you off, but to show determination and perseverance. Ultimately, this is what will enable you to reach your goal.
