The entrepreneur is an ever-expanding business role in popularity. The individuals who embark on this journey are those who are looking to develop their own personal success story. Entrepreneurs think and behave in ways that provides them with the leverage to create, maintain and expand their business ideas into thriving realities. Today more individuals are turning to entrepreneurial opportunities to build their future and remain more in control of their personal lifestyles. For many the corporate world has lost its luster. The variety of opportunities seem endless.
If you find this description resonating, you may well be on your own entrepreneurial journey. Yet a funny thing happens on the way to a thriving business success. You find that your business role shifts from entrepreneur to CEO – or you get stuck forever in the role of entrepreneur which brings certain frustrations and difficulties.
Making the transition from entrepreneur to CEO of your company can be a challenge. Many fail – we wrote this book to give you the tools and awareness to succeed. But we need to make certain that you started your business with the right assumptions–building a business is hard work; there are significant risks, understand your personal motivation; it’s the right time; your personality is well suited to being an entrepreneur. If you find that the stars are aligned–go for it.
There are real differences between entrepreneur to CEO. When you start out, you are the business. As an entrepreneur, you have an idea that you transform into a business. The core function of the entrepreneur is to take something that wasn’t possible and make it real. To make water into wine in a sense.
As a fledgling entrepreneur you are responsible for growing all aspects of your business. Typically responding to some unseen – or unserved – market opportunity you create a solution and get paid for doing so. And this tends to be the core value added of the entrepreneur – pairing solutions to needs. Sometimes it’s very innovative and sometimes its basic.
Yet. before you can grow your business and embark on the transition from entrepreneur to a CEO, you need a clear vision of how you want the business to evolve. Learning the skills to become a good manager and CEO takes time and you will find your success also will evolve and improve over time. The most significant evolution is your mindset—you will start to see the world differently, and you will become savvier in handling difficult situations that arise.
This article is a small portion of the content found in the book,ENTREPRENEUR TO CEO: FROM BUSINESS STARTUP TO THRIVING ENTERPRISE co-authored by The Our Shawn McBride and Ann Gatty.
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About the Co-Author:
Shawn McBride, also known as The Our Shawn, works with successful, private business owners on ways to build companies to stand the test of time. He is all about empowering business owners, employees and others to live a life they love. He’ll work hard to make that happen for you and your audiences. The Our Shawn earned a J.D. from the University of Maryland School of Law and a CPA from Townson University. He is the host of the popular show, The Future Done Right.