What Drives You?

One of the questions I like to ask entrepreneurs when we first start working together is simple: What drives you? Most business owners come back to me quickly, and the reasons are all over the map. For others, it’s a difficult question to answer.

To be successful in entrepreneurship and in business in general, something has to drive you. It can be a variety of things: a belief in your product, the feeling of helping people, economic development, your family, your kids, your dog, a dream vacation, money, etc. It really doesn’t matter what it is, but it has to drive you every day.

So what happens when that thing that drives you fizzles out? Well, first off, let’s hope it doesn’t. But if it does, I’ve seen businesses fail because the entrepreneur lost their drive to succeed. It’s sad... a great idea that went to waste.

I encourage all entrepreneurs to determine multiple things that drive them. Keep those things on your desk every day and have constant reminders of them. When the going gets tough, remember what got you here and dig a little deeper.