Get Started and Keep Going: Three Tips for Overcoming the Challenges of Entrepreneurship

By Aidar Vafin Ph.D., COO of Arfen Inc, co-founder of Big Data Realty.

I started my entrepreneurship as a student at school. I printed business cards and made beautiful designs, and I think I was the first in my hometown (which is very small) to create colorful business cards on stiff paper. Later in college, I became interested in commercial real estate and started practicing it. After graduating, I started a healthcare building materials business.

The first challenge I faced was staying motivated, so if that's you, I'd recommend doing your best to focus on your base and your goal. Get a clear vision of what you want, why you do what you do, why you have to sacrifice certain things in your path, and where you want to end up. Ask yourself what you need to do to get there and, at the same time, how can you motivate yourself to stay focused on it?

I started my business alone, and there was no one beside me to support me, except my best friend and my wife. Even my parents and family were in a position to refuse to accept my entrepreneurial spirit because it was something very unusual for them. People have a special attitude towards business in the country where I was born and raised (Russia) and where I started my business career. Business is considered inappropriate and risky, where people only lose money and health. That's why my family members weren't people I could go to for advice, and the only thing I could do was not tell them I was an entrepreneur until I got results. And when they asked questions, I had to avoid the answers because they laughed in my face and told me demotivating stories.

So for me, the first challenge was to "get started", no matter what. It is an agreement with yourself that you work and step forward without looking at others, without expecting any support, just doing what you feel you want to do. This challenge can be divided into several categories:

1. You are alone: ​​this is how you interact with yourself, motivate yourself, set goals and understand why you are doing all this. You should ask yourself these questions and answer them all the time.

2. The people around you: they can support you or hold you back. If they have no experience in the field, they may not help you.

3. Find the right partners: These are people who will support you. In my case, it was my foreign partners. We believed in each other and started working together.

As an entrepreneur, you will always face this challenge "to start", and you must be ready to face it and overcome it.

What helped me go further was taking steps despite everything. Our company was on the verge of bankruptcy in 2012 (after two years of operation) and we had a cash deficit. I paid the workers with my own money and I went all-in on the marketing. Then little by little, customers began to appear. Everyone can overcome every challenge and, as they say, take it one step at a time.

Although it is difficult to find common ways to overcome challenges, I suggest the following steps as a solution to the difficulties I mentioned above:

1. Have a specific answer. You want to be an entrepreneur or don't want to work for someone else. Are you ready to take action to achieve it? Always find positivity in your actions as your mood can fluctuate. Describe for yourself the future you want to have and why you do what you do.

2. Resist the matrix of surrounding people. Figure out your path and surround yourself with like-minded people who can support you. When you see people trying to be "risk managers" and only see downsides to your ideas, avoid them and don't share with them. If your friends and relatives are away from the company, avoid discussions about it (depending on the culture). They cannot properly advise on how to be an entrepreneur. However, if they have a narrow specialization, you can ask them for professional advice in their fields. And, if you have no one to interact with, then your best friend may be a book.

3. Find someone who has expertise in your chosen field. Do this as soon as you have decided on your area of ​​interest, if possible. Do your research and seek professional advice - all of this can help you find a suitable partner...