Category: Ignite

Becoming a successful entrepreneur isn’t the most straightforward of paths, or at least it rarely is. The path to success is abundant with mistakes made and lessons learned, and more often than not will result in entrepreneurs questioning whether their business idea has what it takes to make it. In these times of doubt, the difference between quitting and persisting through can be as a result of some simple advice from someone whose been in your shoes before. From following your heart to reconnecting with your “why”, we’ve put together our favourite pieces of advice from some of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs:

• Lululemon founder Chip Wilson: It’s ok to ask for help
  “It took me a long time to understand it, but [the advice was] to ask for help and that I don’t know it all,”. “People love to help. I don’t have to be insecure and know it all.”

• ClassPass co-founder Payal Kadakia: Reconnect with your “Why”
  “It’s easy to get sucked into the minutia of the day-to-day tasks of building a business, so take the time to get back to your inspiration and reconnect with your mission and vision. Going back to your ‘why’ can help shift your mindset since it’s the only thing that matters.”

• Apple co-founder Steve Jobs: Follow Your Heart
  “Do not be trapped by dogma, which is living the result of other people’s thinking. Do not let the noise of other opinions drown your own inner voice. Most importantly, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition, they somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

• OnPrem Solution Partners founder, Candice Lu: Don’t Sell Yourself Short
  “I once asked my mom how she was able to rise above the fact that she was a minority and a woman to achieve her accomplishments. She told me that it was because she never once thought about the fact that she was a minority or a woman, but that she was just the best doctor there. So basically do not negotiate with yourself, sell yourself short or compromise your approach before you even walk into a room. “

• Huffington Post co-founder Arianna Huffington: Love and believe in your business idea
  “If you’re going to start a business, you need to really love it, because not everybody is going to love it.” “When you really believe in your product, you are willing to deal with all the naysayers and persevere.”

While there is such value and insight to this advice, actually listening to it and taking it on board is what proves to be most difficult for people! Here at the Entrepreneurs Academy, we understand this and so offer a number of courses to help entrepreneurs at the various stages of their business development. If you are still struggling at the beginning, check out our range of Ignite courses, specifically designed with start-ups in mind. Or for any other additional information you may need, get in contact with us, we’d be happy to help.

Do you work in the creative sector and run your own business? Well, as I’m describing the following problems, do you identify with them and am I describing you?

• You work hard
• You don’t pay yourself enough
• You don’t take time off
• You don’t plan for the future (living and running the business week to week)
• You are slow to hire
• You don’t ask for help

Now while I realise that those statements could apply to any business I do find however that it applies more commonly to business owners in the creative sector more than anywhere else. Owner/managers of businesses in the wider creative sector are skilled masters of design and craft, but they need to build their leadership and management skills. In order to see their excellent products and services reach the people they need to reach and provide them the lifestyle they deserve, they need to invest time in training, education and skills development in their design discipline.

The team at the Entrepreneurs Academy have designed a leadership and management development programme specifically for creative business owners to realise the full potential in their design excellence. This is a 20 week course which aims to up-skill the self-employed owners/managers of small businesses within the creative industries with the management skills, leadership skills and business knowledge to achieve sustainability and growth in their business. It aims to equip and support them in reflecting on their success so far and in defining a clear vision for the future. It will help them in setting and measuring ambitious but achievable goals. It aims to give small business owners in the creative sector a greater sense of control and focus within the business especially with regards to building sales and financial management skills. A business can only be as strong as its leader so the course will develop and enhance the leadership, management, personal skills and behaviours of the learner. We help build the leader and equip them to in turn build a stronger business with ambition to scale.

Our course aims to be highly practical, impactful and outcomes focused. The course will be based in Dublin City Centre and will last for 20 weeks. Although Dublin based, this programme is open to applications from learners outside of Dublin and scheduling of all elements have taken travel and work commitments into full consideration. If you feel that you would like to know more about the course, click here or alternatively feel free to get in contact with us here at the Entrepreneurs Academy via springboard@entrepreneursacademy.ie

Noel Davidson
Lead Trainer, Entrepreneurs Academy

One of the questions that I’m often asked as Lead Trainer with the Entrepreneurs Academy is:
Why is it in the first couple of years in business that many businesses don’t make it?

My answer is always that they don’t seek the help they need that is available from various support networks and try to survive the first couple of years in business on their own.

Every entrepreneur wants to give their business the very best chance of success and one such support programme is : Thrive – The Business Growth Programme. The Thrive programme has been developed to offer support, training, mentoring and networking opportunities to help business owners get through the first few difficult years in business. The majority of this programme takes place online however participants will be required to attend boot camps on scheduled dates throughout the 24 months that the programme is scheduled. We at the Entrepreneurs Academy have designed the Thrive programme to be flexible and supportive with both online and out of hours help from our panel of experts and peers.

Thrive – Business Growth Programme details :

• 7 days of boot camp training will take place over a 2 year period.
• Subsequent off-the-grid and next steps boot camps taking place intermittently.
• 10 x Half day skills workshops and 2 x mastermind training programmes over 2 years.
• Online peer support interaction will take place regularly.

If you feel that you would like to know more about the course, click here or alternatively feel free to get in contact with us here at the Entrepreneurs Academy.

Noel Davidson
Lead Trainer, Entrepreneurs Academy