The Dark Untold Side of Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship is glorified by the media on a daily basis. We see millionaires with hot babes, fast cars and beachfront homes. Upon seeing these things, people become envious of the life entrepreneurs have.

Everyone automatically thinks that entrepreneurship is an easy ticket to money and fame, but they’re quite wrong. There is a dark side to entrepreneurship that many don’t realize until way later.

In this article, I’m going to share the dark untold side of entrepreneurship:

The Broke Period

Here’s what really sucks about entrepreneurship. You either make no money in the beginning or the money you do make has to be put back into the business. Instead of actually making more money than a job, you end up making less while putting in more effort.

Passion should be guiding you, but paychecks do pay the bills. Many people don’t realize that they won’t have the comfort of receiving a paycheck at the end of each month and may go months or years without ever getting paid.

You are the sole provider for your business and for yourself as an entrepreneur. It looks pretty on paper, but be prepared to really hustle if you want to survive the long haul. Comfort, monthly paychecks and short days are a thing of the past if you choose to become an entrepreneur.

The Stress

Entrepreneurs deal with a LOT of stress. It’s not necessarily bad stress, but you need to have a strong mind to survive as an entrepreneur. Most people think being successful just requires you to go in a straight line, but it’s really a giant crooked line of twists and turns before you ever find success.

You need to be able to deal with rejection, failure, competition, and a bunch of other stuff if you really want to be successful. Entrepreneurs are mentally tough people who get through rough times regardless of what the situation is.

The Lifestyle Change

We constantly hear about the idea that we must change our lives completely to become an entrepreneur. Most people love this idea, but don’t really know what it means. Entrepreneurship is truly a lifestyle, not a career or position.

Changing your lifestyle literally means living and breathing around your business. Life may have revolved around you or your family, but now it must revolve around your business. The more effort you put in, the better the results are.

If you aren’t willing to make an adjustment or give up a life of partying, entrepreneurship is not for you. People realize too far in their journey that they aren’t willing to give up the life they have to make their business successful.

The Risk

Everything looks glorious about entrepreneurship on paper. You quit your job or drop out of school, build a multimillion dollar business and get on the cover of Forbes. This is the same dream I had like many others.

Most people don’t think of the risks that are involved with this dangerous endeavor. Yes, you can be successful and get on the cover of Forbes but only a few select people make it to the end of their journey. Why?

The answer is simple. Entrepreneurship isn’t necessarily for everyone. Some people excel at it because of their characteristics and mindset while others fail for those same reasons. When you dive into entrepreneurship, nothing is guaranteed. There is a VERY high risk involved and you must be prepared for it.

The Struggle

The one thing almost every entrepreneur will tell you is that things never work out as you plan them. You really wish that they would, but that’s just not how life is. When things go differently than you planned, a sense of frustration develops.

This is something I myself have dealt with a lot. It’s truly a struggle when months of efforts result in nothing but failure. You have to sit down, reflect on the experience and think about what you learned from the experience.

It’s a struggle because you immediately fail once you give up. You have to constantly get back up and give it your all again. Many people struggle with failure, which can deter them from achieving success as an entrepreneur.

Conclusion

I’m a die hard entrepreneur no matter what happens. I’m tired of the media spotlighting entrepreneurship to be as this glorious lifestyle without showcasing the negatives of it too. I hope this post helps you realize that entrepreneurship isn’t just all about fast cars and big houses.

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