6 Entrepreneur Do’s and Dont’s


Being a young entrepreneur in college has its own perils and advantages. On the one hand, you’ll get to follow your innermost desires. Entrepreneurs are the type to create something wonderful out of uncertainty, where others tend to shy away from. On the other hand, it’s not an easy road and usually a quite confusing one. Especially without the proper guidance.

However, there are some DOs and DON’Ts to success that’ll keep you on the right track. Just check it out for yourself!

1. DO Take Giant Humongous Creative Risks
The word entrepreneur is almost synonymous with risk taker or adventure seeker. But if you’re trying to get something you never had, you have to do something you never done. Without investment, there is no growth. So don’t be afraid to follow your dreams, just make sure you make wise decisions and weigh all your options

2. DON’T Lose Sight of Your Purpose
Meeting other entrepreneurs around UMSL and St. Louis, I realized most entrepreneurs are just as much helpers as they are problem solvers. We like to find the weak link in our industry or market, and find ways to capitalize on this opportunity. We just would like to make our company, market or even the world a better place!

3. DO Turn Customers & References into Friends
Business today is often the opposite of friendly. People prefer forms over emails, emails over phone calls, phone calls over in-person meetings. So it’s real important to set yourself and your business apart from digital conveniences. You kind of want a friend, so part of building a customer relationship is also building a real friendship. That’s what life’s about, let alone business. Business is just a subset of life.

4. DON’T Sweat the Small Stuff
At the start, many entrepreneurs are too focused on their first round of capital or writing a complete and comprehensive business plan. However they don’t realize the most important rule to owning a business is simply loving what you do. Focus at being the best at your passion and the money will come.

5. DO Stay Grateful
Being an entrepreneur at UMSL is one of a kind experience. We have seasoned professionals as our professors, up to date and engaging classes, and an environment that promotes growth and success. Make sure you’re using all of the resources available to you exclusively through UMSL, such as EC@UMSL and entrepreneurial courses.

6. DON’T Neglect the Basics
In terms of academia, health habits, and daily routines, its best to keep to the basics. Eat well, stay ahead on your school work, and get your rest. It’s real easy to obsess and get lost in your work as an entrepreneur, and even easier to fall behind as a college student. So don’t waste that precious cognitive energy, automate as much as you can that way you’ll have time for the basics and your business.

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