{"id":322,"date":"2021-01-31T14:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-01-31T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ritu.piknikmarketing.co\/2021\/01\/31\/want-to-be-an-entrepreneur\/"},"modified":"2021-11-02T16:16:06","modified_gmt":"2021-11-02T16:16:06","slug":"want-to-be-an-entrepreneur","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ritubhasin.com\/blog\/want-to-be-an-entrepreneur\/","title":{"rendered":"Want to be an Entrepreneur? Ask Yourself These 7 Questions"},"content":{"rendered":"

When I was first starting out in my career, I didn\u2019t believe that I was meant to be an entrepreneur. I thought that running a successful business<\/a> required something special or rare, and I assumed I didn\u2019t have it.<\/p>

Having internalized the idea early on that in order to have a stable career, I needed to be an employee, I told myself that entrepreneurship<\/a> wasn\u2019t for me and that I didn\u2019t have what it takes. I thought I would be an employee for life.<\/p>

Fast forward to several years into my corporate career, and I had begun to feel disconnected<\/a> from my work life. I knew that I had to make a career change, and so ten years into my career as an employee, I pursued an executive MBA, which meant working full-time and going to school full-time for 15 months. It was hell on earth (I literally had no social life), but it was during this time that I realized I actually had an innate entrepreneurial spirit.<\/p>

Looking back, it\u2019s obvious that I\u2019d been developing an entrepreneurial spirit from a very young age. As a young child, I had a lemonade stand at the end of my driveway, where I\u2019d sell the homemade beverage (I opened those cans of frozen lemonade concentrate myself!) to passersby. At 9, I got a paper route, and at 10, I was putting on magic shows for neighborhood kids.<\/p>

I vividly remember doing the mental calculation that if I charged each kid 25 cents to see the show and gave them each a popsicle that cost me 5 cents, I\u2019d pocket 20 cents per kid. Essentially, I was doing a net profit calculation as a 10-year-old.<\/p>

A short-lived lawn mowing business followed, then a prolific stint as a babysitter (during which I managed to save and invest $1,000 from the ages of 11 to 13 from my $4\/hour wage), and later, a gig doing entertainment for kids’ birthday parties.<\/p>

Despite the negative narratives I was telling myself, my behavior as a youngster reflected that I was creative in developing ideas, industrious about executing them, and courageous about failing. I became really good at selling myself and my products and at building relationships with people \u2014 all of which are components of a successful entrepreneur! And in fact, I now realize that the same qualities I developed in my childhood ventures are the ones that have helped me become successful as a business owner<\/a>.<\/p>

Fast forward to today, and I\u2019ve been running a successful consulting firm rooted in inclusion, which is my life\u2019s passion and purpose, for almost ten years. It was a long road to get here, and those negative narratives, self-doubt, and fear held me back from doing it sooner. I\u2019m so grateful that I was finally able to see that I embody the characteristics of an entrepreneur.<\/p>

If you\u2019re someone who wants to be an entrepreneur \u2014 whether that means launching a business, a side hustle, or becoming an innovative leader in any work that you undertake \u2014 there are three things you need to do and a handful of questions that it’s key to answer.<\/p>

1. <\/strong>Reflect on your potential<\/strong><\/a><\/p>