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Do I have the personality, temperament, and mindset of taking on the world on my own terms?

Let’s begin with the basics, what is Entrepreneurship?

Going by the definition, Entrepreneurship is the concept of starting a business venture (startup) with risks involved to create a revolutionary product/service that solves a pressing problem by realistically assessing the potential of the offering and how it will figure in the existing market.

Where an Entrepreneur is the one who starts or assumes control of a business or other independent enterprise, often employing innovation and more than an ordinary degree of risk. In easy words, the person who begins/leads a startup.

The terms entrepreneur and small-business owner are often used interchangeably. This is a mistake. To be an entrepreneur is to be not just content in owning a business. Entrepreneurs are focused on building and growing an enterprise, whether it’s a brand-new business or transforming an existing company through innovation and making the most of opportunities hidden to others. What’s more, once that venture has taken off, many entrepreneurs are ready to move on to the next thing. Their efforts may range in scale from new solo operations to venture-capital funded startups. One common denominator is the risk required for the undertaking. This willingness to take on risk may be what most differentiates entrepreneurs from everyday business owners.

An Entrepreneur is commonly seen and perceived as an innovator. A successful entrepreneur possesses a mix of Vision, Ambition, the Ability to take risks, and leadership qualities within himself. We need to actively foster entrepreneurship and to trust that the process of creative destruction will result in an array of amazing solutions that will shape our future way of life.

An Entrepreneur is way different from a businessman because:

1. The Entrepreneur is focused on solving a problem.
2. Entrepreneur creates a new market rather than starting a business in existing markets.
3. An Entrepreneur is a market leader whereas, a businessman is a market player.
4. High risk is involved as compared to a businessman.
5. An entrepreneur starts with a new innovative idea of solving the problem.

And, as we notice around the world, Entrepreneurs are often on the list of the World’s richest people because they are rewarded based on the problem they solve. The bigger the problem solved, the more the money earned.

Now that we know the basics, let us think about how can Optometry combine with Entrepreneurship. Well, there can be 2 possible streams into this:

1. Solving Problems within Optometry:

Within Optometry, there can be many issues that can be solved. for example, long waiting hours in an eyecare OPD. Problems are lying around us. We just need to identify them. So, unlock your thinking barriers and find real problems around.

2. Utilizing Optometry to solve Problems:

There are many problems around the world, that patients face. We need to identify them first and then, see how Optometry can help to solve the problem.

Now, It’s time to wear your thinking hats and find out how you can solve a problem in society. Make sure that that your idea or solution is scalable, required by the market, and can be automated.

The reason why many startups fail is that they are solving a problem that is not required by the market, which later leads to forceful selling. Thus, after you identify the problem, it is important to analyze the need for a solution in that market. If the market requires your solution, do not get stuck in comparing yourself to everyone and everything around you because that’s going to cripple you and lead to a lot of self-defeating thoughts. It’s good to keep your eyes on your own lane and it’s good to stick to what you’re passionate about. Congratulations you have taken the first and most difficult step of entrepreneurship successfully.