I learned this 5 lessons in a difficult way so you don’t need

About 20 years ago, when my business was still in the early stages, I posted a job list stating: “The new software company needs me to respond to phone and emails, help lead sales, clients and manage my correspondence. At the top of the timely job, I knew that it was time for me to hire my first employee.

Now turning back, this is a miracle that someone answered. But a person cautiously-and this first fare became one of our longest employees. Although I am not sorry how it has come out, I have learned a lot since, it includes how many potential potential I have frightened the advertisement of it. Like many early businessmen, initially, I relied more on experience and strategies more than motivation and encouragement.

Starting a business has been the most interesting and fulfillment of my life – but it has been more difficult than unexpected, dirty and outdoors. On the way, I have learned a lot of valuable lessons – many of them difficult. Here are some pieces of hard -earned wisdom I wish I knew for a day.

Related: I wish I knew these four things before I started my business

1. Create a business that gives you fuel every day

Lesson Number One: You have to like what you are doing. If you do not do this, the burnout quickly stealthily stealthily on you stealthily stealthily stealthily stealthily stealthily stealthily stealthily stealthily stealthily stealthily stealthily stealthily stealthily stealthily stealthily stealthily stealthily stealthily stealthily stealthily stealthily stealthily stealthily stealthily stealthily sticks to the stealthy. Just starting a company because it seems interesting, because you love the idea of ​​entrepreneurship, or because you want to be your own owner. The daily strength business is full of solving the problem, failures and many hours. Without a real passion and drive for this problem you are solving or working yourself, you will likely eliminate the pace or get out quickly.

Not everything will be thrown to you, but there should be a big picture. Keep asking yourself: Am I passionate to work today? If the answer is yes more frequently, you are on the right path – and there is a lot of more likely to succeed.

2. Give it all comfortable to do – unless you need

In the early stages, holding hands in every part of the business is the fastest and cheapest-how to understand your actions from the inner. You will learn quickly what works, what is not and what to assign as you grow. When I launched my software company, I relied heavily on the basic understanding of my living experience and accounting, business administration and programming. Although many traders choose to work with a colleague or team from the beginning to fill the gap, I managed to develop software, manage daily operations, and increase business without external support or financing. It made me a fully bootstream, and we are still there today.

Today, even with about 20 employees, keeping a seat of diverse skills continues. I don’t need to do everything myself anymore, but I can sit in a development meeting and guess whether the estimates are realistic. I understand my financial photo and tax liabilities to make informed decisions and keep costs low. Assess your transfer skills and embrace the opportunity you don’t yet know. With all hands, the deck point of view is not sustainable forever, but the more you will now drown yourself, the better we will have to hire, guide and scale it with confidence.

Related: 5 Things I wish I had told me before becoming CEO

3. Always find a win (or make it)

I never understood to enter any business relationship unless both sides improve their Better. There are two consequences in any negotiations: objective value (the material results of the agreement) and the sapphire value (how each party feels about the results). In my experience, I have learned that the sapoting value is often more important than that because how someone feels about contributing, it shapes their openness to work again with you.

I always try to build long -term relationships with my employees, shopkeepers, partners and consumers, so I prefer to bend over to any negotiation results, confidence and mutual respect over short -term benefits. If you can permanently produce results where both sides feel, valuable and satisfied-even if compromised-you will create a reputation that opens more than a unilateral agreement.

4. Step and speak

If you want to be part of a meeting, a project, event or speaking engagement – don’t wait to be invited. At the beginning of my career, I often assumed that if people saw the value of my work, they would ask me for contribution. But after a decade of climbing the corporate ladder and two more and after building my business, I have learned that the most valuable opportunities in your lap are rarely descended – you have to actively find them.

Keeping yourself in position as a leader of thinking takes selfless, interested and confident – before you feel completely ready. Whether you are plunging an idea, arriving to volunteer or to cooperate, own your voice and know it is a powerful tool. Particularly for business people who launch new projects, it is necessary to identify the brand and reputation. If you want, there are opportunities – you just have to go behind them.

Related: Want to be a business? Start with these 4 easy steps.

5. Lead with honesty and integrity

It may seem easy, but sadly, in today’s business environment, honesty and integrity are very low. To me, these are non -negotiations to create a company that gains long -term confidence. Treat your employees, customers, partners and shopkeepers with the same respect and honesty you will expect them. I pressure my team to take a step forward and go up and beyond to do the right thing for my customers – whether someone takes notice or not. If this standard becomes part of your company’s culture, over time, it will explain your brand.

I am sure that this leadership approach is one of the main reasons why the average period of our employees is eight years old, why we have maintained the same high quality shopkeepers for more than a decade, and why our customer business is extraordinarily low. When a user knows that your business runs with such high integrity, they will not turn anywhere because they know that they will not get the service level anywhere else. In the competitive market, this can be your strongest discrimination.

There are no two business trips, but everything that comes after you develop your business will be formed. The lessons will come to you fast, but wisdom only sticks if you are willing to learn. Guide with the goal, be curious and never prevent your strategy from improving.