How To Become An Entrepreneur At Your Day Job.

As a self-starter you’re constantly looking for ways of expressing your inner entrepreneur while you engage in your day job. You’re not satisfied with the income you generate via your day job; hence you are itching to be an entrepreneur in order to express your ideas, execute your dreams and earn extra money. You are filled with ideas and caught up with the pursuit of your dreams and probably upset when you show up every day to your day job, having the mind-set that you could have been running your own business by now.

But to become an entrepreneur you must understand that launching your brand comes at a price. Most self-starters do not have the financial backing needed to take that business leap, which means they have to work in order to raise capital for their venture. Becoming an entrepreneur does not necessarily mean starting a new company immediately; rather it embraces the idea of pursuing opportunities despite setbacks and following up ideas with actions. Embarking on an entrepreneurial venture while you have a day job gives you the opportunity to test your ideas, and ensure that your proposed venture is not only profitable but also has the ability to grow over time.

The question is ‘how do you combine your day job with your entrepreneurial pursuits without suffering setbacks?’

REMAIN FAITHFUL TO YOUR DAY JOB

One cardinal rule is that your day job must come first since the needed resources for sponsoring your entrepreneurial idea comes from your salary. When you have a positive disposition towards your day job you have the opportunity of improving your work experience and ethic which you can transfer to your own business. Do not view your day job as just another job; instead see it as a preparation for your own business. Imbibe all the procedures and protocols that are in place at your current place of work and try to understand how they fit into your own business.  Bring on board innovative strategies you know will push your business forward to your current day job, not only to add value to your current employer but to also test those ideas in order to ascertain their effectiveness.

START SMALL

In as much as it’s good to dream big and have a large vision of your future business, when starting it is advisable to start small especially while you still have a day job. Starting small gives you the chance to test your ideas before moving to start your business with full force. Even though you have the target of having over 100,000 customers, start with that first customer before progressing to the next. To achieve your larger goals, set smaller goals at the onset, which are easy to accomplish even while you perform your job responsibility at your current work place. Set start-up goals that are attainable, on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. This enables you develop positive work ethics that drives you towards success.

MAKE A COMMITMENT TO YOUR BUSINESS IDEA

No matter how good your business idea is, if you do not take the necessary steps needed to make that idea a reality, it will only remain an idea. As you earn from your current day job ensure a certain percentage of that income is channelled towards developing your business idea. Commit your intellectual resources to develop your idea, brainstorm and consult with other professionals in order to develop the idea.  Bottom line is you must put in a lot of work if your business idea is ever going to evolve into a product or service that will satisfy customers. The more committed you are to developing your idea, the more it grows into a business opportunity that you can pursue.

DIFFERENTIATE YOURSELF FROM COMPETITORS

Every potential business is coming into a market with already established players that are battling for the same customers. Competition cannot be avoided in business; hence you should ask yourself how your brand can outperform that of other competitors in the same market. To distinguish your brand from that of other competitors you must offer to consumers a significant benefit that other brands do not have. Develop and secure your value preposition and unique selling point, whether in terms of quality, price or excellent customer service. Whatever it is, place a lot of emphasis on it. Your unique selling point is your competitive advantage and your competitive advantage is what will attract and sustain your customers.

EXPAND YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE

Technological advancement has made it possible for various brands to reach their target audience on the go, and social media is an effective tool for doing so. Social media presence is considered as the way forward for businesses everywhere, irrespective of the industry that they may be. Being active on social media, creating engaging content and sponsoring them can go a long way in creating awareness for your brand. Social media marketing is something you must engage in, in order to grow your brand and build your audience. As a start-up, having a solid presence on social media and effectively using it can skyrocket your business especially when you use it for lead generation, content distribution and brand awareness.

Becoming a successful entrepreneur while you have a day job is not a day’s journey; however you should not be discouraged from pursuing your dream. Being focused on your day job and exploiting every opportunity that comes your way will go a long way in helping you to achieve your dream.