Thinking about starting your own business?

I asked over 50 business owners and entrepreneurs in the tech sector - one simple question:

"What one piece of advice would you give people who are starting their own business?"

Checkout their responses, their messages are very powerful ????

Just Do it

Understand the meaning of the phrase "Amygdala hijack". Starting your own business will lead to countless moments where you feel overwhelmed and anxious, but that is merely chemicals flying around inside you. The reality is it’s not do or die, it’s not the end of the world and you're fine. When your Amygdala is hijacked, tell yourself that's what's happening. Acknowledge it. Step back, sip your tea and crack on.

Jamie Brookes, Founder - Red Twenty-Five

Always under promise and over delivery never the other way round, always make time for your wife and children, they should be the reason you start your day and your motivation not money, never spend what you don’t have, be kind, be honest and when you stop enjoying what you do stop doing it.

Simon Johnson Owner TECHNOFRAME LLP.

Follow your instinct it’s not usually wrong

Rob Larsen, Owner - Octarine Ltd

“Starting a business is never easy. But in order to succeed you have to start somewhere”

Rujina Begum, Founder - Scheduleasy

I would say that if you are passionate about something and you want to start your own business, just do it. Don't listen to the negativity or let people tell you it's too risky or are you sure you want to do it, if it feels right then go for it.

Jamie Sleigh, Director & Co-Founder - Indeloy IT Solutions

Don’t think too much, just start.

Anbumani Thamilvanan, Co-Founder - Consus India

Do not wait on perfection. Starting, is better than not starting at all. You can perfect and evolve along the journey.

Liam Clarke, Director | Founder | Business Manager - TechJobsNI Limited

Own all your journey, every challenge is a lesson, every success is a step forward. There are no shortcuts in business or life for that matter. Taking the step to follow your dream will be the toughest decision, the rest is but a puzzle game fitting the pieces together.

Nassia Skoulikariti Founder & CEO - Apiro Da

Focus

Don’t dilute what your good at. Focus on your one thing

Ian Kirkpatrick, Owner - Tsunami Computers Limited

6 months of focus, no parties and no drinking will put you ahead by 3 years

Swapabee UK / USA Founder

Don't stop to ask permission. If there is a thing you want to do, just use the tools you have available and start work. Expertise and acclaim will follow eventually if you commit to that

Kiera Tsenti, Co-founder / Writer / Copy editor - Hire Write Talent

I would say that the biggest opportunity and challenge to starting a company is being able to navigate the emotional components of the project.

There are two components at a high level: internal and external. And within the external you have your support network and customer base.

For each of the three (internal; support network like employees, family, and friends; customer base and community) you need to have the right mechanisms in place for the marathon. There will be highs and lows for each - what has helped me manage the process has been regular journaling (known as morning pages) for awareness and educating myself on vulnerability (a good book is 'the gifts of imperfection’).

Rafael Fernández, Founder - Obras del País

ALWAYS DO THE RIGHT THING! Even if it makes you unpopular or appear difficult. Never compromise your personality, it’s important to be you! Integrity and being me are always my drivers.

Kay Oakland Founder Conscious Water Solutions

I think the most important thing about starting your own business is the real motivation inside yourself. I strongly believe business is about value and about doing something useful for the World more than money, success and power.

Marco Consolaro, Co-Founder and Technical Coach - Alcor Academy

Back yourself, and be accountable for you. It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks if you believe you are doing the right thing for you and your audience, so back yourself. But remember, good or bad, highs or lows, you are accountable for every action - enjoy it.

Elliot Smith Co-Founder & CEO Player Packs

“Understanding why you want your own business and doing the work to make sure it's not just about achievement, money, or success. No amount of money, success, or achievement is a substitute for fulfilment. How you get where you are going determines what you get when you get there.”

Kapil Gupta FRSA - Director & Founder - Nibana

Ask yourself why are you doing what you are doing. 

Once you have answered it, ask yourself why you said that, and keep repeating until you get to the core reason why you are going to work. For example you go to work to make money, okay but why do you want to make money etc . After you have established your core "Why" write it down and whenever you are struggling or feeling down look at it, it sounds simple but it has helped me a lot“

Daniel T, Founder - Find A Service UK 

What is Your Niche?

Make sure you really understand the product / service you are offering. That's sounds simple, it's not and will likely take you several iterations to hone

Gary Ford, Co-Founder – 4Forum

What problem are you solving and for whom? How is your ‘solution’ going to help them (your customer)?

Vivienne Compton, MA Director and Founder - Industry Learning Solutions Limited

Know your product and know your customer.

Sam Ducker Co-founder Anyone

First of all, to learn to do something very well and to be confident about what they know.

After that to expand to every area of the business domain, a little bit of everything: financial management, tools used, project management, PR, ads, etc.

Andrei Achim Co-Founder & Project Manager - Brandup Media UK

Make sure that they’re totally clear on their values, and their bigger purpose around running the business. Keeping these things in mind will keep them directionally correct, and will give them the grit to keep going through the inevitable tough times.

Paul McGillivray Co-Founder and Technical Director Remote New Media

Keep Going!

Start simple and keep going when you get the knocks and you will!

Naresh Mistry ACA, Founder Noble House Consulting Ltd

"Persevere"

Mike Robinson Co-Founder Now & Then LTD

Just keep going

Andrew Convery, Founder - Caniican

Prepare to be rejected over and over again, but keep going if you truly believe in what you are trying to achieve. Sometimes success is just around the corner.

Yanko Slavov, Co-Founder - Size Me Up

Disappointment and challenges along the way are far more than you expect at the start, but the best remedy for it is hard work, and like I say being relentless as many days as possible.

Philip Dears, Co-Founder and CEO - Devtropolis ltd

Keep persisting

Pramod Gokhale, MBA Owner and Director Freelancing

One advice I would give is from Arnie - Don't listen to naysayers!

And one from my experience - Rock bottom is a solid foundation to build on! Never give up!

Tom Kozacinski, Agency Owner - Meridian Collective

Believe in yourself, even when you are "failing" - it's all part of a learning curve!

Thomas Hirschmann, CEO & Founder- Behavioural Economy

Starting your own business is a little like learning to walk, don't expect to get it right the first time ... I also like the advice, "don't listen to the naysayers“

Felix Hovsepian, PhD, FIMA Founder - Blue Manifold, Ltd

My one piece of advice is to prepare to fail, but most importantly to learn from that experience. Failure isn't the worst thing in the world, in fact my first business failing what the best thing that ever happened to my second business! I learned so much from my failings and that's how I can now be more successful.

Harry Sassoon Co-Founder and Digital Specialist - The Scannery

I will say listen to your wife! And don't be afraid to take a break and rest if you need to. I think many men don't want to appear weak, so they try to keep "going" even when all logic says just stop and breath. We all need a support system so they should identity that one person they trust and can be vulnerable with. Ike A, Founder - Safe Schools

Remember the reason you started up in the first place and never lose sight of your raison d’etre.

Martyn Wells, Owner - Wells Technology Services Limited

Fail and keep failing cos failing is ok

Paul Allington Owner and Zone Leader The Code Zone

Work to your strengths, get help with your weaknesses and above all enjoy what you do.

Damien O'Dwyer, Owner - Business Growth Midlands

Every 'fail' is a step forward.

Rob Trent, Co-Founder & Managing Director - AccessAdvisr Ltd

Don’t see business 'failure' as personal or absolute. Having a 'thing' somebody doesn't want doesn't make you any less awesome, and you haven't failed until you stop trying. Get your mind right, and you haven't failed then either.

Paul Reynolds, Founder - Ortera?

“resilience, be prepared for a ride, be able to adapt without losing the big picture”

Rene Perkins Founder & CEO – CityMaaS

Follow the passion and not the short term money - your interest will sustain you whilst you grow in the long run.

Neil Milliken Co-Founder Atos

Personally I would never want to start anything that I would not feel passionate about.

Marcin Pajdzik Owner / Contractor - Cloud and DevOps Architecture / CICD Automation / AWS / Azure / GCP Pygic Ltd

Follow your passion and Never Give Up..

Helen Dempster Founder & Chief Visionary Officer Karantis Ltd

If it is only one piece of advice, then I would say self belief. As an entrepreneur they will face lots of negative external and internal talk saying they can't do it. They need to believe they can.

Sean Billings Founder & Lead Coach Syrinx Systems Limited

Believe in yourself and don't listen to negative people

Darren Hamblett Owner Hamblett Consultancy

Follow Your Passion

My advice would be never to be afraid of giving something a go. If you are passionate, interested and have an understanding of a subject, product or industry then you may well have a view point that someone else doesn't have. Even the most advanced industries need new ideas and new ways of thinking. Research your area, get to know your market and assess your own frustrations and you will always be in a good place.

Everything else comes with time, you should never stop learning, improving or being open to challenge and change. You never know what can happen until you start saying yes

Richard Merrygold Managing Consultant & Data Protection Officer (Director & Co-founder) iSTORM? Privacy - Security - Pentesting

Every day I remind myself of why I wanted to go into business for myself. In my case that isn't the same as why I ended up in business for myself. So I guess the one thing would be passion, make sure you remember your passion, that's what will get you through the bad days (and there will be those) and it's what will draw people to your cause.

Ross Waterston Director (Founder) Geordie Consulting Limited

Hire diversely as your business grows - you need a blend of personalities and expertise to make your company successful. And listen to your team, you hired them for a reason and you need to be able to relinquish control in certain areas. You can't do everything yourself and if you stifle your teams' creativity or belittle their knowledge and skills they will find a boss who doesn't. Give them the space to try new things. If they work, brilliant, if they don't, they will learn from it. 

Lois McLuckie Founder & Consultant McLuckie Marketing

Marketing and the sales cycle can take longer than you think. Allow for slippage.

Tom Simmonds Co-Founder & Chief Operating Officer IntelliTeq

Spend wisely on marketing - you will likely need additional expertise and it will take a while to get right

Gary Ford, Co-Founder - 4iforum

It will be more difficult and take longer than you think but well worth the effort

Andy Steer Founder and Director - Vividly Simple

Make time for your own business development and don’t get swept away with chasing sales and leads, lay the groundwork and the rest will come

Gareth Menagh, Owner Ionic Creative Design and Marketing

Utilise Others

Surround yourself with good people, people you can trust and who have knowledge and skills in different business areas, you will need them when you get started out!

Jamie Sleigh, Director & Co-Founder - Indeloy IT Solutions

One piece of advice would be to surround yourself with the right type of people.

A mixture of young ambitious professionals to help you with persistence, older established professionals for the experience they have and finally professionals within in your industry!

Shrevan Marath, Founder - Work Simplr

Never be afraid to ask. Ask for help / advice / introductions... People are fundamentally good and want to help. The worst thing that can happen is that someone says no... and that's okay - could be timing / they're other pressures etc...Just ask.

Catherine Ann Reid CEO & Founder Life's

Network is everything, and that the vast majority of business I've obtained has come from that source. the other thing is not to 'use' your network, but to nurture it. i.e. don't tap into your network when you need it only, but when you have something to offer (support, assistance, recommendations etc.). Lastly think of the connections between seemingly disparate elements of what you're working on - by finding that connection you may accomplish twice as much with half the effort.

Richard Cooke, Founder - TravelViewIQ

Remember that every interaction is a sales opportunity, and as such everyone is in sales.

Chris Edwards, Business Owner - Wibble Works

Don't be shy of taking advice from experienced people and don't try and do everything yourself.

Michael Kingsnorth, Product Owner - AperiMail

I’d say to never be afraid to ask for help/support.

Kerry Thompson Founder & Director - Akeno Ltd,

Ask for help, reach out to contacts in the past and just always ask for guidance and advice

Arfah Farooq, Co-Founder - Muslamic Makers

Ask for help. Generally, blokes do not ask for help, perhaps feeling too proud or concerned they will look stupid or weak. Actually, my experience is that people will go out of their way to give help, contacts and free advice and enjoy helping businesses get started. Critically, by asking for help and getting it, you massively speed up and short-cut the route to customers, product dev etc.

Allan Jackson, Co-Founder & Director – Jacksonbreen

Always have a mentor. When starting out it can be daunting. The pressure to succeed, to manage sales, to market your brand or offering, trying to understand finance and all the other tasks can at times seem overwhelming. It’s important to be able to share the load and have a sounding board.

Someone who can provide a shoulder to cry on, a voice of reason, constructive challenge and moral support. Find someone who can support you with this and you’ll have an excellent foundation, learn valuable skills and be better placed to meet the challenges that will undoubtedly come your way.

David Horn, Co-Founder & C.T.O - CyberWhite Ltd

Don't try and do it on your own - surround yourself with people who can do the stuff that you either don't enjoy or aren't good at. Be a success, not a hero.

Gordon Mullan, (Remote Work Strategist) Founder - Effective Remote Relationships

Surround yourself with quality trusted people that but in to your vision and are committed to its success.

Tony Hughes, Entrepreneur and Business Owner - 4th Utility

Have a mentor and/or someone experienced in the business for guidance.

Charles Sellers , Founder - Digital Growth Hub

In my experience - “surround yourself with people who will push you further and who believe in you, avoid people who offer cheap promises”

Rafal Kukla, Founder - ForgetWP

Seek out advice and celebrate constructive criticism from whatever source whether it is your demographic or not. Don’t be afraid to ask - not everyone will respond - but if they do be appreciative.

Paul Lindop , Co Founder - Aberdeen Technology Entrepreneurs Club

Create a network with which you can share your successes, failures and explore your fears. This will allow you to gain new perspectives and avoid your own cognitive bias.

Chris Davey ,Co-Founder - Reflect & React

Network with an attitude of helping others, not how can you extract value from them.

Jamal Brown, Co-Founder - BOXD Protein

You must be a great communicator

Roxanne C. D’oro, Co-Founder & CEO - Baider Ltd

If you were lucky enough to have a dad who started his own successful business earlier, observe and emulate him very carefully. You already had a head start.

Herbert S. Borenstein, Founder - Foto Fricassee

Think about how you could encourage diversity, equity and inclusion within your new company. What would your business stand for in terms of culture and how would you demonstrate that as a core principle throughout everything your new company does? Especially now, with the restrictions imposed by COVID, companies seen as good to work for are the ones with a strong, positive and supportive culture.

Tracy Pound, Founder and MD - Maximity Ltd

In current climates I would make every business decision understanding primary impacts on environmental impact

Tom Dibben, Co-Founder & Chief Technology Officer Vanadium Technologies

Pace yourself!

Matt Atkinson, Founder & CEO - Radical Pand

Have a big vision but start small and focused on one thing at the time

Act more than you think. Reach out at people. The worst that could happen is nothing and then you start over again. Everyone has done it.

Build a support network. Find people you can openly speak about stuff and get feedback. Making sure is relevant. Friends and family sometimes aren't the best because they don't fully understand what are you doing

Laura Bernal Vergara Co-Founder NetMinds

Build a team

Scott Seivwright , Founder - The Agile20Reflect Festival

Read the 4 Hour Work Week

Paul Richardson, Founder - Capgemini

Write your business plan and stick to the commitments and targets - you own this and no one else!

Believe in yourself even on the darkest days.

Be positive, stay positive and keep a network of positive peers. Do not be afraid to ask for help or advice from friends and peers. Use social media to promote your business.

Anonymous

I hope you found this useful? Let me know in the comments

For more advice on starting your business and transforming your life, you can find more information and tips at www.andrewsillitoe.com

Andrew Sillitoe is a business psychologist, author, and speaker. His innovative approach to leadership and work-life balance has earned him invitations to work with a range of global companies, including Pfizer, Nationwide, Virgin, and the BBC. Today Andrew runs the UK’s number-one training company for entrepreneurs and business owners who want to succeed in business, health, relationships, and mindset.