The Entrepreneur's Path: Who We Are

 “I’m going to start a business.”

It’s a different statement than, say, “I need a job” or “I’m pursuing my career.” How different? Very. With jobs and careers you’re working for wages, selling hours for dollars. In a way, you are the commodity. If you don’t show up, then you don’t get paid. Simple. To get a good job, you need to set yourself apart. Special skills, training, a record of successful performance: someone else has to look at you and what you can provide and say, “I want that person to work for me” or “That’s the professional I’m going to trust to do what I need done.”

Maybe you’re a doctor or a lawyer, or maybe you bag groceries or deliver newspapers. Whatever the case, the equation is still the same: personally provide service, get paid for it, rinse and repeat. That’s the mindset and reality of a Wage Earner. Make no mistake, the Wage Earner’s calling is good, necessary, and noble work – but this blog isn’t written for Wage Earners.

It’s written to you, to Entrepreneurs. A lot of Entrepreneurs – especially in the world of home improvement, home service contractors – start off in their trade as the guy doing the work. We’re tradesmen who understand and execute our craft well enough to get paid for it. So we start a business, market ourselves, sell the job ourselves, install ourselves, collect the money – rinse and repeat. For many that’s as far as it goes.

BUT – and this is the critical difference – the entrepreneur who owns their business has an opportunity that does not exist for many who wake up each morning and head into the office. The opportunity that we have, that you have with the business you already own, is to build a business that does the work for you.

I outlined the Wage Earner’s Mentality. So what's the Entrepreneur’s core mentality? Let’s put down a working definition: The ability to create oneself. Let’s unpack this bold claim. An entrepreneur has no structure provided for them. We must provide it ourselves. Our income doesn’t come in tidy-twelve-month-packages built out of weekly paychecks. We have to carve a profit out of our business. To succeed, our vision must be crystal clear. Our discipline must be rock solid. Our courage must be unwavering. Why? Because no one is going to do it for us. We’re going to do The Work – but it’s going to be building Your Business. It’s going to mean being Team-Builder-In-Chief. What’s the job title for that? Leader.

If that defines you – or who you want to be – then this is the place to be. This blog is for you. If you want more out of your home improvement business, then you’ve come to the right place. Contractor Nation is dedicated to helping entrepreneurial contractors like you grow and thrive. Stick around, check us out – we’d love to get to know you.