What's Your Passion? Entrepreneurs Must Do What They Love

Fellow entrepreneur author Steven K. Gold, in his book, Entrepreneur's Notebook: Practical advice for starting a new business venture, says that his father told him the worst mistake anyone can make in business is to be in the wrong business. I couldn't agree more. You've probably had a job that, while paying well, wasn't a good fit for you. It probably didn't last long.



For me, it was sales. I hate sales. My first job out of college was as an Account Manager for a medical clinic. I dreaded cold call days, where I would walk in a business and automatically get the closed face before I said a word. But it was my first job, and it paid well. Thank God I didn't get paid commission! Ultimately, my foray into sales didn't last long. I was miserable, and no amount of money could make me deny that.



In your own small business endeavors, your standards should be much higher. Do what you love. That may or may not be what you know. But if you get into a business just because you can "turn a quick buck," you may end up hating your work. And as a business owner, it's a lot harder to walk away from the job.



The exciting thing about being an entrepreneur is that it affords you the opportunity to do what you're passionate about. Maybe you've worked as an accountant for 15 years because you were good at numbers, but what you really love is taking care of dogs. Don't be afraid to start a grooming business! At least you know your accounting will always be flawless.



Don't know a lot about what you love (at least in the sense of starting a business in the field)? Do research. No business has a chance of survival without research. If you don't know how to do something, learn! I always tell people that I never say "no" to potential work. If I don't know how to do it, I wing it with lots of research! I always learn from it and improve upon it for next time!



Life is too short to have a career that you hate. Don't be afraid to delve into something new if it makes you happy.