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That you’re in your teenage years, and you already are trying hands on entrepreneurship, is something not so common. I mean: you’re putting efforts to earn yourself something, to learn one or more soft skills, to find problems and profer solutions or, maybe, you’ve sold something you marketed.
As a teenage entrepreneur like you are, little did I know that a share of the “little things” we do or shy away from may pile up to hinder our development. If I had known then – as an entrepreneur – what I know now, I wouldn’t have fallen into “the ditch of little things.”
I’m writing this to ease myself off and, perhaps, it will help teenage entrepreneurs like you avoid falling into this dreadful ditch. Without further ado, if you’re a teenager looking to set a firm foot into entrepreneurship, here are my little advices to you:
1. DON’T GIVE IN TO EXCUSES
Be 100% responsible for your actions and their consequences. Whenever things don’t work as planned, don’t say, “It wasn’t really my fault afterall, NEPA caused it all” or “i tried my best, that client just didnt want me”
Try adjusting to something bold. You can say, “if I had done this & that, it may have gone positive.” Criticise yourself. Admit your mistakes. This way, you’d be able to work on them better.
2. YOU’RE NOT TOO YOUNG.
This is one excuse I often give myself whenever I get burned out & tired & disappointed. I tell myself, “you just clocked 16, boy.. maybe this things are not for you.”
That statement above is faux deterrent. Try new things out. Don’t be barred. You might fail, but that’s not any important. What’s important is the refined knowledge you gain along the way.
3. JOT DOWN EVERY IDEA/INSPO.
This point is particularly for creators e.g content writers, artists, designers. I realized that some real good ideas come randomly (not from brainstorming).
Once they come, maybe while you’re jogging down your house, don’t let them go. You may lose it.
Always keep your jotter around you. Or better still use your phone’s recorder.
4. MANAGE YOUR TIME WELL
Time management has become a skill – one that’s getting rarer find amongst peeps. Almost all entrepreneurs sell their time for money. And with distractions and procrastination on rampage, it may become difficult for the entrepreneur in you to get things done.
Don’t fritter away your time. Tell yourself every morning, “I’ll never get another now, I’ll make the most of today.”
5. CHASE ADDICTION AWAY.
Watching porn, social media, betting, masturbation, TV, music, taking carbonated drinks and a lot more are things we can easily get addicted. These agents of addiction have in common one thing, that is, they either consume your time or your cash. That’s how bad they are.
Shun them. Be addicted to productive activities alone.
6. HAVE A SKILL YOU CAN CALL YOUR OWN
There are too many learnable digital skills around – from graphic design to data analysis. As promising as each of them may be, it’s left to you not to get caught in the tangle.
Pick just one skill. Learn its rudiments. Master it. And become your Niché’s Next Expert. Don’t be like me.
7. SET ACTIONABLE SHORT-TERM GOALS
We tend to focus on long-term goals; the big ones. We say, “I plan to gain 12k followers in 10 months. Save up to 900k before this time next year.”
Set short-term goals instead. Reduce them biweekly or monthly plans for yourself. This way, they are more measurable and actionable and it becomes very easy to learn from mistakes made.
8. NETWORK FAST WITH OTHER ENTREPRENEURS
Networking is one mutual marketing tool you definitely don’t want to miss out on. In our present-day, people land jobs, new gigs, faster and easier through networking than via their CVs.
Attend offline events. Meet people. Introduce yourselves, your businesses and the rest will follow.
9. STOP BEING THAT SHY PERSON.
I used to be a shy individual. And to some extent, I still am. Trust me, you don’t gain as much as you lose when you don’t talk, don’t mix well – when you shy away from participations. We all are social animals. Be the first to extend an handshake. People are nice. They’ll welcome you. Being shy is an hindrance to effective networking.
10. GET YOURSELF AN OFFLINE BUSINESS.
Ha! I can’t stress this well enough. With the continuous recent surge of digital entrepreneurs, getting your first pay online or gaining space might take some time.
Bottom line is simple: have a handwork that’s fetching you something offline to avoid getting huge blows from even other online fluctuations that may arise.
Over to you..
Those are my advices to you, dear vibrant entrepreneur. I hope to see you steer clear of “the ditch of little things.”
Cheerio. ☺
Abdulbasit Toriola is an emerging voice in Nigerian cultural commentary and social analysis. From his corner in Lagos, he documents Nigerian history, current affairs, and explores the extraordinary journeys of Nigerians beating the odds. His works have been published on Africa Prime News and Opinion Nigeria. Connect with Abdulbasit on Twitter @blackboymusings for daily insights into Nigerian life and culture.
