Starting a Business Isn’t Always About What You Do, but What You Give

Starting an innovative business isn’t all paperwork and careful planning. Inception begins with a moment of inspiration. Maybe your new business venture launched the moment you got fed up with corporate life and knew you had to make a change for yourself. Or maybe it started because of a book. However your internal fire got lit, you’re not the only entrepreneur laboring under your passion. You follow your drive, find your market, and execute plans until your masterpiece begins to come together.

Taking that initial risk certainly can lead you to a life — and career — worth pursuing; but along with your “yes,” you also need the ability to say “no.” Unnecessary risk in the beginning — especially with startup money — can cause your project to stumble before it even begins. Also, your aspirations a decade from now may be different from what drives you today. Be careful to sit down and sort out what you want your brand to mean in the real world, and think about how it might need to adapt in order to stay relevant in changing market spaces. Your company may also need to physically move as it grows. Before closing a deal on your office space, know what’s trending in your area. Attend a few city council meetings or meet with city planners to see just how much of the future you can predict. You don’t want to be hung out to dry when things inevitably change.

Logistics aside, you also need to consider that you’re going to have to give up certain things in order to start your business: Time spent with family, hobbies, and volunteerism will necessarily diminish as you jump headlong into a life-altering startup. You will demonstrate with your actions what’s most important to you. Will you prioritize the things you love, or the things you want to love? Don’t let a dream cloud your vision to what you already have, and what really matters. We should work hardest for what’s most important.