Most entrepreneurs starting new businesses are very good professionals that decide to put their skills to a far more greater and challenging task than a regular 9-5 office job. Likely they are software engineers, nurses, pilots, plumbers, salespeople, or anything else, and they are good at what they do. Then they suddenly decide to start their own business. Putting aside all the stuff that opening a new business means, like financing, finding clients, building a product, the most complex and time-consuming process is changing the entrepreneur mentality. To put it into short words, the entrepreneur should pass from “business professional” to “problem solver”.
This needs some explaining:
Let’s say you are an excellent software developer, you leave your job, and start a company, producing…software.
JOB
Right. The first thing you will need a PC and Internet access. While you were working at your job, you took this for granted. Just needed to call someone to get you a PC and connect you to the Internet.
Entrepreneurship
Nobody to help you. You need to find some offers, find financing for the PC. Then there is no Internet provider near you. Hm…Start to call some companies. Too expensive…Looking for alternatives.
JOB
No more cash on the credit card for the trip. Right, right, just call the Financial Department for a refill.
Entrepreneurship
Is that trip really necessary? Does it bring any money in the end?
I mean hey, this is the most difficult change for any entrepreneur. He has to get used to having problems. Lots of problems. Countless problems. And no matter how many problems, a solution for each of them. That’s the first stage. Problem solver.
But if you are really up to it, there is one more step in the metamorphosis. Problem = opportunity. That’s by far the most advanced form of entrepreneurship. No Internet? Hm, maybe I should find who else needs it in my neighborhood and provide it for a fee. Got the picture? I’m still working on it.