“Passion is one of the most effective motivators when it comes to launching a business—and often one of the strongest predictors of whether an idea will lead to success.”
Richard branson
After attending a training program on Entrepreneurship in India, I pondered about how I could turn my passion for helping the community into a business. It’s all about making a difference.
A lot of us think about quitting our jobs and becoming entrepreneurs. And why not? Being an entrepreneur has its perks; you get to be your own boss and earn as much as you want. It has to be noted that on an average about 60% of small businesses fail within the first year. This is because most aspiring entrepreneurs focus on rewards rather than on long-term success or making the business a success. This becomes the case when you are not passionate about what you are doing.
It is important to understand what passion is and how can one find or recognize their passion. Passion is more than your determination, desire or your love for something. It is an emotion to be acted upon. The important thing to know is that when you are passionate about something, you love it even when you hate it. A desire fueled by passion will bring about the greatest results.
Passion is what drives you. It keeps you going despite the difficulties that your business will inevitably come across. Let me highlight a few things as to how being passionate will help you in creating a successful business.
- Overcome the fear of failure.
As an entrepreneur, you are taking a risk at every step on the way. Hence the fear of failure is inevitable. What really matters is how well you move past the stumbling rocks and challenges along the way. When you are passionate about something, positive thoughts are second-nature to you. The fear of failure will only lead you to work harder to realize your dreams.
- Persevere and stay motivated.
Creating a business is an overwhelming experience. There are no short cuts to success. At times, you might feel like giving up. However, what you must remember is that the results produced from working hard, staying up late and forgoing the short term pleasures in favour of your long-term success would turn out to be wonderful.
- Attract more clients.
Your clients or customers will easily notice the difference when you are selling just for money versus when you are providing a great solution to their problems. The best way to acquire customers is to believe in and have a passion for providing unique solutions to their problems.
- Be a catch for the investors.
Investors hear ideas from people who believe that they have created the next big thing. For an investor, the most important thing is whether you are following an idea to be lucky or whether you are truly passionate about what you are doing. This is mainly because unless you are emotionally invested in a business, you will not be able to build a successful business.
- Ensure long-term success.
When you work with passion, your main focus will be on success. This means that your entire focus will be on producing long-term success for your business, rather than experiencing short-term results that can never be regained.
Your passion should drive you to excel, no matter how difficult the journey may become. If you feel that you have not yet found your passion, it is fine. Keep exploring. It will come to you. If you have found your passion, work on it and put it to good use.
Author’s bio
Aminath Ali is the Co-founder and Vice President of Southern Community Empowerment Association of Maldives (SCEAM), the first regional NGO in Maldives. She is a Certified Entrepreneurship and Business Coach who is also working as a Manager of Business Center Corporation established under the Ministry of Economic Development which provides business support services to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.
-by Aminath Ali
