There’s an adage that says opportunity only knocks once, but I tend to push back against this idea.
Throughout my entrepreneurial life, I’ve found that opportunity will knock every time it gets the chance.
But, as I’ve also learned, it’s very difficult to knock without a door.
In other words, entrepreneurs often get so overwhelmed by bad luck, unfortunate circumstances, or the general busyness of life and they lose hope. And, unsurprisingly, giving up on a project is the number one reason it will fail. Just as a flower cannot live without water, a company cannot grow without effort.
If you’re an entrepreneur and you’ve reached the end of your rope, I ask this of you: Please don’t give up. Instead, give yourself an opportunity.
Here are three ways to “build a door” so opportunity can once again knock in your entrepreneurial life.
Take bad breaks and missteps in stride
Perhaps the number one ingredient of entrepreneurial success is realizing that the journey runs through a rocky road.
Jeff Bezos started Amazon in a garage, grinding long hours and packing books with his co-founder all night long. Kevin Systrom’s idea for a food-photography app crashed and burned, so he pivoted and created Instagram.
You probably won’t find a Fortune 500 CEO who will tell you the path to success was easy. It’s a lot of work, a lot of failures, and a lot of sleepless nights.
That said, remember that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel if you can strategically keep fighting forward, climbing to your feet every time you tumble.
I didn’t grow MindStir Media until I was informed the company I worked for was going out of business. At the time when I found out I was losing my job, I felt like my world had been uprooted and overturned. Fortunately, because I was able to turn a bad break into a new opportunity, I became a CEO and enjoy every day working for myself. That’s just one example of what can be gained by taking a misstep in stride.
Leverage connections
There’s nothing wrong with asking for help.
While some outsiders think of entrepreneurship as a “me vs. the world” situation, it’s much more realistic to recognize no entrepreneur works alone. Most of the mega-companies have co-founders, even.
Of course, that might not be what you’re striving to achieve, so even if you’re the only businessperson involved in the project, you should never forget to seek help, guidance or advice from the people around you.
LinkedIn is a great place to start. If you don’t have an account, you should make one as soon as possible. If you do have one, get the most out of it you can by posting, commenting, engaging, and creating with consistency.
Any time I run into a problem that I don’t know how to solve, there’s a person in my life who has run into the same problem and has a solution. All you have to do is ask, and most of the time these people are usually more than willing to offer their advice and guidance.
But, of course, don’t forget to add your version of professional repayment by asking, “How can I help you in return?”
Taking long-shots to build your door
The third way I’ve managed to create opportunities for myself is by taking long shots.
There’s something to be said about the “swing for the fences” mindset. Of course, quite often you strike out, but you’ll also occasionally hit a home run.
In my case, a great example is my partnership with Kevin Harrington. Want the honest truth? When I was growing a bootstrapped self-publishing company, partnering with the original shark from Shark Tank felt like million-to-one odds.
But did that stop me from trying to establish that connection?
Not in the slightest.
I was strategic in my approach, but it was still a long shot at best. In the end, thankfully, it did work out and raised the ceiling for what I could do with MindStir Media.
In your entrepreneurial journey, don’t be afraid to occasionally swing for the fences. You might miss nine times out of ten, but when you do hit a home run it can be a major catalyst of growth for you and your company.
Now, press on
While building your company, you’ll find yourself knocked down quite often, but if you practice these three tips you’ll never be out.
Being an entrepreneur isn’t glamorous, especially in the early days. It often feels more like a trench fight than a success. But if you keep your head up, your eyes fixed on the goal, and your legs constantly churning forward, and you’ll get to where you want to go.
How do you help opportunity knock? Let me know on Twitter at @authorjjhebert.