“The only way to overcome this fear is to understand that there is only one way out and that is through. You need to be brave, get started and keep on pushing until your business is a success,” says entrepreneur, Nadine Hocter, who established Sheer Bliss, a corporate massage business which specialises in staff productivity through touch.
Hocter shares her top 6 tips on using hustle to become a successful entrepreneur.
“Get going! Find customers and keep your promises to them. If you can consistently under promise and over deliver you will have a recipe for success. Once you know what you are selling then start selling your product or service”.
Of course, you will need to begin with all of the admin involved in starting a business such as registering the company and building a website, but the most important element of a business is sales, it's not a business until the cash register rings.
“You hustle! When I started my business I borrowed a massage bed and sat with a Yellow Pages contacting companies telling them about this amazing service that everyone is loving. I also did a trade exchange with a friend for him to build me a website and his girlfriend got manicures and pedicures for a year until the amount was paid off,” says Nadine.
This is where your network is so valuable because you can make arrangements such as a trade exchange with people who know you and trust you. You need to fake it until you make it in some cases – don’t wait for the perfect moment, start where you are.
“Starting a business without capital is tough but as you earn, you put back into the business and you start growing it that way,” says Hocter.
This means putting your ideas into action immediately.
“When I started my business, I moved really quickly. I happen to be someone who is really good at getting tasks done quickly, this was really helpful as I took action right away. I had an idea and I implemented it!” says Hocter.
Having a business plan with an idea of exactly what you are selling is helpful as well as a strategy on how you are going to sell and to whom will give you a good road map to head you off in the right direction.
Don’t go it alone
Your network is your net worth. When you are in the startup phase you will lean on your network for a variety of resources and this can be anything from getting help with social media to introductions to new clients.
If your network has faith in you and your capabilities as a business they will be rooting for you and these people will in time become your evangelists. Always make sure that you take extra care of friends and family if they buy from you, people buy from people. Friends and family will only support each other and pay the right price if the service is worthwhile.
Depending on what your business is about, you will lean on help for various aspects, from bouncing an idea with someone to getting advice on legal matters. Find as many online learning platforms as you can and get any free information on business so that you can gain new insights into running your business.
Join an incubator and try to work at a place that is not home at least once a week, this will help you to get exposure and develop a network too. Get a mentor, someone who can give you hard truths and help you see your business with a different eye.
“Say yes to any learning opportunities and get excited about them. Be tenacious, a business is not for the faint at hearted. It’s tough, but if you stick with it, it is certainly worth it in the long run,” concludes Hocter.
