Starting a business is, both, a challenging and tempting idea but from what I have seen, most people start a business with just profits as their goal. Yes, this is one of the goals but business is a long road and a considerable amount of time, energy, patience and strength has to be dedicated in order to finally achieve the profits you want. Let me share my story, the Epitom Trinergy story.
I’m not a tech guy but I always had a passion for it and that’s what enabled me to start Epitom Trinergy two years ago. I completed my A/Ls and enrolled in the University of Colombo at the Faculty of Management and Finance. But my passion for technology kept tugging at me until I used the internet to learn everything I could about web development. Using my knowledge, I developed my first ever tech site www.youthlanka.com. The website isn’t available anymore and I couldn’t continue it because of my studies but it is what I could consider to be my first stepping stone with which my interest for technology only increased, finally leading me to start Epitom Trinergy.
I should say, the first year was hard and that’s expected. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy but I also trusted that so long as I kept persisting, success wouldn’t be too far away. So during my first year, I didn’t make much profit and people kept telling me that the competition was too strong, the team was too young and inexperienced and so on. But you know what? If you keep trying with the resources you have, then in time, you’ll achieve what you wanted. With the very same marketing team, in 2016, we achieved the two digit sales target and there are so many reasons behind how and why we actually did that.
Put your ideas down on paper
Always remember to form all your sales plans on paper or target driven format. That way, you can stay focused and you know where you goals are so you can work towards it.
Be positive
I can’t stress enough on this. You need to have nerves of steel to start your own business or set up your own company and there will be ups and downs. Brace yourself for the down and always look for reasons to be positive. In the field of business, the only way to survive is a positive mindset.
Take calculated challenges
Business – or should I say life itself – is all about confidence and belief that you can do it. So if you have an amazing idea and you don’t believe in yourself, then it will never come true. No matter how hard or challenging it may seem, push yourself to do the handwork and it will pay off eventually.
Motivate your team and believe in them
I couldn’t have done what I’ve done without my team. It’s true when they say your team is an extension of yourself and this is why you need to keep motivating and inspiring them. Be a part of the team and most importantly, believe in them so they will believe in themselves more. You won’t believe the miracles this can do!
Have the right kind of people with you
There will always be people who will discourage you and however hard we try to ignore them, it can actually affect how we work. The question will keep looming over your head – ‘Can I actually do it’? ‘Did I make the right choice?’ ‘Will I be able to carry on?’
So be around people who have the right mindset, people who are positive and encouraging. And when they keep telling you ‘You can do it!’ you’ll believe that you actually can too.
Reward your team
You can’t deny the fact that your team are working for you so remember to always reward them for their productivity. After all, they deserve it for their hard work, don’t they?
Have your ideas predicted perfectly
Whether it’s your financials or final product, make sure you have a thorough ideas about how it’s going to be. This will set you up against any challenges, should it arise, and more importantly, you will have a clear picture of what to expect so you can expend the energy required for it.
Counter arguments with actions
Let your actions speak louder than your words. If people doubt your abilities, then take up the challenge in a positive way and make sure that your actions win the arguments. Let your work do the talking.
Effectively plan your projects
Planning is the key. Take the time to do the required research, spend some time on looking up for new ideas and plan your project thoroughly. You can never get into a project with only half a plan. So don’t overlook even the tiny details. Plan your projects in details and this will save time, effort and money.
Make your customers happy
Most of you clients are through referrals and we have achieved this by making our existing clients happy. Go the extra mile to wow your clients and, trust me, it will do your business a world of good.
Don’t underestimate your scope
When we were building websites for our clients, our competitors limited their prices to pages but we didn’t do so. We under promised our clients and over delivered, making our customers more than just satisfied. And by doing so, we managed to gain many more clients as well. Our 65% of total business comes from referrals.
I’ve had my fair share of challenges before, while and even after starting Epitom but I refuse to give up. Now, two years down the line, I’m proud to have achieved this much and to have people come up to with encouragement. Stepping into the frontier of establishing your own business is a tough ask and I’ve met people who have the talent but zero confidence in themselves. You can either sit down, doing nothing and wondering about all the things you could have actually down or you could get up, motivate yourself and then do the things you’ve wanted to do. Trust in yourself and your abilities and if you think you’ve got what it takes to build your own business, then by all means do so. But don’t ever forget where you started from and keep learning -you can never get enough of it.
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Ragulan Tharmakulasingam 