2020 has been a turbulent year, to say the least. It’s given many of us who are fortunate enough a chance to help others. Thankfully, it’s connected those who need help to communities, people, and organisations that care.

Why is it important to give back as a successful entrepreneur?

It might feel like we reached our success on our own. For some of us, we didn’t have a great support system and had to achieve things all by ourselves. While this is something to be proud of, can you think about how much easier the journey would have been if we had a hand to hold?

Whether you achieved your success with the help of the community or purely through your own determination; there comes a time in your career when you feel the pull to help others do the same.

After all, what goes around, comes around! Doing good things for your community builds a stronger, more stable basis for your business to flourish in. It’s a lot easier to thrive when everyone around you is also succeeding.

What do I do to give back?

I have been working to give back to my community since long before the troubles of 2020. My business is closely connected with many small Australian businesses and freelancers, keeping them employed and helping the economy grow. I actively seek out these individuals to join my team in many capacities, and refer them to my network, to help create stronger prospects for Australian business owners.

You see, this benefits everybody. I get a business service that I need, and an Australian business gains a client and is able to operate. Meanwhile, all of the money stays local. I have created space during this slow economic downturn to ensure that these freelancers and small business owners get to keep some income. If you have success as an entrepreneur, I would recommend seeking out service providers that are local. It will help you feel great!

I also help young Australian engineers find their dream jobs through my business. I employ graduates and help them carve their future. It brings me great joy to see young professionals enter my field, and again, it helps the economy to employ them and eventually send them off to work for Australian businesses in their dream role.

I love to help the community

There are other ways I enjoy helping the local community, and how you can too. When I book outings, both business and leisure, I always make sure I’m supporting local businesses. From wineries to restaurants, I try to keep it local wherever I can. I then support them by tagging them in photos and posts I make about my day to let everyone know if I’ve had a wonderful time.

If you’re an entrepreneur wanting to build up your community, try spending money with local people, and creating awareness for their business.

I’ve been involved in a program that provides food for international students. You can read more about it here. As CEO of Solution for Construction, I donate to free food and grocery kit distribution events. International students cannot access government support at the moment. So we need to band together and provide what we can for these individuals. Even raising awareness for food drives like this is a great start, so that the students know these resources are available to them.

There are various charities that I like to be involved with. It is essential to give back as an entrepreneur. Surround yourself with motivated people and help them reach their potential. It feels good!

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Creativity

When you think of an engineer, creative is probably not the first word that comes to mind. With engineering being such an analytical and logical job, you may not think that an engineer would have to regularly utilise their creativity.

The truth is, to be an engineer means to be creative in many aspects of the job. I must harness my creativity in order to solve problems and think outside of the box in many of my client jobs. If there was a straightforward solution for many of the tasks at hand, they would not require a professional.

The same is to be said for being an entrepreneur. Creativity goes hand in hand with developing a product or service, naming it, marketing it. Creativity even comes into play when finding new ways to drive leads and convert sales!

Problem Solving

An engineer and an entrepreneur both solve problems. As an engineer entrepreneur, there are many problems I must solve on a daily basis. You see entrepreneurs often solve problems for their target market. This could be with a product or service that helps fill a need. It is the ability to solve the problem that makes the product or service successful.

If you’re thinking about becoming an entrepreneur, a good question to ask yourself is “what problem can I solve”.

Organisation and Time Management

When you’re an entrepreneur you have to work on your own schedule. It is very important to learn skills such as scheduling, workload prioritisation, time management and organisation to ensure that you are running your business effectively.

As for engineering, time management has been a pivotal block in my career. A recent graduate that works for my business, Solution for Construction, can easily recount time management being one of the most important factors in his university experience. When in the practical field of engineering, it is important to run on time as you often collaborate with other service and product providers. Being off schedule would result in a delay for the entire project, effecting budget and possibly even working relationships.

The skills listed above are often referred to as ‘soft-skills’ within any industry. While engineering obviously requires a solid set of ‘hard-skills’, such as the education to actually become an engineer, soft skills are often overlooked in the workplace.

It is these soft skills that can determine the difference between success and failure for many entrepreneurs and engineers! After all, how could you bring clients on board if you didn’t have the communication skills or negotiation skills to draw them in?

If you’re still wondering about your abilities and if you’ve got what it takes to make it in the industry, why not strike up a conversation with me on Instagram? I love having the opportunity to mentor and guide aspiring entrepreneurs!

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When it comes to being an entrepreneur, mindset is everything. While it’s important to be focused and goal oriented, a positive mindset is the foundation for success. Along your entrepreneurial journey it is common to hit a lot of road blocks, face setbacks and even be halted by rejection. A positive mindset is the best way to pick yourself up, dust yourself off and continue along the road to success! While I’ve already covered some great methods for staying motivated on the blog, I’d love to go through the power of affirmations and cover some that I’ve found work well for entrepreneurs just like us.

Daily affirmations are a great way to train your mind to automatically react positively to situations and keep an optimistic attitude about your abilities even when things aren’t quite working out how you had planned. The following affirmations have been developed to build confidence in yourself, your business and your purpose. Here are my top seven affirmations for entrepreneurs to practice regularly for a positive mindset!

1. I Am Worthy of Success!

Repeat this one every morning. I am worthy of success! Any doubt in your mind about your worthiness to succeed will cloud your judgement, and perhaps even hold you back.

2. I Believe in Myself!

Even if potential investors or partners you’ve approached aren’t too keen on your idea, you are! If you believe in yourself, your idea and your product then your confidence will shine through and convince everyone around you that it is worthy of believing in.

3. My Work Makes a Difference!

Knowing how you can positively impact the lives of others is a great feeling – take that forward with you and you’ll never give up.

4. I Am Driven By Passion & Purpose

Remember why you started! Although financial freedom is a great motivator, let’s not forget that you have a purpose that runs much deeper than money. You are driven by passion and purpose, let it keep driving you.

5. I Am Smart & Successful

You don’t need to be making 6 figures or featured on the television to be successful. You’ve created something that is completely your own, you’re building a business. You are already smart and successful, having done what many others have not had the courage to do!

6. I Work When I Want, Where I Want, With People I Want To Work With

This one is especially helpful when it comes to facing rejection. Maybe it was a blessing in disguise? The people we are most suited to working with will be drawn to us and vise versa – repeat this affirmation to remember you’re where you need to be.

7. I Always Make Time for My Family & Friends

All entrepreneurs knock themselves for a day off, trust me. However, work life balance is especially important in the entrepreneurial world! Repeat this affirmation and feel a little better about accepting the dinner invitation. Positive time off is essential for returning with a fresh mind!

Do you have any affirmations you’d like to share? Why not let me know on Instagram!

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A common theme in the entrepreneurial world is losing motivation. When it comes to taking the big leap into being your own boss, it can be a little disheartening (and even a little frightening) when things don’t set into motion straight away, and the urge to jump back into the comfort of an 8 am – 5 pm is understandably strong. Even when you do start to see a little traction in your path, being in charge of your own time, projects and your own work day can quickly lead to burn out and a loss of motivation! I’d love to share with you some of my own tips that I’ve taken through my entrepreneurial journey, that have helped me stay motivated and lead me to the path of self-made success!

 

Plan Ahead

Planning out your day or week can really make a huge difference to your productivity levels, and your work-life balance! Schedule in your social time, and block your days for work, networking and brainstorming. Don’t forget to schedule in breaks – if you feel like you’re on a roll and don’t want to stop then go ahead and keep working but leave yourself some down time to help avoid burnout. Waking up without a plan is a sure-fire way to waste the day and go to bed stressed about something you’ve forgotten.

 

Remember Good Things Take Time

Keep the motivation alive by remembering exactly how much hard work goes into becoming a successful business owner or entrepreneur. Take a little time each day to ground yourself and remember that this is not a journey of instant gratification for anyone. Did you know that J.K Rowling’s original pitch for ‘Harry Potter’ was rejected 12 times? Imagine if she had given up. Harland Sanders, better known as Colonel Sanders, founder of KFC, didn’t become a millionaire until 73 years old after his recipe was rejected by numerous restaurants. It’s never too late to start, and it’s never a good time to stop trying. If you feel like you’re not getting anywhere, maybe switch up your ways of working or tweak your current pitches. Whatever you do, don’t stop.

Set Goals: The 1-2-3 Method

Having goals is a perfect way to measure your personal achievements on your entrepreneurial journey. However, the ‘end goal’ can sometimes take many people years to reach, so it can be a little unrealistic and hard to stay motivated. Something I recommend using is the 1-2-3 goal setting method.

1: Set your BIG GOAL.

 2: Set TWO MEDIUM GOALS, usually tasks, that by achieving you will be closer to the big goal.

3: Set THREE SMALL GOALS for each medium goal that will get you closer them once finished.

It’s a great way to track the little thing you’re achieving and maintain your motivations!

Goals, planning and a little perspective are the best ways to stay on track and keep you motivated to achiever your dreams! Do you have any of your own tips? Why not leave a comment!

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