1. Get inspiration
The greatest ideas and companies in the world have been born out of inspiration; the unquenchable desire to do something. As human beings we have one major guiding principle which is individualism, which means you are unique in your own way. This also means that as you begin your journey as an entrepreneur, you need to be able to identify your key motivation for starting something. Ask yourself why you are doing this. For some people, it starts of as a hobby whereas for others, it starts of differently. When you find a motivating factor, you have the right belief system to take up your project, no matter how big or small it is. Always remember that great inspiration is the source of all possibilities.
2. Understand your sector
After identifying what you want to be working on, the next step is to fully understand your area of interest. Whether it is in education, agriculture, transport or IT, it is important to fully immerse yourself in trying to understand your sector. That way you will be able to make well informed decisions, apply the right strategies and above all keep the level of enthusiasm which got you started in the first place high. Read books, listen to audio books, watch videos and interact with people in your field of interest. If you make this a priority, you will be a guru in your field before you know it. It will also be easier for you to make your goals vivid. This in turn will make it easier for you to implement your idea and sell it to prospective stakeholders, investors, customers and even future team members.
3. Get a team
Often most entrepreneurs want to do everything alone. Truth be told, you can’t and will never be able to. Most innovative start-ups have one important trait at the core of their success, and it is a great team. Now that you believe in yourself and your abilities to make your idea a success and have a deep understanding of your idea, the next step is to also believe that someone other than yourself has the potential to bring your ideas to life. When you understand this, you will be able to scout and identify the right skill set and talent that will be necessary for your project to take off. Always be realistic and keep in mind that the size of your project will determine the size of your team. Avoid over or under recruiting at the beginning of your venture.
4. Innovate and prototype
This level requires you to be able to envision and see what you desire to give to your users. The reason why these two are yoked together is because you need to come up with the best features, characteristics and key points for your product or service then prototype it. By doing this, you are making it possible for your users to test the product that you have and also give you feedback on how best it can be improved. You will realize that at this stage, you debunk most of the assumptions you had made about your users, hence enabling you to further advance and improve your product or service functionality. A prototype should be a low cost product or service. Do not invest huge amounts of resources in a prototype as it is meant for testing. Feedback will be very crucial to allow you to be able to continuously learn and innovate around solutions which are responsive to the needs of the user.
5. Deliver
This is the final and most important stage. It is important to note that a key characteristic of an entrepreneur is to maintain a high level of optimism and enthusiasm for what the future holds. Getting through all the steps mentioned above is no walk in the park. It requires resilience and a deep level of confidence. Not everyone will be excited about your idea or be supportive of it, or even willing to give it a chance. This should not demoralize you as you should also know and believe that someone out there believes in you and your idea. The day when you deliver your product or service is the day you shine. Make sure to plan for this well in advance as you will realize that the first impression of your product or service delivery will most definitely determine how your users will portray you.
All the best in coming up with your next breakthrough in entrepreneurship and innovation. Always keep in mind that it’s a world of great possibilities. If someone else can do it then nothing can definitely stop you from doing more.