- Know why your there: The truth is, many startups are there because of lack of jobs, poor salaries, because the saw Zuckerberg, Larry Page, Dangote and the Adenugas… Well, something may drive you, whatever it is, be sure you are there for the right course.
And you must remember, what works for Mr A may not work Mr B, importantly, you must have a clear vision on why you are there, and in most cases, this boils down to solving a problem, yes, you must learn to solve a problem, and unluckily or luckily if I may say *pardon me*, there are many problems.
And you must realize today, that being successful may not only or always result in financial gains, but having fulfilment after accomplishment, this is a true path of success.
In most cases, having passion for what you do may yield better results, these things are facts and you need to abide by them to be successful, but don’t be scared, in most cases, loving what you do, doing it well, and solving problems bring profits, and that is the true concept of business.
“And you must realize today, that being successful may not only or always result in financial gains, but having fulfilment after accomplishment, this is a true path of success” – Okeke Vincent.
- Know what it takes and be Strategic: In whatever you do, you must know what is required, however, this shouldn’t wither you, but it is very important you know the requirements or consequences of your actions and decisions, it helps in planning process.
Thus, you must learn to be a strategic business person is all you do, you must learn to know when to strike and when not to strike, be cautious of every single action you take, these things are very important, it is akin to a planning process, you must have a structured one, and don’t be too principled, yes, do not be too principled, you must learn to make a twist whenever need be, and learn to throw off the bow lines if you need to.
Strategic planners barely fail, because in the process ab initio, they have studied carefully the sounds resulting from every single action they are taking, and will learn to make necessary adjustments.
This covers all areas of your business, including in hiring process, marketing, sourcing for investors, launching, modus operandi, name it!
“Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can’t lose, be smart anyway”. Bill Gates, Okeke Vincent
- Don’t Fear the Unknown: This may seem strange, but remains a crucial factor for startups. In most cases when startups fail, this is the cause. No one has said you can’t write Bill Gate a mail for business partnership, so why have you concluded it was unrealistic or he would decline?
This thus remains a mystery, when at some point you become scared, you become reluctant, you become weak physically and in spirit, you become pessimistic, who has said your startup can’t worth a trillion US Dollar in few months? Who has told you he wouldn’t give you his call card if you ask? Forget about failing, only think about succeeding, you must be minded, for when you are, how you appear, how you request, and you communicate, commands positive results, these things are psychological.
Sometimes, this goes to an extent, you may have strange instincts, like; why not take a good paying job and forget about these whole thing? Is it worth the stress? In what year or century can i get there? What if i fail? This is unrealistic, can I really do it? When you begin to have such strange instincts, know you’re almost there, and you must press harder.
“Above all, men must learn to be strong and resistful if need be, or they will wither in no time” Vincent Okeke
- Give the best, be Competent, and Reliable: Multinational and other large corporations have neglected doing businesses with startups, most reasons being associated with lack of quality, incompetency, and unreliability. Well, someone needs to prove them wrong, this has got to change, and it should start by you. You must create the best, make a difference is what you have created. This is important, if not, you may wither.
When developing a product or offering a service, always remember; mediocre is not an option, don’t assume you’re small and you should do it in a small way, don’t be greedy to make much profit, don’t manage, always go for the best. The truth is, the difference between a good quality and a bad one sometimes is your taste, and not necessarily the cost, because when you look at these things carefully, you’ll realize that quality is usually cheaper, though not immediately. People want the best, even the poor man in the street, they want the best, and you must be ready to give them the best to be successful.
“For the Art of Mastery demands for all in a man, and only those who can commit their whole heart and soul to a course can be a true master” Albert Einstein
- Trust People: Yes, there is this conventional saying; “trust no one”, but that may be a wrong advice for you as a startup, you may never succeed if you don’t trust someone. Hence business is concern, you should and must learn to trust someone. However, in trusting, you must learn to trust in spirit and in wisdom, you must learn to know who is trust worthy and who is not. This on its own is a learning curve, and a skill if I am to say.
Knowing who to trust and who not to trust, and even how to commit people to being trust worthy can sometimes require some technique, researches, endorsements, skills, instincts, recommendations, information, to mention but a few… Above all, you must open your mind to trusting someone, through that, you may open the door and opportunities to success.
“Everyone deserves a chance, follow your instinct and trust wisely, be very careful on how you judge or assess people at first instance, this is very important.” Vincent Okeke
- Dream, be focused and ready: You must a big picture, through this you can attract investors and potential partners. No one wants to associate with a brand that has only short term goals. As the day unfolds, you should discover better ways to improve your startup, make every day count, fill the loop holes, this is very important.
As a startup, you must learn to dream, and be ambitious, for from such, inspirations come, innovations come, strategies are revealed.
And remember, success can be overwhelming, yes very overwhelming, you can be carried away if care not taking, it doesn’t knock or inform you on when to come, and when it comes, if you’re unready, or unprepared, it may just pass by in short time.
Sometimes, you get more than what you bargained for, and you must be ready to accept that. To be successful, you must ply the path of success, set the foundation and hope it. If these things are not in place, it may be another talk shop…
“Without leaps of imagination, or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning.” Gloria Steinem
These rules may seem crazy, but are quite important for every startup, if taken carefully, they will lead you to success.
Okeke Vincent Chidozie – www.okekevincentchidozie.com
CEO & Founder
DOVICHI SERVICES (www.dovichi.com)
