10 ways to identify a start up entrepreneur
You know you are a start up, when....
1. The entire summer holidays have been spent working every day, in the office. You have no tan and therefore are mystified when people remark on the sunny English weather for the past few weeks. You hear about people going on holiday and think, yeah well, if and when I am successful, surely I too can have a holiday but in reality it is unlikely.
2. You are grateful that friends no longer invite you anywhere. Not only does this mean that you need not bother with an RSVP, it also means you don't have to go to another person's house and ask; "where can I plug in my laptop."
3. Your child is officially embarrassed that you run a company and starts making up fantasy job titles for you because the reality is so awful and non-cool.
4. When you offer your child to come along for a day at the office, you know that s/he will never say yes again. After their first excited day, of making cups of tea, Google research, checking out YouTube, social media are no longer exciting treats. They prefer instead to spend time with elderly relatives, even if it is to watch shopping channels and debate the merits of a new mop that twists and swivels as opposed to the knackered conventional one.
5. You really get annoyed when the opposite sex hit on you because you have no time for serious 'relationships' and if they still want to pursue you, you just want an answer from them as to how they can further your business dream. Otherwise the bored shutters come up with the 'leave me alone' sign.
6. When you grit your teeth at every 'business' person who systematically cuts into and scissors your dream or business idea, activity to date, yet has not even bothered to look at, or even read or seen your website. You know as a start up you do not mind feedback or even interest. And those who have seen it, come forward to support you and tell you where you are going wrong. But not so for those who have an ego at stake here and have not really made it. They instead love to hear the sound of their own advice dispensing wisdom, to cut you down, start with "But I think", to "You ought to" and "I do it like this.." while you stare at them, thinking, please, if that is what it means to be an entrepreneur, let me fail right now.
7. When the people who are meant to help you, do not. Instead you get random strangers championing you and proffering help. And your own family look at you, with fear and anxiety but stay tight lipped as they have realised to even suggest getting a day job will result in a speech cribbed with quotes from Ghandi and Martin Luther King.
8. The idea of breakfast, lunch and dinner as routine times to nourish your body, is so alien now, that you stare at people in cafe's, at social hangouts, who are having a social meal. My meal today was mixed pulses, mixed with a chutney and with Ryvita slices. A veritable feast! I eat to live (not live to eat). But I will revert back to norm re my love of food when business takes off and then if I am size 16- then so be it. Bring it on.
9. Most media titles you ring do not pick up but when you do, the nice ones let you in because you are a start up with a new idea (yay!).
10. When your laptop fails, there is no battery juice and you nervously reach for the remote to find out what and whom the rest of the world is being entertained by. You cry over Syria, raise eyebrows over Miley Cyrus at the VMAs and then think, pah, so what, and you wonder at how you ever lived without your startup business. As it's the most fun you could ever imagine having. it is a risk but you don't care and you know you will die smiling, regardless of the outcome. And hence you smile cheerily away.
There. Just wanted to let that out...
Yasmin C x
Oh and if you wanted to check out why I am a entrepreneur with no time for cooking, here is why
1. The entire summer holidays have been spent working every day, in the office. You have no tan and therefore are mystified when people remark on the sunny English weather for the past few weeks. You hear about people going on holiday and think, yeah well, if and when I am successful, surely I too can have a holiday but in reality it is unlikely.
2. You are grateful that friends no longer invite you anywhere. Not only does this mean that you need not bother with an RSVP, it also means you don't have to go to another person's house and ask; "where can I plug in my laptop."
3. Your child is officially embarrassed that you run a company and starts making up fantasy job titles for you because the reality is so awful and non-cool.
4. When you offer your child to come along for a day at the office, you know that s/he will never say yes again. After their first excited day, of making cups of tea, Google research, checking out YouTube, social media are no longer exciting treats. They prefer instead to spend time with elderly relatives, even if it is to watch shopping channels and debate the merits of a new mop that twists and swivels as opposed to the knackered conventional one.
5. You really get annoyed when the opposite sex hit on you because you have no time for serious 'relationships' and if they still want to pursue you, you just want an answer from them as to how they can further your business dream. Otherwise the bored shutters come up with the 'leave me alone' sign.
6. When you grit your teeth at every 'business' person who systematically cuts into and scissors your dream or business idea, activity to date, yet has not even bothered to look at, or even read or seen your website. You know as a start up you do not mind feedback or even interest. And those who have seen it, come forward to support you and tell you where you are going wrong. But not so for those who have an ego at stake here and have not really made it. They instead love to hear the sound of their own advice dispensing wisdom, to cut you down, start with "But I think", to "You ought to" and "I do it like this.." while you stare at them, thinking, please, if that is what it means to be an entrepreneur, let me fail right now.
7. When the people who are meant to help you, do not. Instead you get random strangers championing you and proffering help. And your own family look at you, with fear and anxiety but stay tight lipped as they have realised to even suggest getting a day job will result in a speech cribbed with quotes from Ghandi and Martin Luther King.
8. The idea of breakfast, lunch and dinner as routine times to nourish your body, is so alien now, that you stare at people in cafe's, at social hangouts, who are having a social meal. My meal today was mixed pulses, mixed with a chutney and with Ryvita slices. A veritable feast! I eat to live (not live to eat). But I will revert back to norm re my love of food when business takes off and then if I am size 16- then so be it. Bring it on.
9. Most media titles you ring do not pick up but when you do, the nice ones let you in because you are a start up with a new idea (yay!).
10. When your laptop fails, there is no battery juice and you nervously reach for the remote to find out what and whom the rest of the world is being entertained by. You cry over Syria, raise eyebrows over Miley Cyrus at the VMAs and then think, pah, so what, and you wonder at how you ever lived without your startup business. As it's the most fun you could ever imagine having. it is a risk but you don't care and you know you will die smiling, regardless of the outcome. And hence you smile cheerily away.
There. Just wanted to let that out...
Yasmin C x
Oh and if you wanted to check out why I am a entrepreneur with no time for cooking, here is why
Lovedesh Artisan
Slow Wood Fired Curry™
My one curry dish to
smash stigma
Very interesting post.
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