Becoming an entrepreneur is certainly an enticing lifestyle. The ability to control your destiny, earn your own money and create something that didn’t exist are all appealing reasons. So you’re ready to go….but you don’t have an idea! Or your idea is unrealistic at this stage. That’s ok though. In fact that’s one of the best places to be, because you have the desire and with the internet there are many options out there for you. However now we live in an age of information overload, so it can actually make it quite hard to start. There are some things outside of starting a venture that will make you a better entrepreneur.

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit. – Aristotle

Habits are the key to life. Everything we do from what we eat, to what time we wake up is derived from our habits. We all have habits, some good and some bad. Actually taking time to work on these habits will set you in good stead when your time comes. From experience I know that trying to be an entrepreneur with bad habits will come back and bite you in the….behind region! You should start thinking about how much time you spend on the internet, what time you wake up, what you eat, whether you exercise or not and so on. By just identifying some of your bad habits and being aware of them you can take steps to change them

Readers Are Leaders!

Will Smith once said that there are only two things you need to know to be successful – reading and running. The purpose of the reading was that if you have a problem or something you want to learn, someone has likely already had that problem and wrote about it! It’s no coincidence that the book market is one of the top 3 most valuable on the internet. But what to read about? Well I would start with something mental. Something to do with overcoming fears, being present in the moment, goal achievement. There are many books out there by famous motivational coaches such as Brian Tracy, Tony Robbins, Stephen Covey and so on. The key is to have identified the problems that you are having and finding a book that can help you solve it.

Don’t just read books though - try and read some news articles (not just the sport section fellas!). Becoming a well rounded individual not only makes you a better person, it also helps you spot potential opportunities that are out in the world

Put Yourself Out There

You may think that the fact that you don’t have a business means that there is no need to go to networking events. In fact, that is the perfect time. You have a lot of time while you’re not running your business and just by being there you are displaying your ambition. This is not only a good time to gain skills by attending seminars and workshops on any topics that interest you (there are plenty of free ones out there on Startup Britain) but its also a good time to network with people in a subject that interests you such as marketing, fashion retailing and so on. These early connections could put you ahead of the game long term. Be careful not to get carried away though, and always go to an event with a purpose, even if that’s something as simple as getting 5 business cards.

All in all not having an idea or a business to work on is a good place to be. Take this time to work on your mental and physical health and start making connections on or offline.

Take note though – experience is the best teacher. Always be aware and open to new opportunities where you can test your entrepreneurial skills because at the end of the day, you really learn from doing. So train hard and be ready to play the game!

By Dubem Menakaya
Twitter: @dmenak