Starting and owning your own business is one of the most powerful decisions of personal freedom and expression you can ever take.
The very act of venturing out on your own unleashes such powerful mental and psychological power in us that would have remained dormant had we continued in other peoples employ.
Truly, nothing can be more exhilarating, more gratifying or more refreshing than the knowledge that we're working on projects, goals or visions that have tremendous meaning to us.
Owning your own business is more than a route to financial independence.
It is also a guaranteed way to experience peace, security and assurance like you never have.
As exciting as all these sounds, as appealing and captivating as the idea seems, there are real dangers, uncertainties and turmoil inherent in that single decision.
You need to carry out a serious cross examination of your character to see if you have what it takes to venture into business and fight your way through to success.
Yes, succeeding in business is war.
Many times you'll find yourself disadvantaged.
You'll at times find yourself with few friends, little money, no encouragement and bitter opposition.
As you see, it pays if you know upfront if you've what it takes to weather the storm.
First, you must have an intense vision.
Every change, every development, every invention, every major achievement began as a vision.
By vision, I mean a clear mental picture accompanied by an intense desire to see their actualization.
Daydreaming and intense wishing will not do.
If you must succeed in business then you must be able to birth concrete visions in your psyche that overflow into your conscious and subconscious psychological recesses.
You must be able to hold onto that picture in your mind for as long as it takes to experience the actualization of your dream.
Without vision you become like the vast majority of people: ordinary, mediocre and discontent.
A commanding vision will always propel you towards action and leadership in every situation you face.
Two, you must be a risk taker.
If you risk nothing, you'll achieve nothing.
So many folks at the twilight of their lives have only one wish.
That they had risked more, that they hadn't played safe all their lives, watching al the opportunities, excitement and pleasures of life pass them by.
Granted, running your business has significantly greater risk than seeking paid employment but the payoffs that'll be yours when you're working for yourself far outweigh any benefits you'll receive from paid employment.
And not just financially, but in terms of inestimable treasures such as liberty and security.
Finally, you must have staying power.
So many folks going into business pull out when success was just around the corner.
You must have the unshakeable belief that the goal you're working on will come to reality.
You must be prepared to walk with this conviction through the good times and the not so good times, through ugly situations and through favorable circumstances, through valleys and across mountains.
Truth is, you needn't have all the resources, the best talents or more opportunities in order to achieve your business goals.
All you need is a burning desire with steely determination to get there.