You Are The Business.

I am sure, everyone at some stage of their career, dreams of being an entrepreneur. You know, start you own gig, have better control over your life and time (supposedly), make more money and grow your empire.

But most rarely get past that dream to the point of actually doing it. The usual excuses often comes to mind - no resources, no partners, no funding, no customer base and the list goes on and on.

Here's a mind shift that you could try it out, like today, like now.

Start with this: YOU ARE THE BUSINESS.

From this perspective, you will now see that in order to grow your business and income (YOU), you would need to offer more value to the market place. If you are working for someone or a Company, they are now your "investors or shareholders" instead of your Boss or the Company you work for. Your salary is now effectively their "equity investments" in you with the hope that you will deliver returns to them. They are the people who will help you pull in the resources, give you the authority to do things and finally, keep you in check and make sure you deliver what you promised. They have an "equity stake" in your success.

So your obligation as the "entrepreneur" or the "business" is to deliver value and returns to your "investor" and "shareholder".

Ask yourself these few simple questions:

1. How can you offer more such that your services becomes more valuable to your "investor/shareholder"?

2. What can you do more to bring more revenue (returns) to them - Can it be bringing in more leads or sales? Can it be optimizing operations so that it can be more efficient and thus brings down the operations costs? Can it be a new innovation, products, services or markets that can will maximize returns for your "investors/shareholders"?

3. What do you need to learn, acquire skills that makes your services better?

What you'll realize soon enough, is that you will now be more motivated and driven to deliver more value and effect positive change rather than relying on your Boss to tell you what you need to do. You'll no longer need your Boss to motivate or incentivize you.

Instead, you will do what is right as your obligation to your "investor/shareholders" cause you are now your business. The responsibility and accountability for you to grow your contribution (returns to your "investor/shareholder") and subsequently, your income, now lies solely in your own hands. You will do whatever it takes (say bye bye to the 9 to 5 routine) to deliver the "goods". Because, that's what entrepreneurs do.

The side benefit of all this would be - you are now effectively training / conditioning yourself to think and act as an entrepreneur. Normal working hours no longer apply to you. Your work and life is now integrated and not work-life balanced, cause you are running you as a business. You will grow your reputation and track record as someone who delivers - both within the Company and also out in the marketplace. Plus you still have the safety net of a monthly salary while you perfect you as the business. 😉

Once this mindset and work ethic is deeply ingrained, you will be in a better condition to thrive as an entrepreneur once the opportunity to really strike out on your own presents itself. Also, you will soon discover a niche that you and only you can serve and prosper as a business.

You are the Brand.

You are the Business.

Here's to a BETTER you.