The art of surviving your first year as a startup

Entrepreneurs always tend to remember their first year of starting up in business, usually because they can still recall just how exciting it was to switch on that website or social media page with the new company logo, launch that new product or service - and then hope that someone is interested! There is nothing quite like the buzz of the initial startup business year, it’s full of highs and lows, some expectations met and others not, times when you feel on top of the world and others when you feel like giving up. It’s all part of the journey. So how do you survive that first year as an entrepreneur? Here are a few tips to help you stay on track and get you through to year two and three. Firstly, be really clear about your vision for your business and what you are trying to achieve - that vision will keep you focused when things get tough, as they inevitably do. Secondly, always remember why you decided to become an entrepreneur in the first place and your passion for what you are creating. Thirdly, tell everyone you know about your startup business, your new product launch, your unique service offering, your brand - it’s much harder to give up if you have lots of people rooting for you and your future success - and you’ll be too embarrassed to throw in the towel early with your major cheerleading team alongside you. Finally, remember that being an entrepreneur takes real determination, it’s hard slog most of the time, but ultimately if you can stay in the game through your first year, it’s worth it.