The Six ?F? Words Every Entrepreneur Should Know

Start your own business, and soon enough, you find yourself in a situation where there are many things you want to say, all of them unprintable.

It happens to every entrepreneur ? a moment of extreme challenge that causes you to wonder why you started the (expletive) business in the first place. I've had my share of those moments since starting our public relations firm in March 2002.

But while trading notes with a fellow entrepreneur recently, I started to think about all the moments of extreme challenge I left behind when I decided I no longer wanted to be somebody else's employee.

That got me thinking about what really matters to me as an entrepreneur. As I shared my thoughts with my friend, a new list developed ? the "F" words I believe every entrepreneur should know. They've done the job for me so far, keeping me rooted, married and talking to my kids while we build a successful business. I hope they have the same effect for you.

1. Faith: I'm not a street corner preacher, but I have a deep and abiding faith that starting my business is what I was meant to do in life. I also have a strong faith that I've been given the tools to do the job ? even in a moment of extreme challenge. Without faith in yourself, in your business and in your purpose, how can you succeed as an entrepreneur?

2. Family: My wife and daughters are the most important people in my life. Starting my business has enabled me to put them at the center of my life, where they belong. Oh yes, I work long and hard, but today, it's with a clear purpose. The generations of entrepreneurs who built this country understood this principle. Their businesses often bore the family name, and generations of people who were born, lived and died together managed to build great businesses together.

3. Friends: Fortune 500 companies have boards of directors. Entrepreneurs have friends. When no one else will listen, friends will. When others fail to see the beauty of the product or solution, friends will. And when no one else will talk straight to you about a dumb business move, friends will. And they won't send you a bill.

4. Focus: It's nice to say you're an entrepreneur, that you are your own boss. But do you have the commitment to turn that idea into true success? The ultimate measure is your ability not only to set a goal, but stick with it, despite those moments of extreme challenge. You may have to change course along the way, but like a good sailor, you focus, keeping your business pointed to the right shore.

5. Finances: Let's face it ? most of us strike out as entrepreneurs because we believe we can improve our financial situation. I know I have not missed the constraining limits and miniscule salary increases of corporate America. How much do I want to make this year? There is only one answer: How hard am I willing to work? And there is only one reason to ask that question: to make good on my commitment to all the "F" words that rank ahead of money on my list.

6. Freedom: This may be the greatest gift of entrepreneurship. But it is the one that comes only after you can act on all the other "F" words in your entrepreneurial vocabulary. So many entrepreneurs strike out to find success, which they define as freedom from all the things they hated about working for someone else. Unfortunately for these folks, they lack a true entrepreneurial vision ? they're merely running away from something. True entrepreneurial freedom comes from a vision that encompasses what's really important to you.

Are these the only "F" words an entrepreneur needs to know? Obviously not. But in moments of extreme challenge, remembering these "F" words may help you weather a moment of extreme challenge without resorting to the unprintable variety. And if you're like me, they may also help you remember why you started the business in the first place.

Paul Furiga is president of WordWrite Communications LLC, a Pittsburgh-based virtual agency. He is the former editor of the Pittsburgh Business Times, and has also covered Congress, the White House, edited magazines and written for publications ranging from Congressional Quarterly to Frequent Flyer magazine.

---

What Kind of Business Should I Start?

It's not uncommon to reach your 30s, 40s or even 50s and still wonder, "What do I want to be when I grow up?" Few people are fortunate enough to be certain of... Read More

Two Types of Business Plan Executive Summaries

Companies seeking capital often ask how long the Executive Summary of their business plan should be. The answer depends upon the use of the summary, mainly determining if 1) it precedes the full... Read More

Business Ideas

Richard Branson, billionaire founder of Virgin Records and Virgin Atlantic Airlines, may be better known for his efforts to circle the globe in a hot-air balloon than for his business successes. He suggests... Read More

Focus is the Key to a Successful Startup

The definition of a startup means you have very few resources to employ and little time to get them to do something valuable. The clock is always ticking, and the money (if you... Read More

Angel Investors: 7 Online Business Plan Scams and 1 Real Deal

We've all seen the hype: "We'll put your plan in front of thousands of investors!" "We'll write you an award-winning online business plan!" "Only $3,000 for thousands of investors to learn about your... Read More

Traits of The Successful Entrepreneur

Want to know why certain people succeed and others don't. Well successful people have certain traits? Do you have them? Business has changed a great deal over the years. We now have... Read More

Increase Profits with No Pain, No Change Approach

Implementing changes, even when they're good for your business, can be tough. As the old adage goes, old habits die hard and it's just as true in business as it is in our... Read More

Staying Ahead of the Perils, Excerpt of Entrepreneurial Motivation Speech

Running a business is not an easy endeavor, it takes courage, hard work and a strategic mindset. I feel now that I am retired looking back on it all, that it is my... Read More

What Makes An Entrepreneur Tick?

It is only natural that when you start a business, you are doing something different than most people. They not only will look at you because you stick out like a sore thumb... Read More

Reducing the Stress of Being an Entrepreneur

Starting and running your own business can be exciting and rewarding, but it can also be very stressful. For most of our almost 40 year marriage my husband has been an entrepreneur and... Read More

New Rules

Last week I was working with one of my small business clients, a bright and dynamic woman who's passionate about positioning her artisan business for growth. We were talking about her financial picture... Read More

The Dirty Dozen

1) No Umbrella Business Plan or Strategy -- Without a plan, there's no serious way to gauge the growth and progress of your business. You need a realistic map for where the customers... Read More

Confidence = Preparation + Courage

It always amazes me when I see someone on television holding a press conference ? a lawyer outside a courtroom, a businessperson at the launch of a new product. Reporters ask hardball questions.... Read More

Entrepreneurial Ongoing Education Advice

I would like to give some advice to all the up and coming entrepreneurs; if you really want to be a superstar not only do you have to work harder and smarter than... Read More

Its Good to Know Your Banker

Recently my bank opened a new branch that is a few miles away from my house. I used to visit the local branch that was located in the grocery store and enjoyed seeing... Read More

Franchises - Emotional Fulfillment - The Challenge

Does A Franchise Meet Your Needs?Do you look forward to Friday afternoon or Monday morning? Perhaps that's the true litmus test of happiness. If you're thinking about the fact that there's only one... Read More

Lessons Learned from One Entrepreneur on Vioxx

For the past ten-months, I tried every drug from the popular Vioxx, Celebrex and Aleve, to the long-standing Percocet, Ibruprofen 800, with some other fabulous ones like Fexeril, Ulltram, Naproxyn, and Antevert. (And,... Read More

Street Smarts Vs Book Smarts, What Does It Takes To Be An Entrepreneur

The latest series in "The Apprentice" features 2 distinct group of candidates. One group, who are only high school graduates are termed as "Street Smarts" by Donald Trump whereas, the other group are... Read More

How To Grow Your Micro-Business

If you want to grow your micro-business (defined as a business with fewer than five employees), you might consider some of the findings of a survey by Statistics Canada.1. The FindingsAccording to "Growth... Read More

Entrepreneurial Hate, its out there

Today, I got an email from a lady who hates all business people and entrepreneurs, because they are Greedy, Arrogant and a Host of other atrocities. She was replying to an article I... Read More

Will Your Business Survive Without You?

I had a health scare in December.As it turns out, everything's perfectly okay. But the possibility of things not being okay really knocked me for a loop.For the first time ... ever ...... Read More

Drive Website Traffic Unconventionally, Force Your Children To Do It

If you believe that every little bit helps then keep reading...For the past two summers my son has dabbled in entrepreneurialism.He started by mowing lawns, what kid hasn't done that? It's time tested... Read More

A Startup Never Closes

When it comes to a startup, the luxuries shared with established companies are few and far between. Chief among them is the luxury to close at the end of the day. Big companies... Read More

Innovation incubator: Build it and keep it running

If your company is like the one I work for, your people are talking about the need for innovation. Mine has just announced a new program "that will bring a standardized approach to... Read More

Increasing Business BIGTIME with a Successful Referral System

What I've discovered from most of my small business clients is that most would prefer to build their business through referrals rather than through direct mail, advertising in newspapers, radio, TV. However, most... Read More

The Deal is in the Details

What Startups Need to Get a Business Loan, Part 2In part 1 of this article, entitled "Three C's", we looked at the overview of startup business loan requirements from the lender's perspective. We... Read More

Prescription for the Future and Technological Revolutions

The world sure has changed in the last two-decades hasn't it? When I started out in business, there were no cell phones, fax machines, computers, etc. And I am not that old, having... Read More

Enterprising Route is to Go Your Own Way

DON'T talk to me about education for entrepreneurs. They're pouring far too much public money into it already - not counting the millions some well-known Scottish entrepreneurs are prepared to waste on it.And... Read More

The Risks of Entrepreneurship

The "spark" for many entrepreneurs is seeing an opportunity that doesn't yet exist. Ted Turner, for example, launched CNN because he perceived that people wanted more television news than they were being offered.... Read More