Animated Video : Wantrepreneur to Entrepreneur How To...

As a former Dragon on BBC Online Dragons Den, business columnist for The Scottish Sun and Serial entrepreneur, I know a thing or two about business, my new series of vlogs where I will turn you into a business expert who even knows the lingo Along with throwing in a few entrepreneurial words of wisdom…

Welcome back to my newest series, Speak Like Shaf. I’m going to help you learn a new language – no, not French, Spanish or Mandarin but the language of business.

Let’s get onto today’s word. Do you WANT the good news or the bad news? Good news is it’s about ambition. Bad news is, it’s about ambition being wrecked by fear or lack of motivation. And the word? Wantrepreneur.

The noun wantrepreneur describes someone who is a wannabe entrepreneur. Someone who has an idea but doesn’t put it into action and start a business. Basically, someone who has a great business plan but can’t or won’t do the hard work to get it off the ground.

For every entrepreneur, there are countless wantrepreneurs who’ve fallen by the wayside. Look, I get it. People are daunted at the thought of giving up steady 9-5 jobs that they’ve been doing for umpteen years to chase their dream.

Only genuine entrepreneurs are so motivated by their passion they are willing to slog and start up their business. It’s a brave move and it takes real courage to start up your business.

You need to convince investors and customers to take a chance on you, as well as persuade sceptical family members and friends that you haven’t taken leave of your senses.

If you don’t truly believe in your idea, why will they?

In last week’s Speak Like Shaf, we met Rab The Rock Star. This Stone Age hero was one of the first humans to monetise his business. He worked out that his hunting contemporaries would pay him to use his super-sharp tools, which meant they were more successful when they were trying to catch their dinner. He had a bit of extra cash* and could use it to buy things that would make his life a bit easier and splash out on a few of life’s luxuries.

As a side note that spare cash resulted in Rab being the first human to have a Disposable income but that’s for a future video.

Unfortunately, Rab The Rock Star’s nephew Bill Boulder is a bit of a waster. Rab had the drive, vision and ambition to succeed with his little business. Bill had a super idea for a business. He figured out a new prototype of a shelter made out of animal skins but he just doesn’t have the get up and go to make it work as a business. He can’t take the leap of faith as he feels the time isn’t right.

Here’s a newsflash, Bill and all the other wantrepreneurs out there. The time is never right. There is always some reason to wait, some website or product to tweak. But you have to be honest with yourself. Are you genuinely going to harm your business if you go for it right now or are you simply putting off taking the plunge because you are scared about what could go wrong?

My advice to all you wantrepreneurs out there is to go for it but only if you’re willing to put in the hard graft and sacrifices needed to make it a success. Coming up with an idea is the easy part, it’s the seeing it through that’s the hard part. You’ll ride on a rollercoaster (of) emotion, there will be highs and lows but the rewards are incredible. 

Don’t be a wantrepreneur, be an entrepreneur!

So, what are you waiting for? Let me help you take your first step to become an entrepreneur, I’m bursting with advice and ideas and I can’t wait to help you. And remember, it won’t cost you a penny. Simply subscribe to my YouTube channel and let’s get started!