The question so many individuals contemplate at this time of the year, “Should I climb the mountain to become an entrepreneur?” – picture above is from Mt. Cotopaxi, Ecuador summit at 19,347 feet – June, 2015.

The end of the year brings reflection and deep thinking toward an establishment of some parameters and goals for 2016. Planning too far in advance become as hinderance for many as the world changes so quickly, so consider some short term 3,6,9 month goals for 2016 and really go aggressively toward the target. Self accountability is imperative for making it happen.

The short term journey of success or failure will provide plenty of life long value and lessons. I have failed many times and still remember back when we entered the retail space of tuxedo rentals! – too long of a story but will mention the learning lessons in future posts.

Consider all the entrepreneurial possibilities, risks, failure potential and most important what I call “The Scared Factor”. Analysis/Paralysis can take over so often before taking a jump on your own. This happened to me many years ago then finally and intentionally I asked myself the question we all know so well “What is the worst that can happen?”. Forget about financial concerns, being scared, etc. you probably will not die.

Working for yourself and building a team is extremely difficult – NO QUESTION about it! If anyone tells you something different then it’s just B.S. You will make a ton of mistakes trust me. You can read everything imaginable on being an entrepreneur and you will still fail on certain aspects of your business. However, there is nothing like the feeling of actually taking a risk, going in with some due diligence (quantitative and qualitative) and believing 100% in yourself that you can make A Sale! That’s it and intentionally adding value to people and build it over time through gradual progression.

Remember more than anything else, selling is the number one thing in the business. Without a sale it’s just a great idea and a hobby.

The video of me – the bald guy, is related to endurance sports athletes but has cross over benefits for those of you considering starting a business. You don’t need 10,000 hours of expertise to start a business or be considered an expert, you don’t need to have the most innovative product imaginable, you don’t need to completely disrupt the market – just create value to an individual and see where it leads – with a simple 2 page business plan!You Don’t Need 10,000 Hours

I love hearing from entrepreneurs and if you need ideas please don’t hesitate to reach out to me.