When I’m speaking, one of the most frequently asked questions I get is “Why did you become an entrepreneur versus anything else?” To me, there isn’t really anything else that compares to being an entrepreneur, so I knew from a young age that it was what I wanted to become; but I’ve boiled down this answer to what I call the four Fs of why I love being an entrepreneur:
Fun: If you’re not having fun, change what you’re doing. I incorporate some fun into each and every day. You will learn that some of the most successful companies do this same thing. In fact, they foster and encourage it. Take Google, for example: They encourage you to take breaks in the PlayStation lounge, relax in the aquarium room in a massage chair watching the fish swim by, or even hustle to the massage room for a session of destressing with a handson masseur. Now that rocks!
Freedom: Running your own company allows you to enjoy much more flexibility than you might normally expect. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself working on your
patio, on a boat, or even sitting on the beach. With added freedom come choices. How do you want to spend your extra free time? I personally have declared Fridays to be family day. I’m also able to attend various meetings in my community and contribute my time and energy to various charities I endorse throughout the week.
Financial: I know it’s tough to be an entrepreneur or even working as a marketing executive at a corporation in the beginning, but if you work intelligently, create your unique selling position, and use some of these marketing tactics, the financial end can become quite lucrative. As a marketer in a corporation, you will rewarded based on the success of the campaigns you help with or run. Money should not be the only reason you get into this game, but it sure has to be one of them.
Family: One of my all-time favorite books is by Jeffrey Gitomer, titled Customer Satisfaction Is Worthless, Customer Loyalty Is Priceless. The biggest takeaway I got from this book was when he said to take a picture of your family eating. Anytime you are on the brink of losing a customer or dealing with a dispute, look at the photo and realize that
you’re taking food out of your family’s mouths if you handle the situation the wrong way. Yes, this seems very irrational, but think about it—it really is true. The customers are what’s putting food on our tables, and we do what we do to love, support, and provide for our families.
My passion is not for doing Internet marketing for others and making them rich. My passion is for enabling and educating others to use my techniques to make themselves rich. I’m able to reach a lot more people that way and change a lot more lives.
This is a guest post from Michael Tasner. He is an avid entrepreneur, author, speaker, investor, and charity proponent who specializes in helping people achieve their dreams in life and goals in business. He founded Taz Solutions, Inc, in 2000, and has built it to a leading web marketing firm with more than 80 employees involved in all areas of online/Internet strategy, marketing and design. He is author of several books, a certified Guerilla Marketing Coach, and key advisor to several Internet businesses. He has consulted on online marketing with nine Fortune® 1000 companies.
Excerpted from MARKETING IN THE MOMENT: The Practical Guide to Using Web 3.0 Marketing to Reach Your Customers First by Michael Tasner. Copyright 2011. Reprinted by permission of Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as FT Press. All rights reserved.