The difference between building value and hypergrowth as an entrepreneur.

What’s really stopping you from #starting your #business? For many #aspiring #entrepreneurs, the idea of launching a business feels exciting… and terrifying at the same time. Yet, most of the barriers are mental rather than financial. Here’s what I see holding people back—and how to overcome it: 1️⃣ Fear of Failure – Worrying that it might not work, or that you’ll lose money. Fix: Start small. Test your idea with minimal investment. Every “failure” is a step closer to success. 2️⃣ Lack of Capital – Feeling you don’t have enough funds to launch. Fix: Lean start-up approach. Use grants, small loans, or start from home. Many successful businesses began with very little. 3️⃣ Uncertainty About the Idea – Not knowing if anyone will buy. Fix: Validate your concept. Talk to potential customers, run a pilot, or create an MVP (Minimum Viable Product). 4️⃣ Lack of Skills or Knowledge – Feeling unprepared to handle marketing, finance, or operations. Fix: Learn fast. Take courses, join networking groups, find a mentor. Outsource areas you’re unsure of—don’t let it stop you. 5️⃣ Overwhelm & Time Constraints – Life is busy; where will you find the time? Fix: Break your plan into small steps. Prioritize revenue-generating activities first. Use productivity tools to focus. 6️⃣ Fear of Criticism – Worrying about what others will think. Fix: Focus on your customers, not the critics. Test ideas with trusted peers first. Remember, every successful entrepreneur faced skepticism. The truth? The hardest part is taking the first step. Once you do, momentum builds, confidence grows, and the path forward becomes clear. If you’ve been thinking about starting your business but haven’t yet… maybe today is the day to move past the fear, take one small action, and see where it leads. 💡 Action tip: Write down one concrete thing you can do this week toward your business idea—then do it. Tell someone, be accountable! #Entrepreneurship #StartUp #BusinessGrowth #Mindset #Leadership #SmallBusiness #BigBusinessNorthWales #f2n

How do you build a profitable bootstrapped business that actually lasts? 👉 Start selling before you're ready. 👉 Then learn to manage money like your life depends on it—because it does. I'm a third-generation entrepreneur. Grew up watching family build companies from scratch. Here's the truth no one tells you: the money part doesn't make sense until you're drowning in it. Peregrinee started solo. No cofounder. No investors. No safety net. Just me and the work that needed doing. Most founders I see want to scale before they can sell. Want to disrupt before they understand the industry. Want to hire before they've done the work themselves. Here's what keeps you alive: —Cash flow is oxygen. I've watched profitable companies collapse because they couldn't make payroll. Revenue looks good on paper. Cash pays bills. —Reputation is your only moat. Without VC money for ads, word-of-mouth becomes everything. One unhappy client costs you three more. One delighted client brings five. —No is a superpower. Every wrong project kills your bandwidth for the right one. I've turned down work that didn't fit our core. Painful in the moment. Lifesaving later. —Wear every hat yourself. Sales, delivery, ops, finance—do it all first. That's where you learn real margins and what clients actually value. Better education than any MBA. There’s no overnight success. Just years of showing up when it gets uncomfortable. Because bootstrapping isn't learned in incubators or pitch competitions. It's forged in the trenches of selling and surviving on your own terms. #startupjourney #growthhack

I thought I understood the odds when I started my first company. Turns out, I was living in a fantasy. 81% of entrepreneurs believe their startup has a 70% chance of succeeding. The reality? Only 10% actually make it. That gap between perception and reality isn't just a statistic - it's a wake-up call. I've worked with dozens of founders over the years. The ones who succeed aren't necessarily the most optimistic. They're the ones who face the brutal facts early. They validate their assumptions before building. They talk to customers before writing code. They test their pricing before hiring a sales team. The founders who fail? They skip the hard conversations. They build in isolation. They assume their product is so good that customers will just find them. Confidence is essential for any entrepreneur. But blind optimism is dangerous. So before you quit your job or raise that next round, ask yourself: ↳ Have I validated this problem actually exists? ↳ Do people pay for solutions like mine? ↳ Can I reach customers profitably? Hope for the best, but plan for the 90% reality. Your startup's survival depends on it.

🚨 Most founders don’t fail because of bad products. They fail because they don’t know which game they’re playing. The other day, I was talking to my mentor about my hunger to build something from scratch and scale it to the moon What he said next... completely rewired my brain. “There are only two types of businesses. High Volume. High Margin. The problem? Most people don’t know which one they’re in — or worse, they’re in one and acting like the other.” Imagine this 👇 You sell snacks, water bottles, low-ticket offers. Your money’s in inflow — you need more eyes, more orders, more reach. You sell more, you win. That’s the game. Second You sell houses, cars, strategy, luxury, or coaching. Your money’s in positioning — people pay for belief, not bargains. You don’t need 100 clients; 3 believers might change everything. But here’s where people mess it up They sell premium, but market like a street vendor. Or they sell low-ticket, but expect to survive with six $20 customers. That’s not business — that’s delusion. The Real Formula: High Volume = Speed. Systems. Traffic. High Margin = Trust. Proof. Authority. Different energy. Different strategy. Different input. One doesn’t need long conversations. The other needs trust before the conversation even starts. Your business model isn’t the problem. Your behaviour inside that model might be. His question for me was simple, but it hit hard: “Abhilash, do you wanna play high volume or high margin? Or is your business mixing things up?” #Entrepreneurship #BusinessStrategy #ScalingUp #Startups #MindsetShift

Thinking of starting your own company? Read this. Leaving behind a comfortable six-figure job was the hardest decision I’ve ever made. On paper, it made no sense. The security, the title, the paycheck… why walk away? But here’s the truth no one prepares you for: 👉 Entrepreneurship isn’t about freedom, it’s about responsibility. 👉 It isn’t about being your own boss, it’s about being accountable to every single client who puts their trust in you. 👉 And the relationships you build along the way become far more meaningful than you can ever imagine. What I’ve learned in this journey with Kaleedo is that growth is not just measured in numbers or revenue, but in the strength of the bonds you create: ✅ The client who takes a chance on you before the world does. ✅ The conversations that go beyond deliverables and turn into friendships. ✅ The partnerships built not just on contracts, but on trust. Business at its core isn’t B2B or B2C. It’s human to human. And when you approach it that way, everything changes. If you’re standing at the edge, wondering if you should take that leap, know this: the journey will test you. But the relationships you build along the way will make it worth it. And if you’re thinking about starting up, or already on the same boat, my DMs and inbox are always open for a chat. #Entrepreneurship #Startups #Leadership #Marketing

I have a friend who recently bought a HVAC company. I thought.. that sounds really boring. But when he told me why, it was a really valuable lesson on evaluating risk. Becoming an entrepreneur is a lot about managing risk. Most people would leave their corporate jobs and start their own thing it were risk free. But they don't. Seasoned entrepreneurs evaluate opportunities by figuring out which risk they are taking on: Three Main Risks: 🔹Product/Market Fit Risk - when you try a new business model, and you're not sure if the market will want it. Think Uber. 🔹 Technical Risk - when you have a defined market/customer, but you're not sure if the product is able to be built. Pharma is a good example of this - everyone wants the cure to cancer and knows the market size is trillions, but it's uncertain whether the product can be made. 🔹 Execution Risk: - the product and market are already proven. It's just on you to discipline yourself to execute consistently. Real estate is an example - we all know someone who made millions doing it. Or running an agency, etc. It also helps to not choose an industry with low margins e.g. restaurants My suggestion for first time entrepreneurs is to choose a proven business model, so the only risk you bear is execution. Unless you have significant traction or a background in #1 or #2. VC-backed founders tend to favor #1 or #2, and that's why they outsource some of the risk to investors, and the investors want outsized returns for the innovation. #entrepreneurship #startups

Finding the right business partners is bloody hard. I'm working on multiple projects right now, and honestly, the biggest challenge isn't the tech or the market. It's finding people who actually do what they say they'll do. You know the types: → The talkers who never execute → The "experts" who've never built anything → The ones waiting for instructions instead of taking initiative → Those who join a digital project without understanding what digital means And then there are those who can't compromise. Ever. I've learned to trust my gut. Sounds simple, but it works better than fancy assessment frameworks or endless interviews. Here's what I look for now: → Do they ask good questions? → Have they built something before? → Can they admit when they don't know something? The best partners I've found weren't necessarily the smartest people in the room. They were the ones who showed up consistently and figured things out as they went. Right now, I'm actively building projects in invoicing, business sales platforms, and real estate tech. Always open to connecting with builders who want to create something meaningful. What's your experience with finding co-founders? Any red flags I missed? #entrepreneurship #startups #cofounder #business #partnerships #Switzerland -- 🌟 I share insights on technology, product, management, innovation, investments, entrepreneurship, and work-life balance. 🔔 Follow me for practical and inspiring reflections!

Running a business can be like navigating a herd of buffalo thrilling, unpredictable, and full of opportunity. most of the time 🤣 Whether you’re a tech founder or a small business founder, every connection you make could spark your next big win. Try These Actions: • Send 10-15 LinkedIn connection requests to industry peers you admire. 🔗 • Follow up with: "Great to connect! I loved [specific detail about their profile]. Can I ask a quick question?" or Curious Why you accepted the request? • Share a 30-second video or a thoughtful message asking about their business. 🎥 Still feeling nervous about rejection? Not everyone will respond, and that’s okay focus on the genuine connections you build. Each message is a step toward leading your own herd. 💪 Challenge: Try this with 10 connections today and share your results! What’s your favorite way to spark new business relationships? ⬇️ #Entrepreneurship #Networking #BusinessGrowth Enjoy this? ♻️ Repost it to your network and follow Kenneth Nel for more. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ♻️ - Share if you Care 🗣️ - Leave a comment if you want to get seen 🪓 - Nothing happens if you don't take action #sales, #startups, #networking, #startupjourney, and #enterpreneurship

🚀 The Scary Truth About #QuittingYourJob to Start a #Startup I’ll never forget the day I quit my job to chase a dream. I was excited, but deep inside I kept asking myself: 👉 What if I fail? 👉 How will I pay my bills or take care of my family? 👉 What if everything falls apart? Starting a business is never as easy as it looks in books or on social media. Here’s what I learned along the way: 1️⃣ Know yourself before you start Take time to understand what you’re good at and where you can add real value. A clear plan starts with self-awareness. 2️⃣ Be ready for tough days Have a backup plan if things don’t work out. Save a little, learn new skills, and be willing to start over if needed. 3️⃣ Work harder than you ever imagined When you step out on your own, there’s no easy path. You’ll need grit, patience, and long hours — but the rewards are worth it. If you fail, learn, rebuild, and keep moving. If you win, celebrate — and remember why you started. ✨ The truth is, taking a risk isn’t about being fearless. It’s about believing in yourself, preparing for the hard times, and staying strong enough to rise again. #Startups #Entrepreneurship #Risk #Growth #Courage

If you think you need 100% clarity before you start, you’ve already lost to someone moving with 60%. If there’s one piece of advice I’d give to every aspiring entrepreneur, it’s this: build a sense of urgency. Everyone has ideas. But the ones who move ahead aren’t the ones with the “best” idea, they’re the ones who take action before the window closes. What separates dreamers from doers isn’t brilliance. It’s urgency and the willingness to act on it. Here’s where most people get stuck: ➡️ Endless planning disguised as preparation. Months spent perfecting decks, designing logos and building roadmaps while someone else launches faster with a rough draft and improves through feedback. ➡️ The trap of “complete information.” We convince ourselves we’ll start once we “know enough.” But you’ll never know it all. If you have 60–70% clarity, that’s enough to move. The remaining 30% only becomes visible when you’re in motion. ➡️ Overthinking instead of experimenting. Ideas feel alive in your head but businesses come alive only in the real world. Momentum creates answers that overthinking never will. In my own journey, every business I’ve built and every initiative I’ve launched began without perfect clarity. But once I started, the missing pieces revealed themselves. Execution filled the gaps imagination never could. You will never feel “ready.” Readiness is an illusion, not a milestone. Launch with what you have today and let the process teach you what you need tomorrow. Urgency beats perfection. Action beats planning. And imperfect starts beat perfect ideas that never see daylight. #Entrepreneurship #Startup #Execution