If you “Like” us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter, you may have seen us link an article called “The Entrepreneur’s Bucket List.” The top 10 list of things every entrepreneur should experience included:
- Start a business
- Sell a business
- Take a company public
- Go out of business
- Fire an employee
- Pay back a bank loan
- Work with a partner
- Write a book
- Go on a vacation (and still make money)
- Pay it forward
Give back.
In the article, the writer suggested a way to “pay it forward” could be through investing in other entrepreneurs. We absolutely believe in the importance of giving back. From leadership and mentoring positions (Entrepreneurs’ Organization, Greenlights for Nonprofit Success, American Factoring Association and Commercial Finance Association) to supporting favorite charities, giving back benefits us as much as the people we serve. A favorite “pay it forward” opportunity for us is supporting the Beretta USA No Worries Classic benefiting Wonders & Worries. (We invite you to join us in support of this great cause!) You can read more about giving back in our recent blog post!
Being an entrepreneur means a life filled with new experiences, and we’ve included two more that we believe are important as well.
Bounce back from failure.
Entrepreneurs face many obstacles starting and running their businesses. Inevitably, there will be things you consider a failure. But as it’s said, you can’t appreciate the good without the bad. Learning from a failure and coming back from it to create something even more successful is an accomplishment worth experiencing and celebrating!
Grow your business.
Though it’s a less specific than the other experiences, it’s satisfying to see the numbers and watch your business grow. Experiencing and appreciating firsts like winning your first customer, signing your first deal, getting your first office, and hiring your first employee will give jolts of excitement and fuel inspiration.
What other experiences are important for entrepreneurs?
