You Need More Than An Idea
I’ve come across so many young entrepreneurs who have a new idea for a business every day. They get excited about an opportunity, tell their friends, start doing research and then drop the project to start another new business idea. A post in Scott Young’s blog yesterday got me thinking about how many of us get going on our ideas and never finish.
The difference between the successful business owners from the ones just scraping by is not ideas but execution. Successful entrepreneurs a) get started and b) keep going. The idea is the foundation on which to build but you need to actually build it! Many people give up at the first sign of trouble or hard work and come up with a new business idea thiking that the grass is greener on the other side.
As Scott points out:
The true ingredients of success are often hidden from a shallow observation. Flawless execution cannot be replicated through just one big idea or technique. Trying to figure out why a skyscraper is taller than a shack without looking at all the bricks and steel is foolhardy. Excellence is a skill, not a concept. Not something to be studied but something to be practiced.
One of the goals of our YE blog is not only to expose you to new ideas and strategies that will help you grow your business but to also help you execute on those ideas. Thinking alone does not generate results - you need to put your ideas into practice.
On Monday we’ll begin a 5 part series profiling the success factors of famous North American entrepreneurs. It will highlight how some of the world’s most well known business owners turned their ideas into results and hopefully inspire you to take your company to the next level as well.
Evan Carmichael
Evan CarmichaelYoungEntrepreneur.com Blog Manager
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6 Comments so far
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Thanks for the reference, Evan. Great thoughts.
A 5 part series..!? Don’t you think that’s a little long for one topic? I like 1 part series posts with great content.
I just stopped by to see how the “relaunch” was coming along and I was quite surprised to see 4-5 new posts within a week’s time. I also noticed that they all seem to be written by Evan. What’s up with that? Where’s the rest of the YE founding/managing team? We want to hear from you ALL(hint.. Adam).
To Evan, bud, I didn’t mean any disrespect to you. In fact, your posts are great! I’m basically trying to say that although these types of posts are great and informative, I’d like to hear what you think about:
- The latest Young Entrepreneurial trends
- What you expect to be big in 2007 for YE’s
- Profile YE’s around the US and the world
Something like a GigaOm + TechCrunch + CommandN + Diggnation all mashed to create a Young Entrepreneur Blog.
What does everyone else think?
Hi Sammy,
We’re testing a few new concepts and seeing what sticks the best with the YE community. I appreciate your comments and look forward to your continued thoughts as we grow the blog!
Expect more from the team as well as we launch a monthly newsletter.
Lots of exciting projects on the go!
Evan.
Hi Sammy,
(Adam here)…
Thanks for the comments and as Evan mentioned, we are working on some great things for YE. Great ideas that you shared and you’ll start seeing some motivating profiles and some innovative ideas for 2007 and beyond….
Its great to read your feedback. Keep it coming!
I agree totally. Most has some great ideas. But when it comes to taking action, most of them like to sit around, hoping someone will take action for them.
I have know friends who jumped from ideas to ideas, opportunities to opportunities. Justifying their lack of success with those ideas.
But still, a great idea is the foundation. The better the idea, the bigger business it could be. And, I don’t think the human element of entrepreneurial success should be overlooked either. An idea that an entrepreneur is passionate about is one that reaps more personal reward.