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Think Like an Entrepreneur

P rocess: Entrepreneurship is a dynamic, continuous, living process. You,

the entrepreneur, founder, and champion, drive the process, from the
idea through wealth creation. Along the path, you will mobilize resources,
build your team, devise an astute strategy, develop your business plan,
capture that first magic customer, and manage the challenges of growth—

the ultimate in personal enrichment.

There are four compelling reasons to start your own business.

You Realize Your Personal Potential

Before I became an entrepreneur, I worked as a chemical engineer for 10 years.
Although I had an excellent job at a prestigious company, a gnawing entrepre-
neurial desire grabbed hold of me and wouldn’t let go. Together with a friend
and coworker, we began looking around for ideas and opportunities, and latched
onto one that looked particularly attractive. We put together a simple business
plan and began pursuing our start-up in the evenings and on the weekends
while we kept our day jobs. My growing family, a mortgage, limited borrowing
power, and nail-biting uncertainty caused me to be risk averse, but I refused to
let these obstacles cloud my vision. Before our start-up had any revenues, the
rewards from pursuing my dreams went sky high. I felt energized, self-reliant,
unstoppable! I was experiencing these entrepreneurial benefi ts:

• The possibilities of creating unique value from practically nothing.
• The courage and the passion to “go for it;” to achieve my life goal.
• The satisfaction of becoming my own boss and being rewarded for my
hard work.
• The pride of developing my personal entrepreneurial power.

• The warm glow of self-confidence and self-esteem just from trying .
• The satisfaction of being in control of my most precious asset—my
time.

• The excitement of visualizing the unimaginable financial doors that
were about to open for me and my family.

You Reap—and Keep—a Lot of Money

The business was able to generate some sales and profits while I was still

working at my day job. Then, when the risks seemed minimal and the poten-
tial looked wide open, I left my day job to grow the business full time.

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