Why You Should Think about Starting a Business Motive

Josh White — Thu, 01 Aug 2013 06:57:38 +0000

Motive is a powerful word and force in life. It is behind absolutely every action we take in life, even starting a business. Darren Lomman shares with us the why behind starting a business in his interview with Dale Beaumont.

While at university, Darren invested over 4,000 hours in designing and building a hand-controlled motorcycle that could be ridden by a person with paraplegia. Dreamfit was then born and Darren continues to make people”s dreams come true through his passion.

What recommendations would you make to aspiring entrepreneurs who want to get started in a business of their own?

Recommendation one: don’t go into business for the money! – I initially chose engineering as a profession for two reasons. First, because I had a natural understanding of maths and science, which I thought would enable me to do well, and doing something you are good at definitely makes life easier. The second reason I went into engineering was because I had heard that engineers make lots of money. In hindsight, they were completely the wrong reasons to go down that path.

Recommendation two: don’t go into business for the sake of going into business – this is the wrong reason and you will more than likely end up regretting it or disliking what you do. Find something that you are passionate about and love doing, and then look for opportunities or ways you can turn that into a business.

When I first started my engineering degree, I really didn’t enjoy it all that much. It was simply a career path until I realised I could use my skills to make a difference to the lives of people with disabilities.

For me that was an absolute awakening. I loved the idea of being able to help other people. That’s when I started to become passionate about what I was doing and began to excel. Passion gives you a natural source of energy, which allows you to dedicate yourself to achieving your goals.

For those thinking, ‘You are so lucky, I don’t know what my passion is’, keep your eyes and ears open. The world is full of exciting opportunities ready to be grabbed.

It was never a long-term plan of mine to go out and start a business that designed equipment for people with disabilities. It all happened from one little statement – ‘If I had one wish, it would be to ride again’. Had I not been on the lookout for a university project at the time, I probably would have ignored it. Who knows how my life may have turned out if that had been the case?

For more of this interview and what to think about starting a business, check out “Secrets of Entrepreneurs Under 40 Exposed!“

The post Why You Should Think about Starting a Business Motive appeared first on Business Blueprint.

Essential Qualities Needed for Being a Successful Entrepreneur

Josh White — Mon, 29 Jul 2013 06:09:45 +0000

Do you truly want to be a successful entrepreneur and see success in your business? Darren Lomman shares with Dale Beaumont what he has found to be the essential qualities of a successful entrepreneur. Be inspired by his story to success.

What do you think are the essential qualities or attributes of a successful entrepreneur?

Dreamers and Doers: Entrepreneurs are ultimately dreamers and doers. They are always breaking new ground and developing new ideas. If you have a dream or a vision it becomes so much easier to put in the effort required to get where you want to be. I can picture in my head right now how I want Dreamfit to be in ten years’ time. It may not end up that way, but at least I have something to aim for. It keeps me focused on looking out for opportunities and people who may be able to help me achieve my vision.

Dedication and Commitment: Entrepreneurs are dedicated and committed to bringing their dreams to life, to turning them into reality.

Time and Support: Being able to leverage your time is an important skill to have or learn. My time was becoming a limiting factor in Dreamfit’s growth. I quickly realised that I had to get other people on board to help me achieve my vision. You can accomplish your dreams much faster with a team of ten people behind you rather than trying to do it all on your own.

Inspiration and Belief: Being able to inspire people is a vital quality for achieving success. But to inspire people you need to have total belief in what you are doing – be passionate about it, live it, breathe it, and have lots of energy and enthusiasm. If you can get other people half as excited as you are about your dream, you are halfway there.

Opportunity and Responsibility: It is important to give people the opportunity to share in your vision and become a part of it. We give the engineering students who work on our projects almost total control over the direction of the project. They’ve got real responsibilities and I place my trust in them. Even though mistakes sometimes get made, you need to be open to that and accept that it is part of the learning curve.

Communication and Networking: I consider having good communication and interpersonal skills as essential qualities of a successful entrepreneur. An integral part of running a successful business involves networking with other people and being able to communicate effectively with your clients, financiers and team members.

For more of this interview and essential qualities to becoming a successful entrepreneur check out “Entrepreneurs Under 40 Exposed!“

The post Essential Qualities Needed for Being a Successful Entrepreneur appeared first on Business Blueprint.

Darren Lomman Archives – Business Blueprint

Why You Should Think about Starting a Business Motive

What recommendations would you make to aspiring entrepreneurs who want to get started in a business of their own?

Essential Qualities Needed for Being a Successful Entrepreneur

What do you think are the essential qualities or attributes of a successful entrepreneur?