Follow the The Standard
\n channel
\n on WhatsApp<\/a>
\n <\/p>\nWhile I don\u2019t regret how it turned out, I\u2019ve learned a lot since then, including how many great potential candidates I likely scared off with that off-the-cuff ad.<\/p>\n
Like many early entrepreneurs, in the beginning, I relied more on instinct and grit than experience and strategy. Along the way, I\u2019ve learned so many valuable\u00a0lessons\u00a0\u2014 many of them the hard way. Here are a few pieces of hard-earned wisdom I wish I\u2019d known from day one.\n <\/p>\n
1. Build a business that fuels you every day
\n<\/p>\n
Lesson\u00a0number one: You have to love what you are doing. If you don\u2019t, burnout will sneak up on you fast. Starting a company just because it sounds exciting, because you love the idea of entrepreneurship, or because you want to be your own boss isn\u2019t enough \u2014 the initial energy will only take you so far.<\/p>\n
The day-to-day grind of entrepreneurship is full of problem-solving, setbacks and way too many hours. Without a genuine passion and drive for the problem you\u2019re solving or the work itself, you\u2019ll likely lose momentum or exit early. Every task won\u2019t thrill you, but the bigger picture should. Keep asking yourself: Am I excited to get to work today? If the answer is yes more often than not, you\u2019re on the right track \u2014 and much more likely to find sustainable success.
\n<\/p>\n
2. Get comfortable doing it all \u2014 until you don\u2019t have to<\/p>\n
In the early stages, being hands-on in every part of the business is the fastest \u2014 and cheapest \u2014 way to understand your operations from the inside out. You\u2019ll quickly learn what works, what doesn\u2019t and what to delegate as you grow.
\n<\/p>\n
When I started my software company, I relied heavily on my lived experience and basic understanding of accounting, business administration and programming. While many entrepreneurs choose to work with a partner or team from the start to fill in the gaps, I was able to build the software, manage day-to-day operations and grow the business without outside help or funding.
\n<\/p>\n
This set me up to keep the company entirely bootstrapped, and we still are today. Today, even with nearly 20 employees, having a diverse skill set continues to serve me. Evaluate your own transferable skills and embrace the opportunity to learn what you don\u2019t know yet. The all-hands-on-deck approach isn\u2019t sustainable forever, but the more you immerse yourself now, the better equipped you\u2019ll be to hire, lead and scale with confidence.<\/p>\n
3. Always look for the win-win (or create it)
\n<\/p>\n
It has never made sense to me to enter into any business relationship unless both parties leave better for it. There are two outcomes in any negotiation: the objective value (the material outcome of the deal) and the subjective value (how each party feels about the outcome). In my experience, I\u2019ve learned that subjective value is often far more important because how someone feels about a partnership shapes their openness to working with you again. <\/p>\n
Stay informed. Subscribe to our newsletter<\/p>\n
I always strive to build long-term relationships with my employees, vendors, partners and customers, so I lean far more on the subjective outcome of any negotiation, prioritising trust and mutual respect over short-term gains. If you can consistently create outcomes where both parties feel heard, valued and satisfied \u2014 even if compromises are made \u2014 you\u2019ll build a reputation that opens more doors than any one-sided deal ever could.<\/p>\n
4. Step up and speak out
\n<\/p>\n
If you want to be part of a meeting, a project, an event or a speaking engagement \u2014 don\u2019t wait to be invited. Early in my career, I often assumed that if people saw value in my work, they would ask me to contribute.
\n<\/p>\n
But after a decade of climbing the corporate ladder and two more years building my own business, I\u2019ve learned that the most valuable opportunities rarely land in your lap \u2014 you have to actively seek them out. Positioning yourself as a thought leader takes eagerness, interest and the confidence to put yourself forward \u2014 even before you feel entirely ready. The opportunities are out there if you want them \u2014 you just have to go after them.
\n<\/p>\n
5. Lead with honesty and integrity
\n<\/p>\n
It may sound simple, but sadly, honesty and integrity are in short supply in today\u2019s business environment. To me, these are non-negotiables for building a company that earns long-term trust. Treat your employees, customers, partners and vendors with the same respect and honesty that you\u2019d expect from them.
\n<\/p>\n
I push my team to take it one step further and go above and beyond to do the right thing for our customers \u2014 whether anybody would notice or not. If this standard becomes part of your company culture, over time, it will define your brand.
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Almost 20 years ago, when my business was still in its infancy, I posted a job listing that…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":628,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[45,49,48,1004,137],"class_list":{"0":"post-627","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-entrepreneurship","8":"tag-business","9":"tag-ca","10":"tag-canada","11":"tag-entepreneurshipenterpreneurship-lessons","12":"tag-entrepreneurship"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/627","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=627"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/627\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/628"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=627"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=627"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=627"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}