MJWARD UK LTD

Today I’m typing a blog post that asks: “Am I an entrepreneur?” and looks at the motivation, mind set and entrepreneurial spirit of entrepreneurs. So what makes one person content with a 9 to 5 job and another happy to work 15+ hour days, seven days a week (initially for minimal or no money) to create and grow many businesses / brands? AKA entrepreneurs.

This question has always fascinated me; I mean we each have our own unique outlook on life, different business mentalities, value of money and self-motivation etc. I often think entrepreneurial spirits could be genetic traits, linked to our up bringing, triggered by key events in a persons life or even that ONE person who believes in you, thus making you believe in yourself! Like that old saying goes: “Behind every great man is a greater women”

When you decide to setup your own business not much will actually guarantee its success, so yes you will take risks! … I would say hard work and determination are my top two key factors for business success however you also need to be able to adapt your business as time goes by, take into account past events (the mistakes of others) and the events that may (or may not) be on the horizon. Planning for the future is one thing an entrepreneur does well; he or she will have solid projections, backup plans, supportive staff, build financial assets and create innovative marketing campaigns before others!

If you believe you have what it takes to be an entrepreneur then you are almost there! Self belief and self confidence is important for any business owner, after all you need to believe in your product / brand before others do!

So, does the above sound like you? Have you (or others) recently asked: “Am I an entrepreneur?” and found it hard to answer? Please share your stories, thoughts and comments on the above definition of an entrepreneur below … What ever you decide to do next… Good luck!

Evening all, it has been long overdue however tonight I have decided to write a short blog post! Moments ago I arrived home following a couple of beers with owner of Back Care Beds and High and Dry manufacturing, it is always a pleasure to chat shop, reflect on our Bulgarian adventures and newly married life… Over the years I have learnt a lot from these meeting / chats, lets not forget that business is all about learning from others and experiences, it costs nothing to listen.

So… Recently I have found little time to blog! Firstly my wife Rosie has been suffering with morning sickness since January… Business, web enquiries and client updates have been manic… And, although I am a workhorse (not afraid of 15+ hour day) blogging has sadly taken a back seat.

I must say that when I meet up with John AKA Back Care Beds I do take away something new and motivational each time. The reason I named this post “I used to fear leaving my 9 to 5, now I fear not owning my own business” is because it was tweeted by me earlier this week and brought up in tonight’s conversation. (Thanks @BackCareBeds for the follow)

Being in business is one awesome adventure and 9 times out of 10 you will feel as if you are climbing a mountain, challenged by others or tested by the events life throws at you… But that said, looking back at the many 9 to 5 jobs I have had, none of these really compare to owning my own business… Fact: Many doors have now opened; new friends made along the way and good times far out weigh the bad. It is for these reasons I now fear not owning my own business and I am excited for what the future holds… For me the fear of not owning my own business is a good thing, it is this mentality / motivation that gets me up early and makes me work harder than my competition.

And on that note I will say goodnight, thanks for reading and feel free to post your comments / thoughts on self-employment, business and life below.

So today is the first day of April, hard to believe X3 months have passed in what feels like the blink of an eye! I hope the first quarter of 2011 has been a good one for you? Now is the time to dig deep and work hard towards those resolutions, goals and targets you set three months ago!

I must say that all this talk of union strikes, our countries growing debt, mass redundancies, doom and gloom etc gets me down… I think the trick is to be positive during these tough economic times, don’t give up and work extremely hard to achieve ALL the goals you set… Ok, life is not easy at the moment (this goes for many of us), but we can all achieve some level of control over our own destiny!

Personally, the last 3 months have been mentally and physically testing for me, but all in all life is awesome! As the second quarter of 2011 kicks off I am mega excited to see what the next three months dishes out! Reflecting back over this first quarter so many things spring to mind, news of my first child has to come top of the cool list! Yes it has been crazy busy with life / business, but busy is good when you look at the bigger picture!

Anyway, it is getting late and it has been a long week! Good luck with all your goals / targets for 2011 and remember not to give up! What the mind believes, the mind can achieve! Enjoy!