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Entrepreneurship

7 BEST BOOKS FOR ASPIRING ENTREPRENEURS IN 2024

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best books for aspiring entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart. You don’t need lots of money, status, or influence to make it as an entrepreneur, but you will need ideas, vision, determination, and a relentless willingness to execute.

Everyday a new entrepreneur gives their dreams a shot, and equally, every day another entrepreneur decides to call it quits and close up shop.

Considering this fact, we decided to create a post for all aspiring entrepreneurs who are looking for a few keys to help them get their enterprise started with the right mindset and on the best footing. The hope is that these resources will encourage many to get started on their dream business, and equally plant in them the seeds of success they will need to see their venture through till the end.

Without further ado…

THE BEST BOOKS FOR ASPIRING ENTREPRENEURS

best books for aspiring entrepreneurs

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1. The Obstacle is The Way

Without a doubt, as an entrepreneur you are going to suffer set backs. On top of this, you will doubt yourself almost every step of the way. And if you are like most entrepreneurs, you will consider throwing in the towel just about every other week, because, well, starting a business is hard freaking work. The great news is, you’ll have either read The Obstacle is The Way, or you’ll have it in your arsenal to encourage you to engage with and even accept your challenges and obstacles as welcomed friends that you’ll need to embrace if you wish to succeed.

The books is not exactly made just for entrepreneurs, but the lessons of turning trials into triumph is exactly what you’ll need to be hearing, reading, and absorbing inf you are going to make it through the entrepreneurial gauntlet.

So, if you don’t already own this book, do yourself a favor and get it now.

2. Think and Grow Rich

Everyone has heard of Think and Grow Rich, and it is absolutely one of the best success books ever written. And the reason it has made this list for books every entrepreneur should read, is because of it’s ability to help you believe that you can be succeed. This book does a great job helping you obtain the mindset you’ll need to endure and bring your vision to life.

Beware, it is an old book. Put the principles are as true today as they were when the book was written in the early 20th century.

So, get this book and read it often as you make the journey towards creating your business empire.

3. Blue Ocean Strategy

Blue Ocean Strategy is not an inspirational book at all. In fact, it is quite boring to read. However, it is a book that many MBA students and executives have been required to read over the past decade. In fact, we listed it here, because every entrepreneur needs to take a vary rational and strategic approach to their business if they want to succeed. By reading this book, you’ll give your venture a chance at success, so long as you apply the principles.

In this day and age, you can’t just start something you love and accept that it will succeed in the market. No, you have to ensure that what you are offering is unique, fresh, and uncontested in the markets if you want your venture to thrive.

So, read this book, create your strategy and then go make your dreams (anchored by reality) come true.

4. 10X Rule

Grant Cardone is a pretty inspiring guy, but don’t expect a super polished and pedantic lesson; rather, Grant will teach you what it will take to succeed in today’s hyper-competitive world the way he learned his lessons; up front, real and in your face. There is no hand-holding with this book. So, pick it up, brace yourself, read it, and then apply his hard learned lessons and watch your success sky-rocket.

5. Millionaire Fastlane

A successful entrepreneur at the end of the day makes money. If you start a business that doesn’t generate enough cash to keep you fed and the lights on, then you may have started a hobby not a business.

We recommend this book for every entrepreneur. Especially before they take the leap because it will give you a taste of what entrepreneurship really looks like, from bootstrapping, to losing tons of money, to making it all back. In short, it will help prepare you for the journey that lies ahead.

The book is also a great starting point for the type of mindset you’ll need to acquire if you wish create a business that thrives financially, and you will come to understand the value of execution and taking action on your business goals.

So don’t hesitate to get this book if you are about to take your entrepreneurial leap.

6. The $100 Startup

The $100 Startup by Chris Guillebeau is a fantastic book to read if you are an aspiring entrepreneur. This book provides powerful ideas that encourage the reader to think outside the box. But more importantly, the book does a good job at helping the reader realize that starting a business doesn’t require some grandiose idea, or massive amounts of capital.

So, if you’re looking for a bit of encouragement and a few good ideas that can help you thinking differently about entrepreneurship and creating a business you love, you should read this book.

7. The Lean Startup

The Lean Startup is one of the best books for aspiring entrepreneurs because it deals with a commonly overlooked aspect of entrepreneurship; over-committing. This books does a great job at relaying the necessity of starting your entrepreneurial endeavor with a minimal viable product to test, versus committing all your resources to an idea/product/service that the market may ultimately reject.

So, if you’re truly considering entrepreneurship, do yourself a favor and pick this book up. It will give you the framework to approaching business in a lean way, and could potentially save you lots of money, time, effort, and heartache.

Bonus Book For Entrepreneurs

Alright, here’s one last bonus book that every entrepreneur should read. How To Win Friends And Influence People should be essential reading for every budding entrepreneur. Why? Because no matter what business you choose to get into, you will need people skills.

And like it or not, your people skills will play a major role in how much success you find. Sure, there are some businesses where you can eek by without dealing with people too often, but those businesses are few and far between.

So, if you’re just starting out in business, or if you are an already established entrepreneur, get this book, because it will strengthen your ability to work with people (i.e. prospects, customers, team members, etc..), and as a result, it will directly increase your success in business.

Related: Inspiring Entrepreneur Quotes

Final Words on The Books Every Entrepreneur Should Read

And there you have it. The best books for aspiring entrepreneurs. We sincerely believe every entrepreneur should read these books before deciding to dive into the deep sea of entrepreneurship.

Sure, we could have added more books, but didn’t want to waste your time, because as you’ll soon learn as an entrepreneur, time is money.

Till next time,

STRIVE

PS – If you enjoyed learning about our selection of the best books for aspiring entrepreneurs, then you certainly enjoy learning about these best business audiobooks. And if you’re thinking about entrepreneurship, but not sure which business to start yet, then you’ll love this article.

The STRIVE is on a mission to inspire and uplift 1 billion people by 2032. Our primary aim is to help as many people as possible believe in the uncommon thought, that they can be more than they are, do more than they've done, and achieve more prosperity than they've ever dreamed possible. Let's achieve the impossible together.

Entrepreneurship

10 BEST ENTREPRENEUR AFFIRMATIONS FOR NAVIGATING THE GAUNTLET OF BUSINESS

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Entrepreneur Affirmations

Entrepreneurship can be like a wild roller coaster ride full of dramatic ups and downs. Indeed, every single entrepreneur will experience their fair share of challenges, obstacles, and roadblocks before they ever achieve success. And the one thing every entrepreneur must gain control of if they wish to successfully navigate this challenging gauntlet of entrepreneurship is their own mind.

“What You Focus On Expands; Results Follow Focus.”

– MARCUS BUCKINGHAM –

That’s right, the number one way to make it as an entrepreneur (beyond having an amazing product or service) is to find a way to control what goes on between your own two ears. The entrepreneur who lets their emotions to get the best of them, who allows their fears to dictate action, and permits their focus to be scattered by all the “happenings” of the world, will sooner or later be out of business.

Fortunately, every entrepreneur has within their power that ability to control their thoughts and mindset, and one of the best ways to do so, is to use affirmations. If you’re not sure about affirmations, read this first: what are affirmations?

With that said, we’ve pulled together the most powerful entrepreneur affirmations that every entrepreneur should absolutely use to keep their mind in check, so as to keep their business alive and moving forward.

So, if you’re ready for some powerful affirmations to help you reign in those thoughts, so you can ultimately experience more success in your business, then let’s dive in.

BEST 10 AFFIRMATIONS FOR ENTREPRENEURS

Best Entrepreneur Affirmations

Affirmation 1: I Am a Fearless Action Taker

Taking a Leap of Faith: The biggest struggle for most aspiring entrepreneurs is taking that first leap. It doesn’t matter if it’s you resigning from your day job, launching that website, making your first phone call, or going to that first networking event to practice your pitch, taking that first leap is that hardest.

As such, this affirmation provides one of the best ways to convince your mind that you can do it, and that you have nothing to fear. Indeed, it will prompt you to take action.

Affirmation 2: I Trust That Success Will Happen In It’s Own Time

Patience: The ‘overnight success’ is a myth. There is no such thing, especially in business. In fact, success as an entrepreneur is more about making small steady gains over time, and remaining patient for the results you seek. So be urgent about putting in the effort, but patient about seeing the results.

And remember, empires aren’t built in a day, and fruit slow to grow always bears the best fruit.

Entrepreneur Affirmation For Stress

Affirmation 3: I Always Manage My Time Effectively

Time Management: Time flies for the entrepreneur, but probably a little faster than we’d like it to. As an entrepreneur, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed with everything that has to get done with so little time to do it all. It’s also easy to spend too much time on those things that don’t keep the lights on.

So, use this affirmation to get your time management tightened up so you business and life can run a bit more smoothly.

Affirmation 4: When I am Diligent My Results Are Positive

Due Diligence: As an entrepreneur you are likely a risk-taker at heart, but that fearlessness can also lead to issues when due diligences isn’t followed in your undertakings. Many businesses have crashed and burned all because of some small oversights that lead to big legal issues.

So, be sure to use this entrepreneur affirmation to help you keep your head about you in the midst of your entrepreneurial adventures.

Affirmation for Entrepreneurs - Results

Affirmation 5: I Am Smart With Money And Put Every Dollar To Good Use.

Cash Flow: Money worries in the form of cash flow management is cause for some of the biggest headaches as an entrepreneur. So, it is critical that you, as the CEO of your owner of your company that you give enough attention to ensuring your cashflow is sufficient to keep you in business.

This affirmation won’t make money appear out of nowhere, but it will help you zero-in on your cash flow and money management issues.

Related: Affirmations For Money

Affirmation 6: I Am In Control Of My Ego

Keeping Ego Under Control: Success as an entrepreneur can lead to issues caused by your ego. Believe it or not, your ego can cause you to make mistakes, bad decisions, and ruin important relationships.

So, to keep your ego in check throughout your entrepreneurial journey, use this affirmation.

Entrepreneur Affirmation For Ego Management

Affirmation 7: All Areas Of My Life and Business Are Harmonious And Balanced

Work/Life Balance: It’s so easy to get caught up in our business dealings as an entrepreneur. In fact, most entrepreneurs struggle to maintain a healthy work/life balance, and overtime it eventually impacts business.

So, use this affirmation to help you keep your life and business well-balanced. Because when your balanced your business will be too.

Affirmation 8: Delegation Isn’t Failure, Delegation Is Growth

Delegation: Every entrepreneur will eventually struggle with delegation at some point or another. But, if you want to take your business to the next level, you’ll have to learn to let go of the reigns and delegate.

This affirmation will help you focus release some of that control so you can get more of what you really want, growth!

Affirmations For Entrepreneurs Delegation

Affirmation 9: Every No Is A Lesson That Gets Me Closer To a Yes

Fundraising: One of the scariest aspects of entrepreneurship can be putting yourself out there to gain new clients or request funding. Either way, you have to give a pitch to virtual strangers, and more often than not, you’ll be rejected. But, it is something that has to be done to scale your business.

So, use this affirmation to give you the poise and confidence to sell the value of your business with ease.

Affirmation 10: I Accept Adversity With Enthusiasm and Courage

Dealing With Failure: Our business ventures will see setbacks, it’s the name of the game. But how you manage those failures and setbacks will determine how well you bounce back. So, don’t lose heart if your business begins to underperform, or if bankruptcy seems like it is just around the corner. You can get through it, especially with this affirmation.

So, use this entrepreneur affirmation to help you keep your chin up, stay positive, and look for the seed of equal or greater benefit in each adversity.

affirmations for entrepreneurs and adversity

Runner-Up Affirmations For Entrepreneurs

This list below consists of a handful of additional entrepreneur affirmations that you can use to help you on your entrepreneurial journey. Each one will cover some aspect that every entrepreneur as some point in their ventures deals with. Enjoy.

1. I take the first step and make things happen now.

2. I am worthy and capable of creating a thriving business.

3. I attract new business opportunities every day.

4. I am driven and will achieve my goals.

5. I am a powerful and energetic creator.

6. I appreciate the freedom and flexibility by business affords me.

7. My business is growing.

8. I am energized by the obstacles I face.

9. I exude confidence and success.

10. There’s a solution to every problem.

11. Entrepreneurship is freedom.

12. I resist all temptations and remain focused on success.

13. My success grows with limitless expectations.

14. I am an effective executive who gets things done.

15. I am responsible for the success of my business.

16. Nothing can hold me back, not even my own doubts.

17. What I do today will determine my results tomorrow.

18. I am persistent and consistent.

19. I am worthy of what I desire.

20. I create my own destiny with small acts of courage.

21. I appreciate my employees.

22. My goods and services provide massive value to the community.

23. I will find a way, not an excuse.

24. I don’t wait for opportunity, I create it.

25. Even if I fail, I will try again.

Related: Affirmations For Success

Final Thoughts

There you have it, some of the most effective affirmations for entrepreneurs. We hope you enjoy them, and put them to good use. Of course, one important thing to keep in mind is that in order for these entrepreneur affirmations to work, you’ll have to put them to use consistently.

Remember, the purpose of these affirmations is to rewire your mindset so we can effectively modify our behaviors. And we’re modifying behaviors to ultimately get different/better results in our business. And just like exercise, the more of it you do, the quicker you’ll see results.[1]

So, book mark this page, and use these affirmations often until you’re business venture is humming along.

Till then,

STRIVE

PS – If you enjoyed these entrepreneur affirmations, then you’ll likely love these powerful business affirmations, or these empowering entrepreneur quotes to prime your mind for entrepreneurial success.

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Entrepreneurship

25 EMPOWERING BUSINESS MANTRAS FOR YOUR ENTREPRENEURIAL SUCCESS

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business mantras

Succeeding in business is no easy task. In fact, the road to entrepreneurial success is often littered with many setbacks, seemingly insurmountable obstacles, and frustrations. Lots of frustrations. But, the end result, which is the achievement of a thriving and self-sustaining business venture is worth all the toil and sacrifice.

Unfortunately, many entrepreneurs and business owners lose steam or get discouraged on their journey towards success. The obstacles, challenges, and negative experiences they face eventually lead to negative thinking. Then those negative thoughts tend to lead to negative habits, and those negative habits almost always crush momentum and lead to the loss of enthusiasm and hope. And once they lose hope, they stop striving. But were not going to allow that to happen. Not for you!

“Whatever We Plant In Our Subconscious Mind And Nourish With Repetition And Emotion Will One Day Become Reality.”

Earl Nightingale

We want to help ensure you keep your mindset strong and your thoughts positive, so you can keep taking the positive steps necessary to reach your business aims. So, to help you combat the challenge of achieving the success you seek, we’ve rounded up some of the most empowering business mantras for your entrepreneurial success.

If you’re not sure what a mantra is, or what the benefits of mantras are, read this first.

With that said, we know that with consistent use, mantras can and will help you drown out those negative thoughts that lead to defeat. But more importantly, they’ll help you focus on the the thoughts that lead to success. After all, what you focus on expands, and results always follow focus. So, the next time you’re feeling low or discouraged while on your entrepreneurial journey, employ these empowering business mantras to get yourself back on track for success:

25 Best Business Mantras for Entrepreneurial Success

business mantras for business success

Mantra 1: Nothing Changes If Nothing Changes

More often than not, failure comes from doing the same things over and over, yet expecting different results. In business, especially in the early stages of one’s entrepreneurial journey, if something isn’t working, something has to change.

So, use this mantra if you need to snap yourself out of the habits or line of thinking that may be keeping you on the path towards mediocrity and eventually failure.

Mantra 2: You Get What You Focus On

It’s critical for everyone who seeks success to pay attention to what they think and what they focus on. But this is especially important for entrepreneurs and business owners, especially since time and resources is of this essence.

Leverage this mantra to keep yourself aligned with the necessity for positive thinking and intentional focus.

Mantra 3: Find a Way, Not an Excuse

There’s no place for excuses, not in the business world. You either produce results, or your ideas and business will end up in the dust bin of history.

Therefore, it’s imperative to force your mind to become a realist, because the business world and the market only cares about what works. Make excuses a thing of the past with this powerful business mantra.

Mantra 4: Start Where You Are, Use What You Have, Do What You Can

This is one of the best business mantras to use as an entrepreneur because it can help you deal with feeling overwhelmed. Overwhelm keeps too many would-be entrepreneurs from getting started on their dreams.

They don’t know where to start, how to start, or if they have what it takes. But, as most big dreamers who achieved their dreams will attest, you’ve just gotta start where you are, use what you have, and do what you can.

Leverage the line of thinking that has worked for countless success stories with this business powerful mantra.

Mantra 5: Don’t Wait For Opportunity, Create It

Every successful entrepreneur knows that opportunity isn’t given, it is created. Entrepreneurs understand that their dreams will only become a reality when they act to make turn those wishes real.

Use this mantra as a catalyst for action, because if success in business requires anything, it requires bold action.

Business Mantra

Mantra 6: Be So Good They Can’t Ignore You

The market, people, and the public in general flock to the businesses that provide something special, different, and highly valuable in terms of a product or service. And most businesses really begin to flourish once they’ve created a name for themselves by offering something remarkable.

So, use this mantra to keep yourself inspired to always be working towards standing out from the crowd, and creating something special for your customers.

Mantra 7: The Future Is Promised to No One, Take Your Shot

You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take, and business, like most things, is a numbers game. So, make sure you are keeping yourself inspired to take risk, innovate, and put yourself out there, because that were your success lies; in the endeavoring.

Take your shot, and take it often; success is a numbers game.

Mantra 8: If You Want More, Do More

Too many people want things to change without changing themselves or making any adjustments to their operations. But, business success responds to action, just like physics. So, if you want to 10x your business success, start 10xing your business activity.

More Results and better results is always preceded by more and better action.

Mantra 9: It’s Not How You Start The Race, It’s How You Finish

Every entrepreneur is good at one thing; and that’s starting a business. But, the successful entrepreneurs and the high achieving business owners know that starting is only half the battle, but real and enduring success always goes to the strong finisher.

So, use this business mantra often to strengthen your persistence and improve your ability to finish strong in everything you do.

Mantra 10: Your Attitude Will Determine Your Altitude

It’s so easy to let our attitudes get negative and pessimistic these days. When everything in the news seems to be constantly negative, and when people around us seem to only talk about their problems, our attitude can suffer. And negative results almost always following negative thinking.

But, if you use this mantra often, it will help you keep your focus on only those things that will benefit your and your business.

business mantra on attitude

Mantra 11: You Only Have One Life, Make The Most of It

Many of us hold back with how hard we push, or how big we dream. But why not go for it all? Why not aim for the highest and best outcomes for our business. There’s no standard for how your business or venture should look.

So craft your best outcome in your mind, and commit going for it, because that’s the only way you’ll ever achieve it.

Mantra 12: You Can Only Fail When You Begin Failing to Try

Many businesses fail, that’s just the way it is. But failing because of a bad start, poor execution, or just simply failing because your idea was rejected by the market reject is not failure. Failure is choosing to no longer pursue your dreams.

So, if things aren’t going your way, pivot, take a step back, or change lanes, but never stop striving.

Mantra 13: You Are Enough

You have to believe that you are deserving of what you seek and that you have what it takes. If you don’t, you’ll never make it. The great news is, you do have what it takes, and you are enough. Sure, you may have to become resourceful or learn some new things to reach the success you are after, but never let your self-doubt sabotage your dreams.

You are enough and you can do this!

Mantra 14: Weak Desires Bring Weak Results, Strong Desires, Strong Results

Sometimes you’ll think you’re doing everything correct with your business but your results will still be lackluster. When this happens, the culprit is usually your desire. So, if your results are not where you want them to be, double check that what you are after is really what you want.

If it is, then dial up how bad you want what you are after by reciting this business mantra often. The renewed desire will lead to renewed and heightened action. And strong results love red hot action.

Business Mantra 15: Persist Until You Win

Sometimes a business will succeed purely because the entrepreneur relented until his competitors quit. It’s not a fun way to win, but it is still one of the surest ways any entrepreneur can win.

If you don’t quit, if you continue to persist, you can’t lose. Use this business mantra to persist until you win.

business mantra for persistence

Mantra 16: The Average Rely on Wishes and Hopes, The Successful Rely on Goals

You are not average and your dreams are not average. The dreams you are after are special, they’re special to you.

So, if you’re serious about achieving what you want, you’ll have a roadmap put in place and a timeframe for when you intend to reach that aim. In short, you’ll have goals.

Mantra 17: Stay Positive, Work Hard, Make It Happen

Everyday brings with it news challenges and unforeseen obstacles. And some days may seem monotonous, but you’ll have to follow the process in this mantra if you wish to keep moving forward.

If you stay positive, keep working hard, you’ll eventually make it happen.

Mantra 18: To Get Ahead, You Have to Get Started

Often times we sit and ruminate on an idea for way longer than we should as entrepreneurs. We know how much work a new idea may take to implement, or we languish at the thought of how much effort a new approach to our business may require, but to get ahead, we have to take action, we have to start.

So, if you’ve been hesitating on an bold new idea lately, use this mantra to remind yourself that sometimes getting ahead is all about pulling the trigger and just getting started.

Mantra 19: Tomorrow Is Determined By What You Do Today

Easy so easy to get off track as an entrepreneur. If we’ve come across funding, we rest on our laurels, or if things or going well, we lay off the reigns, but this is a recipe for disaster. Why? Because tomorrow is dependent on what we do today.

So, don’t take your foot off of the gas pedal, especially when things are going well. Keep pressing forward with action today, so tomorrow you be one step closer to your dreams.

Mantra 20: Don’t Wish Things Were Easier, Wish You Were Better

The grind of entrepreneurship is hard, and no amount of wishing things to be easier will make it so. Similarly, no amount of hoping and waiting for things to improve will work either. Things will improve when you improve.

So, get your mind right with what you need to do to improve your business situation with this powerful business mantra.

mantra for business

Mantra 21: Work Hard, Dream Big, Aim to Achieve The Impossible

Some of the biggest achievements were made by enterprising people who followed this simple process; they dreamt big, worked their tails off, and eventually achieved what others thought was impossible before their achieving it.

Use this mantra often to keep your mindset aligned with the winning ways of high achievers. Work hard, dream big, and eventually, you will achieve the impossible.

Mantra 22: The Comeback Is Always Stronger Than The Setback

Setbacks are part and parcel of the entrepreneurial process. But, if you can see each set back as but another opportunity to spring you further ahead than you were before your set back, you’ll become unstoppable.

Turn your setbacks into seeds of achievement with this entrepreneur mantra.

Mantra 23: Build Your Dreams, Or Someone Will Hire You to Build Theirs

Most entrepreneurs are motivated to be their own boss because they don’t like being told what to do. Entrepreneurs like doing things their own way. So, if you’re business seems to be going off the rails lately, and you don’t know what to do, leverage this mantra to remind you why you got started in the first place; freedom.

Mantra 24: Make Each Day Your Masterpiece

Out of all of the other business mantras, this one holds the secret to success. Why? Because your business in the end, will be the result of all of your accumulated choices.

So, pay special attention to each action and decision you make for you business. Treat each as business decision you make, and each activity or non-activity you partake in as if it mattered to how your business turns out, because it does.

Mantra 25: Comfort is The Enemy of Progress and Growth

Too many people go into business for themselves because they think entrepreneurship automatically means you’ll have access to “the good life”. And while entrepreneurship can lead to better days, the good life of entrepreneurship is not a given, and it usually only comes only after much toil and effort.

So, don’t get faked out by the entertainment industry’s notion of entrepreneurship. Real entrepreneurship is uncomfortable, and real progress in the real world comes at the expense of comfort. Leverage this mantra till you know in your bones that comfort is the enemy of your success.

Mantra for Business

Business Mantras Print Out

Coming back to this page every day could become cumbersome, so we decided to provide you with a helpful printout of these business success mantras. Just click on the button below to download them on your computer, and then you can print them out and place them where ever you like.

DOWNLOAD

Final Thoughts

There you have it, 25 powerful business mantras to help you keep your mind strong and your thoughts focused. We hope you find a handful of them that speak to you, and that you’ll choose to use often.

With that said, we wish you all the success in the world. And whatever you do, don’t stop endeavoring to create the business and life of your dreams.

Till then,

STRIVE

PS – If you enjoyed these powerful business mantras, then you’ll certainly enjoy these motivational mantras that actually work.

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Entrepreneurship

TOP 25 INSPIRATIONAL STARTUP QUOTES FOR VISIONARIES AND FOUNDERS

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startup quotes

A startup is a company or venture undertaken by a courageous visionary or entrepreneur. It’s the seed planted with intention to grow and scale a business to extraordinary heights. That said, we’ve pulled together this powerful collection of startup quotes to inspire the next generation of startup founders, entrepreneurs, and bold visionaries.

Our hope is that these startup quotes will encourage you to chase your dream and turn into a reality by starting, hustling, and cultivating your new business until it reaches it maximum potential. If you’re ready to get fired up, let’s dive right in:

BEST STARTUP QUOTES

1. “Dream big. Start small. But most of all, start.” – Simon Sinek

2. “Chase the vision, not the money, the money will end up following you.” – Tony Hsieh

3. “The smallest company in the world can look as large as the largest company on the web.” – Steve Jobs

4. “Don’t start a company unless it’s an obsession and something you love. If you have an exit strategy, it’s not an obsession.” – Mark Cuban

5. “When you accept that failure is a good thing, it can actually be a huge propeller toward success.” – Whitney Wolfe Herd

6. “The last 10% it takes to launch something takes as much energy as the first 90%.” – Rob Kalin

7. “The only thing worse that starting something and failing… is not starting something.” – Seth Godin

8. “The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt

9. “As a startup CEO, I slept like a baby. I woke up every 2 hours and cried.” – Ben Horowitz

10. “You’re guaranteed to miss every shot you don’t take.” – Richard Branson

11. Aerodynamically, the bumble bee shouldn’t be able to fly, but the bumble bee doesn’t know it so it goes on flying anyway.” – Mary Kay Ash

12. “To be successful, you must be daring, be first and be different.” – Ray Kroc

13. “One has to remember that every failure can be a stepping stone to something better.” – Colonel Sanders

14. “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t — you’re right.” – Henry Ford

15. “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” – Thomas Edison

16. “No matter how smart you are, if you don’t know how to work with people, your dreams will just be dreams.” – Jack Ma

17. “I knew that if I failed I wouldn’t regret that, but I knew the one thing I might regret is not trying.” – Jeff Bezos

18. “I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been.” –Wayne Gretzky

19. “If you’re not doing some things that are crazy, then you’re doing the wrong things.” – Larry Page

20. “The most effective way to do it is to do it.” – Amelia Earheart

21. “Competition makes you better, always, always makes you better, even if the competitor wins.” – Carlos Slim

22. “Money is just a consequence. I always say to my team, “Don’t worry too much about profitability. If you do your job well, the profitability will come.” – Bernard Arnault

23. “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” – C.S. Lewis

24. “You attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.” – Zig Ziglar

25. “Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” – Thomas Edison

Bonus Startup Quote

Bonus: Alright, here is one of our favorite startup quotes. We added it as bonus, because we stand behind it and believe it’s worthy of being called out. If you’ve yet to launch you startup, take this quote to heart;

“The Way to Get Started Is To Quit Talking and Start Doing.”

– walt disney –

Final Thoughts

Great job making it through these inspirational quotes for startups and entrepreneurs. Hopefully they’ve inspired you to double down on your ventures, or take the leap if you’ve yet to launch your own startup.

That said, if you enjoyed these motivating startup quotes, then you’ll enjoy these related resources:

Remember, the startup is a dream acted upon and cultivated until it reaches its maximum potential. So, if you’re idea has to deliver, keep to it.

Until you reach your aims,

STRIVE

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Entrepreneurship

SEO FOR STARTUPS: USING SEO TO ENERGIZE YOUR ORGANIC TRAFFIC IN THE FIRST YEAR

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seo for startups

Launching a startup requires a lot of grit and determination. It takes time to build a brand and product awareness amid tons of competition, especially in saturated markets with a lot of heritage brands to compete with. Which is why SEO for startups is vital in this day and age.

Startups and new entrepreneurs need aggressive and robust marketing strategies to solidify their place in the business world and generate business. Without solid marketing, your startup may not make it to year two.

To make matters worse, startups are often struggling with virtually nonexistent budgets and few, if any, marketing professionals to help. A lot of the capital goes towards building a brand and developing products, rather than marketing.

Search engine optimization (SEO) solves this problem. This practically free marketing strategy can boost your ranking on search engine pages and drive traffic to your website, and all it takes is some time and effort.

The catch is that your pages need to rank on the first page. Most searchers don’t look past the first page when they search for information, so if you’re not showing up until the third or fourth page, you may as well not exist.

Getting a high ranking is vital to organic traffic, and the best way to do it is with a solid SEO strategy specifically for first-year startups.

The Value of SEO

SEO is a marketing strategy that seeks to optimize search engine ranking and drive organic traffic to the website or pages. Unlike paid ads, which drive traffic for marketing spend, SEO is completely free traffic that comes from searchers looking for information and finding relevant posts (your content).

The more you can deliver relevant, valuable content and establish your brand authority in the industry, the higher your ranking will be. Content can be a variety of types to suit your audience, including blog posts, videos, web pages, articles, webinars, and podcasts.

Think of it this way. Say you were a teen excited to get your license and you’re looking for resources to prepare for your permit test. You submit a search query in Google and check out the results on the first page.

If you click on those links and they give you the information you need, you may be inclined to look for other resources from the same brand and spend more time on the site, boosting its authority and showing the search engine that these results were relevant to your search intent.

So, you need to be the brand that delivers that content for the right searches.

Benefits of SEO for Startups

Startups are working with limited budgets and marketing talent, so they typically lack the resources to pour a ton of money into brand exposure and paid advertising methods. SEO is an excellent option that’s practically free and generates remarkable returns.

Here are some benefits of SEO for startups:

Cost-Effective Traffic

Startups benefit from SEO because it’s one of the cheapest marketing strategies and generates excellent returns. For just time and effort, you can drive organic traffic to your site and generate more awareness for your brand, even if you have a lot of competition.

Brand Authority

Brand authority refers to the trust, credibility, and expertise of your brand, as perceived by prospects and customers. This can be achieved through consistent and positive customer experiences and a position as an industry authority, both of which can be done through content.

Brand Awareness

One of the most important benefits of seo for startups is the brand awareness it brings.

Brand awareness is a big factor in the success of a first-year startup. Heck, it’s important for any company.

And as more searchers come across your content, they learn more about your brand and what you have to offer. In fact, over time visitors may eventually become paying customers and recommend your brand to their friends and family.

For example, at Zutobi.com, a teen driver may search for resources to prepare for their permit and driving tests and may use a search query like “how to prep for the DMV permit test.” They find your permit practice test and your other teen driver resources, and perhaps they become a paying customer in the future.

Getting attention leads to mindshare, and mind share eventually leads to market share.

How to Develop an SEO Strategy For Your Startup

Best SEO for Startups

Refine Your Audience

It’s not enough to have traffic for your website – it needs to be targeted to your ideal customers. If you sell commercial fleet vehicles and get a ton of traffic from teens shopping for cosmetics, you’re not getting a paying customer for your efforts.

Your traffic needs to be targeted to your ideal audience, the people who are likely to be looking for what you have to offer and are inclined to make a purchase, whether now or in the future.

You may have a general idea of who you’re marketing to, but you need to drill down to understand them better. Consider questions like:

  • What are my customers’ problems?
  • How does my product or service solve them?
  • What is my customers’ age, location, occupation, etc.?
  • Where do they spend their time online?
  • What type of content do they consume?
  • How can I give them a positive, valuable experience?

Conduct Keyword Research

Keyword research is the foundation of your content. You need to research the keywords your audience will use and plan your content around them. Targeted keywords are beneficial, but it’s best to choose “low-hanging” keywords.

These keywords are easy keywords that already have high search engine rankings and lower competition. These will get your content ranked higher from the start, and you already know they perform well.

Longtail keywords are also valuable. These keywords are often phrases, like a question, that give you insights into your audience. You can use longtail keywords to guide your content strategy and offer highly relevant information.

The process of keyword research takes time and considerable thought. But, if you do it right, it can make all the difference between getting a visitor to your site, or acquiring a new customer.

To do this research you can use keyword tools like following:

Stay Consistent

Startups can be busy environments. There’s a lot to juggle and everyone is wearing multiple hats, so throwing in SEO and content can seem overwhelming. It’s necessary for your success, however.

Your audience relies on consistency, so it’s best to have a schedule for your content. It’s better to post fewer times, but on a schedule, than churning out a bunch of content and disappearing for a while.

In addition, you need to focus on quality over quantity. Having a lot of poor-quality content doesn’t serve your goals, and your audience won’t develop trust in your brand.

In fact, if you have lots of low quality content on your site, search engines will be more inclined to ignore or penalize your site. So if you’re creating your own content, aim high in terms of quality.

Set Yourself Up as an Authority

Distinguishing your brand from the competition is never easy, but it’s essential to your success. You have to build your brand from the ground up and position yourself as a trusted source of information and value for your customers, driving more people to your website.

The search engine will also put more value on your brand if you provide targeted, relevant, and high-quality content. Stick with the topics you know well and deliver what your customers are looking for.

Tighten Up Technical SEO

Technical SEO is a big factor in how search engines categorize and index your website and content. Search engine bots crawl websites to understand their hierarchy and structure to determine the ranking, and that’s where technical SEO comes in.

Here’s how you can improve your technical SEO:

  • Use a schema markup, or semantic vocabulary, to help search engines index your site and provide more relevant information for searchers.
  • Fix any performance problems, such as broken links, lagging pages, or images that won’t load.
  • Optimize your content for mobile devices, paying close attention to zoom capabilities, page orientation, load times, and page layout when it switches to the mobile site.

Technical SEO requires some technical knowledge. If you don’t think you’re up to it, outsource the task to a professional and get your website in optimal condition.

Here are a few solid SEO choices to choose from:

Focus on Backlinks

Linkbuilding is a long and tedious process. There’s no fast-track to getting quality links, so best to start as soon as you can.

Linkbuilding, otherwise known as backlinks, is when credible websites link to your website in their own content. You earn traffic if readers follow links to your website from the original post, and typically from the right audience.

These links have a lot of value for your SEO, including domain authority and traffic. Search engines also recognize the authority of the linking domain (which is why you want links from authoritative sources) and consider your site credible as well.

That said, be very careful how you go about getting your backlinks, because if you don’t do it naturally your site will be penalized.

The best way to get backlinks, is to create remarkable content people want to link to. The second best way, is to roll up your sleeves and start reaching out to people.

Keep at It

SEO is one of the most valuable marketing strategies for your startup, but there’s no way to make it happen quickly. You can’t pay for your traffic or ranking, even with paid posts, since they just send irrelevant traffic your way and burn through your marketing budget without generating more sales.

Focus on creating a solid, scalable SEO strategy and putting in the time upfront. As you create more content and earn more links, you’ll generate more traffic and better rankings that get your brand in the spotlight.

Get Started with SEO

Startups have a lot to overcome, including online presence in a crowded digital world with lots of brands competing for attention. That said, SEO is an effective strategy that earns you traffic and authority, all without substantial marketing spend.

SEO for startups can be done in house, or it can be hired out. Whatever option you pursue, the most important factor is that you create a solid strategy that your startup can stick to long-term, because SEO is not a sprint.

Lastly, SEO isn’t going anywhere, so the SEO strategy you develop from the start will serve you well into the future.

Till you reach your aims,

STRIVE

PS – If you enjoyed this article on SEO for startups, then you may also enjoy reading about getting the most out of social media.

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Entrepreneurship

TOP 10 REASONS TO START AN ONLINE BUSINESS

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10 reasons to start an online business

Have you ever asked yourself, ‘Is an online business a good investment?’ Or even better, ‘Should I start an online business?’ If you answered yes to either, and if you’re actually looking for some solid reasons as to why you should consider starting an online business for yourself, then this article on the top 10 reasons to start an online business is for you.

In this post we’re going to make the case, as to why starting an online business is actually one of the best investments you can make for yourself, especially in this day and age. So, if you’re ready to dive into some really good reasons as to why you should start an online business as an investment, then let’s dive right in.

10 REASONS TO START AN ONLINE BUSINESS

top 10 reasons to start an online business

1. Unlimited Freedom

An online business is attractive because of the freedom it offers.  With technology becoming more and more mobile friendly, online business owners can free themselves up to work from wherever they want.

Walk into any coffee shop these days and you’ll see plenty of people grinding on their start-ups while consuming their cups of joe.  It’s a great feeling too, knowing you can virtually work from anywhere in the world, at your leisure, and still make money regardless of your location.

The best part though, is that when it’s your business, you can’t get fired. And when you can’t get fired, that’s when you truly have freedom.

Freedom, it’s all about freedom.

2. You Can Start Part-Time

Building an online business takes time and effort, but the great thing is, you can get started part-time.  You don’t have to risk your livelihood to test out those great ideas that have been keeping you up at night.

You can launch your online business on a weekend, and work on it in your free-time.  You can build your online empire and start cash flowing while still earning money from your day job.

Then, when your business starts to gain traction, and the big money starts rolling in, you can decide if working your 9-5 is what you really want to do with your life.

But you get to choose.  When you build your online business part-time, you can get started on creating your own freedom, giving yourself options.

Options, options, options, it’s all about options!

“I’m Working Full Time On My Job And Part Time On My Fortune.”

– jim rohn –

3. Low Overhead and High Margins

If you have a good chunk of money set aside, you can get started with your own money.  The start up costs for online businesses are extremely low, so if you needed to borrow money, it shouldn’t be to difficult to secure.

Just so you are aware, there is always a risk of losing money when you start up a business. So, buyer or creator beware.

Fortunately, these days, it doesn’t cost much at all to get started.  Were’ talking a few dollars a month of overhead costs.  And a really big perk, is that an online business can be operated without office space, retail space, or even storage space for inventory (drop-shipping).   

The main thing you risk with starting an online business is your time and effort. And time and effort are things we all have. 

So, with a small investment to get you started, and enough time and effort invested on building your online business, you can eventually reap massive financial gains.

4. Provides Unbelievable Scalability

Online businesses are attractive because they are scalable.  Brick and mortar businesses are scalable too, but they are dependent on location, making them much more difficult to scale.

When we say scalable, we mean a businesses ability to quickly change its size or income.

Every brick and mortar business depends on a limited number of customers that live within a certain proximity to that businesses physical location.  This means a brick and mortar business is limited by the number of customers living within a given range from it’s physical location.

An online business on the other hand, can sell to anybody anywhere.  An online business’s reach is limited only by the extent of their marketing campaign.

This means an online business can scale to incorporate as many people as it wants, all over the world.

5. Income Security

Out of the 10 reasons to start an online business, this one is probably our favorite.  When you build your own successful online business, you are in control of your income.   You get to decide how much money you want to make, and you can’t get fired.

Obviously, you can’t snap your fingers and demand a 500% pay raise.  But, you can change up your business operations to reach your unique goals.  On top of that, you keep making money as long as you are in business.

If your only income source is from your day job, then you put yourself at risk financially.  But when you have additional income coming in from your online business, you can hedge against the insecurities of the job market.

Build an online business and you build your very own financial fortress.

6. You Can Automate It and Semi-Retire

Everyone dreams of retiring or semi-retiring early.  But in reality, most never come close to having enough money to retire and live off of their retirement savings by the time they reach retirement age.

When you build your own online business, if you are smart about it, you can eventually automate it.  Once your business is automated, it can become your very own low-maintenance virtual ATM.

Of course, this is a lot more plausible for the majority of people, than putting aside $1,000,000 dollars by the time they retire.

By the way, if you are lucky enough to save up a million bucks, and you follow the 4% rule, (which is a retirement rule to follow so you don’t run out of money before you die), that million will only get you a lifestyle that $40,000 per year can afford. 

Of course $40,000 per year is not too shabby, but, traveling the world and trying to “live up” your retirement years on this amount of money is going to be, well…challenging.

Check this out.  The median retirement savings of families between 56 and 61 is only $17,000.  So, there is a good chance you need to start socking away tons of money a.s.a.p., or start grinding on your new online business.

The choice seems obvious to us. Do both!

7. You Can Do Something Fulfilling

Starting your own online business is something everyone should do because really, everyone has their own secret calling that they wish to be living.

We believe everyone has a purpose, and special gift that can help other people. When you start your own online business, you get to stop putting off those projects that actually use your gifts , and really bring you to life.

On top of this, when your business starts gaining traction, you give yourself the opportunity to dive into a career that truly fulfills you.  You can get paid to play.

Imagine that, every single as a play day.  Sounds fun!

“Find Something You Love To Do, And You’ll Never Work a Day In Your Life.”

– harvey mackay –

8. You Take Back Control of Your Destiny

When you build your own online business, you get to participate in the creation of your own future.  You gain complete control of your destiny.

Sure, your business may face it’s challenges, but obstacles are as permanent as you want them to be.  If you fall, you can always get back up.  If at first is doesn’t succeed, you change tactics and try again.

But, your business can also succeed, especially if you never give up.   Truth is, if you are seeking to create a lifestyle business, your chances of succeeding are much higher.

Online lifestyle businesses are created to cater to the owner’s specific lifestyle.  Some owners are happy making just enough money to pay the bills, buy a few tacos, and travel across the world, while others want to build huge online gold mines.

Your success is all up to you.  The effort you put in will be rewarded.  No, it won’t be instant.  Business and instant gratification don’t belong together, unless of course, you are creating a business that offers instant gratification. (Usually a good approach for most businesses).

So long as you put in the time and effort to learn the rules of the game, and then execute around those lessons consistently, mark our words, you will win.

When you invest in your own business, you give yourself a shot at becoming the captain of your own ship.  And when your the captain, you get to decide on the destination.

9. You’ll Become More Valuable

When you start your own internet business, you’ll learn all kinds of new skills.  You’ll learn about marketing, internet technology, sales, writing, sales copy, graphic design, conversion rates, analytics, etc…  You’ll learn loads about the business world.

In fact, the more you want your online venture to succeed, the more you’ll end up learning.

You’ll look at things through a different lens.  You’ll gain insights into consumer psychology and business that you didn’t have before.   Overtime, you’ll become more and more valuable, both to you and your internet business and to whom ever employs you.

No doubt, your business may take a while to take off, but in the meantime, so long as you don’t quit, you’ll become more and more valuable to the market place.

Like the saying goes, “The more you learn, the more you earn.”

10. Your Online Business Never Sleeps

Most brick and mortar businesses can only stay open for a limited time. They need to close-up-shop at the end of the day because their regional customers eventually have to go home and catch some zzz’s. With no customers around to buy their products or services, most business need to shut it down at the end of each day to avoid wasteful operating costs.

With an online business though, that’s not the case.

Your online business can stay open to sell your products or services 24/7/365.

Why?  Because an online business can easily take orders from any customer, anywhere, at any time of the day.   While you sleep, people on the other side of the world are awake and hunting online for your solutions to their problems.

This means you can make money while you sleep.  Imagine waking up to see 5, 15, or 20 sales your internet business made, all while you were cozied up in your bed counting sheep.

“If You Don’t Find a Way To Make Money While You Sleep, You Will Work Until The Day You Die.”

– warren buffett –

So, Is An Online Business a Good Investment?

So, is an online business a good investment? Yes, it is a great investment. In fact, we believe it is the best investment.

It truly is the best investment because it has the potential to yield back to us way more than we invest in terms of money. But more importantly, it can yield back to us that which is much more important than money; our time.

Learn More: The Virtual Millionaire

To recap, the top 10 reasons to start an online business are:

  • Unlimited Freedom
  • You Can Start Part Time
  • Low Start Up Costs
  • Scalability
  • Income Security
  • Automation Potential
  • Do Fulfilling Work
  • You’re In Control
  • Personal Growth
  • Works For You 24/7

So, if you want to increase your chances of making more money, if you want to build something that may eventually lead you to being able to spend your days doing what you love, all while creating something that which will allow you to make your own money on your own terms, then starting your own internet-based business is a good way to go.

Of course you’ll face some challenge as you build your online business up, and it may even take longer then you think it will take. And of course, nothing is guaranteed, just anything in life.

But we believe, without a doubt, that building your own online business has the potential to pay the best dividends.

But, it all starts with laying that first brick!

START BUILDING TODAY

Till you reach your aims,

STRIVE

PS – If you have the time and the will, building an online business is a great investment. We hope we made a strong enough case with our top 10 reasons to start an online business, however, if you’re looking for more resources related to doing so, try these:

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Entrepreneurship

TOP 10 REASONS TO BECOME AN ENTREPRENEUR

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top reasons to become an entrepreneur

Believe it or not, entrepreneurs are the very backbone of most economies. Their efforts, ideas, and execution help create the jobs everyone else gets to enjoy, the products and services we crave, and the conveniences we love. They say money makes the world go round, but we all know, it’s the entrepreneur who sets everything in motion. That said, if you’re here to learn what the top 10 reasons to become an entrepreneur are, then stick around.

Before we dive into the list, it’s important to know a few key things about entrepreneurs first. An entrepreneur is a risk-taker, innovator, and investor, entrepreneurs make every effort count towards bringing a transformative change in their respective markets.

In fact, if long-term success is to be found as an entrepreneur, consistently disrupting the market has to be a part of their long-game. So, even though to be an entrepreneur is in a way to be heroic, it is no easy task.

Entrepreneurship is Not For the Faint of Heart

It’s not easy to build, design, and run a business, especially these days. Entrepreneurship comes with the baggage of expectations and responsibilities. Entrepreneurs have to not only come up with the business idea, they also have to leverage their time, money, and resources to get things off the ground.

On top of that, they also have to learn how to manage people and create processes once things take off. To be sure, entrepreneurship is an endeavor to be respected.

Entrepreneurship is an unpredictable journey. And for many, it may even seem risky and scary initially, but if executed the right way, it can help generate income like few employees will ever experience. In addition to this, it can also help you acquire a platform for exploring countless opportunities that employees will never have access to.

Entrepreneurship May Be In Your Future If…

So, why should you be an entrepreneur? Well, if you’re the type of person who hates their job, or finds it boring, or if you’re the type of person who has lots of great ideas for how things could be better when it comes to products and services, then starting a small business or side-hustle may be in your future.

For the right person, entrepreneurship can be a golden ticket to a better lifestyle.

With that being said, if you’ve ever consider the possibility of becoming your own boss and trying your hand at entrepreneurship, but have been hesitant to pull the trigger, give these top 10 reasons why you should be an entrepreneur are read. By the end of the article, you’ll know for sure if entrepreneurship is for you.

TOP 10 REASONS TO BECOME AN ENTREPRENEUR

top 10 Reasons to Become an Entrepreneur

1. You Want to Explore Unlimited Possibilities of Earning

A job may offer you a fixed salary and employment security (which may also vary depending on various factors). People often refrain from doing business thinking that it is uncertain and loss probabilities may be more.

Moreover, in a business, there is no fixed income, and it varies every month and quarter. But there are many who wants to grow their earning and doesn’t want to remain limited to fixed wages which are decided by the employer. Employees can put their preferences, but the final call is taken by the job provider when it comes to salary. 

If you feel that you deserve much more than what you are earning at the moment, then starting up your business is your thing. Not only you get the opportunity to multiply your earnings but also make a more significant impact on your overall financial status.

Entrepreneurs may have to incur losses, but at the same time, unlike company employees, their income is not regulated. If the business runs on profit, entrepreneurs get to earn more.

Related: How to Become Rich and Successful 

2. You Have The Urge to Try New Ideas 

When it comes to innovation, small businesses and startups are always the frontrunners. They are ready to take risks and try new ideas to see what works and what doesn’t, which is an unlikely scenario in big companies. Large organizations typically have a recipe that works, meaning they’re making good money, and so keep to the status quo. As such, they don’t do much experimenting or try new things.

But if you have new ideas that you are eager to give them a try, then start up your own small business and become an entrepreneur. Why? Because entrepreneurship allows you to be innovative and follow your passion, even if it requires taking risks.

Working on your passion and converting your dreams into a reality is something that only entrepreneurs get to witness as they are their own boss and have the privilege to do business the way they want.

Sure, the process may sometime be frustrating, disappointing and you may see failures initially, but if you can stick on to your plan, remain determined and keep trying, then success will inevitably be yours.

3. You Want to Be Your Own Boss 

Some people don’t like to be controlled or be answerable to a higher authority, be it personal or in professional spheres of life. Not having your final say in the decision-making of the business operation is also something that many people can’t accept.

Moreover, when an individual’s creativity and professional space gets hounded by the constant interference of an annoying manager, the disappointment and resentment to having an authority increases.

If you are someone who is struggling with the same scenario, then being your own boss is the only solution. Signs of frustration when governed or managed is a clear sign that entrepreneurship may be for you.

reasons to be an entrepreneur

By becoming the CEO of your company, you are responsible for every success and achievement. You need to answer anyone for anything, and also nobody will be able to claim a share in your accomplishments.

However, one thing you should never forget that with authority comes new responsibilities. As a business owner, you will be responsible for teaching and training people working for you. So, you must cater to your role as an entrepreneur and business owner demands without fail.

Related: Self-Reliance is The Way

4. You Want to Learn More 

If you have the zeal and eagerness to learn more about your professional field and enhancing your skills, then you must try becoming an entrepreneur. Becoming an entrepreneur will give you business perspective and insights that you wouldn’t be able to acquire in any other way.

Truly, being an entrepreneur is a never-ending learning process. The more you can learn, the better you can take advantage of opportunities to grow your business.

Successful entrepreneurs are the ones who never miss their chances to learn and are never satisfied with their existing knowledge. They are keen to know more so that they can stay up-to-date with the latest happenings in the market and the industry they are in.

If you discover that regular working hours in office is not catering to your knowledge quest and keeping you limited when it comes to expanding your information base, then you have all the reasons to become an entrepreneur to satiate your knowledge aspirations.

For a true entrepreneur, learning never stops, and that’s an amazing attribute to have. From SEO to real estate, construction, healthcare, and web development, you should try learning as much as you can.

5. You Don’t Want an Average 9-to-5 Job

For aspiring entrepreneurs, the repetitive and monotonous working routine in a 9-to-5 job fails to feed the hunger and passion for doing something innovative and creative. Bound by company policies and regulations, people of a 9-to-5 job are often dissatisfied and tired of doing the usual every day and ending up with unfulfilled desires when it comes to making a difference with their expertise in the professional space.

Hence for people who want to translate their potential into the real world and break the monotony of a typical 9-to-5 job, entrepreneurship is the way to give wings to your dreams.

Moreover, in a 9-to-5 job, your earning is capped unless you earn incentives or commissions. But if scrapping by on a capped salary doesn’t intresest you, then being an entrepreneur will be your ideal bet.

With hard work and determination, you can shape your dreams, try creative ideas, and unleash opportunities in your own terms once you become an entrepreneur. If growing your own business is what you aspire to, start your planning for the launch of your business right away.

The sooner you make a decision, the sooner you can be the in-charge of every aspect of your life.

6. You Want to Bring a Change

Entrepreneurs not only work towards changing their life but are also keen on bringing a change in the world around them. Most of the startups in the recent past have contributed towards social causes with their innovative business model and discoveries.

why become an entrepreneur

Whether developing useful products or donating a part of profits to charity, entrepreneurs make significant impact with their small gestures and efforts. And if you’re in the driver’s seat, you get to choose how you want to make an impact.

From creating job opportunities to adding to GDP, small businesses do a lot for the community. If you would prefer to be a part of such great initiatives, you can start your efforts by starting a business and proving your skills as an entrepreneur.

Your transition into becoming a business owner will help the lives of many and bring overall transformation in the world as Mark Twain says, “Explore. Dream. Discover.  So, why be an entrepreneur? To create change and make a lasting impact.

Related: How to Become Free

7. You Want to Get Out of The Rat Race

Out of the top 10 reasons to become an entrepreneur, most do it to get out of the rat race. Most people know that working a regular 9-5 job with fixed working hours can get monotonous, and that you may, overtime, start regretting every bit of your life, like most people do.

However, if you become an entrepreneur, chances are you won’t lack for adventure, and you have a shot of escaping the hamster wheel of slaving away for 50 years or more.

Entrepreneurship is for people who are tired of executing someone else’s vision and have no space for innovation. In large companies, working hours, along with what works to do is all set by the employer. Moreover, there is no work-life balance, and people are running in the rat race with no time for recreation and family. 

But when you have your own business, you have the privilege to choose what to do and when. You get the freedom and flexibility to work besides managing your family and household life.

So, if a healthy family life is what matters and you no longer want to be part of the rat race working in companies, you should seriously consider becoming an entrepreneur.

8. You Don’t Want To Toe Any Party Lines

Sometimes we end up working for a company whose values or politics don’t align with our own. It’s not something we do unintentionally.

But, when you need to pay your bills just about any job will do. And potentially getting stuck working with people who don’t like you, is not very good for your health.

Certainly, you can just go and work for another company, but there will always be an element of that companies values that don’t 100% align with yours. As such, your best bet for achieving absolute freedom to be, believe, or support who you wish to, is to strive to create your own enterprise.

9. You Want Location Flexibility

Working in a company will not give you the freedom to work from wherever you want. Not every profession has the ease of work from home.

So, if you think that working in different environments can boost your innovative and creative thinking and you can work even while traveling the world, then becoming an entrepreneur will be your smart choice.

Why Should I Become an Entrepreneur

Your own business can be operated online and worked from anywhere as you are the boss. You can make money even while traveling, leveraging various online tools and platforms that allow you to explore the online market as well.

Having your business can help you be flexible with changing situations and needs and can assist in building a location-independent business.

Related: I Want To Start a Business But Have No Ideas

10. You Want To Unleash Your Creative Potential

One of the greatest aspects of becoming an entrepreneur is the fact that you get to be as creative as you’d like. When you become an entrepreneur, you can bring any one of your creative ideas to the marketplace and see if it’s worth its salt.

Even better, is that you get to test your unique and creative ideas at will. No more sheepishly seeking the approval of some middle manager above you for permission, just to try out one of your great ideas. As entrepreneur, you get to choose the when, the where, the how, and everything in between when it comes to deploying your ideas.

Being able to unleash your creative potential is one of, if not the, top reason why you should become an entrepreneur.

Bonus Reasons To Become An Entrepreneur

Alright, here’s one last bonus section if you’re still looking for even more reasons to become an entrepreneur. It’s a great video created by American entrepreneur Patrick Bet-David that you’ll certainly get some added value from.

So, if our top 10 reasons to become an entrepreneur didn’t quite convince you, well give this bonus video a watch, as PBD does an amazing job covering all the other bases as to why one should consider becoming an entrepreneur. Enjoy:

Video Credit: Valuetainment (Subscribe Here)

Final Thoughts on Becoming an Entrepreneur

There you have it, the top 10 reasons that should solidify why you should become an entrepreneur or not. The very thought of starting your business may sound intimidating for some while energizing for others. But it doesn’t have to be intimidating.

To recap, the top 10 reasons to become an entrepreneur are:

  • Unlimited Earning Potential
  • To Try New Ideas
  • To Be Your Own Boss
  • To Learn More
  • To Have a Flexible Schedule
  • To Create Change
  • To Get Our of The Rat Race
  • To Avoid Politics
  • To Become Location Independent
  • To Unleash Your Creativity

That said, in today’s economy, getting funds for setting up your business isn’t that difficult if you have the right proposal and strategies in place. And some businesses, require very little start ups costs. Regardless of the route you choose there is no shortage of opportunities, one just has to know how to navigate the territory.

Yes, it will take some dedication, time, and a lot of resources to create a successful and thriving business. But if your research, effort, and execution are on point, you have a good chance of finding the freedom and the heroic status that every successful entrepreneur achieves.

Till next time,

STRIVE

PS – If you enjoyed these Top 10 reasons to become an entrepreneur, then you’ll love these 10 solid reasons why you should follow your dreams.

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Entrepreneurship

SHOULD YOU START A BLOG? HERE’S WHY I STARTED

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Should You Start a Blog?

If you’ve been wrestling with whether you should start a blog or not lately, then you might want to read this. Chances are you’re on the fence, as to whether you should pull the trigger.

You probably want to know if it’s even worth it. Or if it’s something you should even be considering in 2023. If this sounds like you, then I am going to try to get you off the fence by telling you why I started blogging.

Maybe you’ll choose to start a blog, and maybe you won’t. My goal is to help you answer the question, “Should I start a blog?’

SHOULD YOU START A BLOG?

Years ago, I wanted to be a hard-core real estate investor.  I made a little bit of money in real estate, so thought it could be my golden ticket. But then I realized that I wanted to create a business that would eventually free up my time to do what I love to do most; travel and see the world.

And real estate, while still a terrific wealth-building asset, was a bit constricting. I wanted to have the flexibility to go wherever I wanted, whenever I wanted. 

Being tied down to a physical location just because that is where my investments were, wasn’t appealing to me. I wanted to be free. I wanted my money to keep flowing into my bank account, regardless of my location. 

And I didn’t want to have to worry about whether I’d have tenets to ensure my money keeps coming in. On top of that, being a landlord and dealing with tenants can be stressful.

If You Like Freedom & Flexibility – Yes

So, I chose to be a digital entrepreneur, with freedom and flexibility as my primary grounds to start a blog. I saw a handful of people having success and finding the freedom and flexibility I wanted, so I jumped in.

Now, a few years have passed since I got started. And I now have the option to start jet-setting all across the world. I achieved the freedom and flexibility that I so eagerly desired.

I get to wake up every day at the hour of my choosing, and I get to decide where I want to work, what I want to work on, and for how long. And I will say, had I not started, I wouldn’t have this super cool setup that I now have.

So, you should start a blog if you want more freedom and flexibility in your life.

If You Want to Make an Impact – Yes

With that said, there were a few other reasons I chose to start a blog. One of the biggest reasons was to create something that would allow me to have a greater impact on people’s lives. 

I’ve always wanted to both inspire and help people.  So, I decided to use my words and to create resources based off of my experience and research, that would do just that.

If you’re a frequent visitor of The STRIVE, then you likely already know that we like to publish lots of uplifting and motivational content. Just about every post that gets published is meant to make a positive impact on our reader’s life.

That said, I feel good about the impact we’re making here. And to this day, by blog turned ‘media platform’, has already impacted over 3.5 million people, and growing. One billion people is our new goal!

So, should you start a blog? Well, if you want to make an impact on lots of people, yes!

If You Want To Spread Your Risk – Yes

My rationale for starting a blog was for practical purposes as well.  I decided to start a blog to spread my risk. 

Initially, I had a good chunk of my money tied up in real estate, and a decent amount tied up into stocks and retirement accounts, but that’s it. All my “financial eggs” were in one basket.

So, I chose to start my blog to secure another stream of income. In short, it was to spread my risk “financially speaking”.

If I lost a job, or if I lost renters, or if the stock market tanked, I’d at least have a back-up source of income. Without a doubt, if financial security is important to you, building a blog can act as an extra safety-net.

If You Want To Create The Life Of Your Dreams – Yes

Lastly, I started a blog because it was the best vehicle I could find to help me create the life of my dreams.  The life of my dreams consisted of being my own boss, making enough money to enjoy life, enough to retire early, and the flexibility to live my life to the fullest.

That said, here’s why I started my blog in a nutshell, and why you should consider starting one too:

  • You Can Gain More Freedom
  • You Can Create More Flexibility
  • You Can Make a Bigger Impact
  • You Can Spread Your Risk
  • You Can Live The Life Of Your Dreams

So, should you start a blog? If you can say yes to all of the benefits above, then yes. Of course you should. But, if you’re still on the fence, no problem. Here’s some more insights about blogging in general.

HOW BLOGS WORK

This next section is meant to help you gain a better perspective on what blogging is and how it works. Bare with me though, as I like to use an analogy to explain my blogging experience that is slightly different than most.

Maybe it’ll help you see it, for the great opportunity that is.

Blogging Is Like Real Estate (Digital Real Estate)

As I mentioned in the beginning, I was big on real estate a few years ago. So, I am going to lean into the concept of real estate to help you see blogging through a different lens.

So, the way I made my money through real estate is the exact way I planned to make even more money through blogging. In real estate, I bought a piece of property that was low value, ugly, and needed a lot of elbow grease. 

I put in the effort and improved the value of that piece of property over the time-span of a few years.  Through effort, and persistence, I turned a piece of property that nobody wanted at first, into something that a lot of people wanted. Real Estate folks call this flipping.

That said, the same principle was applied to this blog.  It started off as something that was of no value to anyone but me.  And trust me, it was a trainwreck in the beginning.

However, as time went on, more people learned about my blog. And the more people learned about it, the more I was able to build it into a value generating machine.

As I improved the space, and published more and more helpful content, more and more people kept coming back. Then Google even started sending people to my site.

Then, like a snowball rolling downhill, it just kept growing. And as the site grew, the more valuable it became, and continues to become.  

Just like real estate, I could choose to sell it off, or I can “rent it out”. What do I mean by renting it out?

“Rent”

Renting out in the online world is akin to offering space on my site to advertisers, advertisers who will pay the site owner money to showcase products and services that my audience may want to buy. 

So, much like rent on real estate, advertisers pay me monthly. And the larger I grow that monthly cash flow, the more I could ask for the site, if I ever decided to sell.

Again, I didn’t want to be over-invested in real estate or stocks. So, I invested time (and a small amount of money) into transforming my blog (this site) into a digital asset.

The great news is, learning how to make money from a blog is easy.  If you can do research on the internet, you can learn how to blog.  You do not have to be a gifted writer.

The hard part of course, is taking action, and then sticking with it long enough to see it make money for you.

But if you can do those two things, you can create your own digital asset by starting a blog. And if the idea of creating a digital asset sounds appealing to you, then you should definitely start a blog.

Related: The Virtual Millionaire

How Blogs Make Money

Blogging is like a lot of businesses, it is a numbers game.  If you can get good a getting those numbers large enough, then the money starts coming in.  Of course, it won’t automatically, there’s some planning and action involved.

This is a simple viewpoint, but when you get the numbers (your audience) right, you can change your focus to get the money right.

For example, Television plays the numbers game.   Online Magazines and Newspapers play the numbers game too.  People making YouTube videos are also playing a numbers game.

Audience Is Everything

In order to make money in the blogging world, and all these other areas just mentioned, you need to have an audience.  There needs to be a certain number of eyeballs looking at your site every single day. 

And when that number grows, so do your chances for making money. The more viewers a site, blog, show, newspaper, or whatever… gets, the more money-making potential it has.

“Attention Equals Currency”

For instance, YouTube shows an advertisement right before every video.  If you click on that advertisement, the person who loaded the video makes money.

Newspapers get paid by advertisers in advance, for placing a small ad within their pages.  If it is an online newspaper or magazine, it uses ads much like google does, and makes money on every click too.

The same is done with blogs.  Blogs can include ads on their site and follow the same principle. In fact, you’ve probably seen a handful of ads as you’ve scrolled through this page already.

So, just like the YouTube video or online newspaper, the more people who see your ads, the more potential you have for making money.

The same thing applies for a physical store. The store that get gets 1,000 people inside the store a day, vs. one that only gets 100, will almost always make more money (assuming they sell similar things of course).

Blogging as a Business Is About Exposure

It’s all about exposure. The more an ad or a product is exposed to a person, the higher the likelihood will be that the ad gets clicked on by a visitor.  And advertisers actually pay for each click the website or blog helps them get. Heck, some even pay for just getting your eyes on their ads.

Why?  Because you are helping them expose their business. You are helping them acquire new business immediately, and in the long run.

In essence, sites, magazines, shows, and internet businesses that help other business owners introduce their products or services to the market, get paid. Bloggers are like middlemen.

The great news is, these days getting the ball rolling with advertising is easy. All you need to do is set up an account, much like you would for an email account.  You put in how you want to get paid, tax info, and presto, you are half way there.

If you can read and follow instructions, you can set up a blog.  And even better news is, just about everything in this online world comes with instructions or chatbots these days.  And if it doesn’t, the answer is usually just a Google search away.

At this point you would just use a simple plugin for your site, add the ad specs you just created, and bam, you are in business.

That said, another great way blogs make money, is when the owner or company creates and sells their own product our courses directly to the audience. If it’s a digital product or a course, you get to keep most of the money.

The Truth About Starting a Blog

Having gone through all those details with you, here is the truth. Anyone can start a blog. And if you have a dream and a passion to unravel that vision in your mind, and put it out into the world, starting a blog is a no-brainer.

But, at the same time, blogging isn’t for everyone.  Just like investing in real estate isn’t for everyone.  Heck, the same can be said for getting rich or becoming your own boss.  It is not for everyone.

Yes, anyone can do it, but not everyone will.

Proper Expectations Is Key

Truth is, many people start blogs, but they don’t have the right expectations when starting, and so they quit long before it ever works for them. However, with the right expectations, and a little bit of stick-to-itiveness, creating a successful blog is more than possible.

So, should you start a blog? Only if you decide from the very beginning, that you’ll do whatever it takes to never give up.

Not doing so, is akin to someone buying a piece of real estate, and then trying to sell it in one or two years and expecting it set them up for life financially.  

But this rarely happens.  Why?  Because money can’t be made without first creating something of value.  And real value can’t be created in the snap of a finger.

“Effort Over Time Equals Value”

Anyone who understands this is going to have a much better shot at eventually creating a blog that fattens their pockets and bank account with money. A blog can be a phenomenal digital asset.

My decision to create this very blog has worked for me.  It wasn’t an overnight type of thing, but I’ve stuck with it. And the more time and effort I’ve put into it, the more it gives back to me.

At first, the money just trickles in.  But then that trickle starts trickling a bit faster and turns into a stream. And before you know it, that stream becomes a gushing river of money.

So, should you start a blog? Only you know the answer.

Till you reach your aims,

STRIVE

PS – If you think blogging is in your future, then you’ll find value in reviewing this resource on the best web hosting for new entrepreneurs.

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