If you ask many of today’s most successful entrepreneurs, they will tell you that the first few years of any new project is always the hardest. As much as proper marketing is the core focus of the problem, public acceptance is the true root of the issue. Almost every new business originated by a new entrepreneur is viewed upon a negative cloud with lots of cynicism. While most look at their marketing efforts as flawed and all their efforts feel like they are going to waste, others just carry on knowing that there is no substitute for time.
When we think of the negativity that surrounds new businesses we often wonder why the world is so negative towards our amazing new idea. After all, we are going to revolutionize an industry, we are going to innovate ways to do business, and even perhaps deliver never before seen or heard information; yet it seems like we are not only welcomed by our own community, but also get shut down by those around us both online and offline.
So why the negativity?
With the millions of new websites and ideas getting started each month, and only 2-5% succeeding, it is only normal for people to not take new entrepreneurs seriously. It’s also true that many other established businesses refuse to partner up or even go as far as bashing your idea and business simply due to their disbelief. So how can you overcome this tragedy of being new?
Well, you simply can’t. As with any new concept, it is simply going to take time for people to take you seriously and more importantly going to take a few years before people realize that unlike others, you are not going to disappear. You can certainly do all the marketing and research on how to get your product or service out to the public, but with substituting the effects that time has on your business. Time by itself does bring more public awareness and acceptance and more importantly, allows people who regularly have bought in to your product or service to become more engaged and more involved, therefore spreading the news about it.
The biggest mistake entrepreneurs make when forgetting the impact of time is going through constant changes in execution and marketing without allowing time to take effect. They constantly tweak what hasn’t had a chance to be developed, however, never allow the public to respond naturally and organically to their idea and strategy. This holds particularly true to websites or products that are firsts in their industry and even though it does apply to everything, it certainly is more of a concern for those “idea” based entrepreneurs rather than your conventional money maker.
So next time you start an idea and get discouraged of the public response, remember that it is those that can look past that and against all odds to execute on their ideas that actually have a chance at succeeding. Control only what you can, and let time do its job.
Time = Life. Therefore, waste your time and waste of your life, or master your time and master your life. – Unknown
