Creating your company is not just about launching a project. It’s an intimate, almost existential journey. Behind every dream success story, there are doubts, hard work and questioning. Before diving in, we must accept the obvious: entrepreneurship is above all a human adventure.
1/ The dream: the starting point
It all starts with an idea. A trigger, a frustration, a desire to do differently. This spark is the seed of the project. But between the dream and the reality of a viable business, there is a world of difference. Before you rush in, ask yourself the essential question:
- why do you want to start?
- To be free? To create value?
- To solve a problem that matters to you?
Those who succeed are not always the most brilliant, but those who stay true to their “why”.
2/ Know yourself before getting started
Creating your own business also means confronting yourself. Your relationship to risk, your ability to bounce back, your need for security: everything will be put to the test.
A little introspection is necessary: what really drives you? Are you ready to learn, delegate, surround yourself? Can you tolerate uncertainty and loneliness?
As an entrepreneur, you will experience mornings of euphoria and evenings of doubt. Knowing your strengths and limits means going the distance. And above all, talk to other entrepreneurs: their testimonials are worth all the training in the world.
3/ From idea to vision: building rather than doing
Everyone has an idea. But a vision inspires, unites and makes us see far. Imagine: what would the world look like if your idea were fully realized?
Investors and customers don’t follow an idea, they follow a belief. A clear, living and evolving vision becomes the lighthouse that guides your project.
4/ The plan: make the dream possible
Dreaming is good. Planning is better. Your business plan is not a simple administrative document, it is the map that transforms the dream into action:
- How much will your project cost you?
- Who are your customers?
- What do you want to solve?
- How to stand out?
The plan will evolve, and so will your project. The important thing is not perfection, but direction.
5/ Surround yourself: the real superpower
No, entrepreneurship is not a solitary adventure. Behind every success, there is a team, mentors, friends, a community.
Surround yourself with complementary profiles, not clones. And never hesitate to ask for help: it is not a sign of weakness, it is a mark of intelligence.
6/ Failure: a stage, not an end
Failure is a demanding teacher. A product that doesn’t find its market, a lost customer, a failed strategy… All of this builds your instinct.
Seasoned entrepreneurs know: it is not the first project that succeeds, but the one that survives. Allow yourself to fail, start again, adjust. As long as you learn, you move forward.
7/ Money: the sinews of war, but not of passion
Financing is often a concern. Before raising funds, ask yourself: what will each euro be used for?
Spectacular lifts do not guarantee success. Initially, your capital is your energy, your credibility and your consistency. When your plan is clear, money naturally follows.
8/ There is no such thing as a good time
Many are waiting for “the perfect moment”: more time, more experience, more money. It doesn’t exist.
Creating your own business means jumping despite uncertainty. Start small, test, learn. The biggest companies often started on the back of a table. It’s not the size of the start that matters, but perseverance and vision.
9/ And above all, don’t forget why you are doing it
Entrepreneurship means accepting an unusual life: long days, strong emotions, permanent challenges. But it is also the incomparable freedom to build something that makes sense.
Creating your own business means writing your own story — with its ups, downs and victories. Before you start, ask yourself this question: am I ready to fully experience this adventure?
If the answer is yes, then go for it. Because the biggest risk is not failing. It’s from never having tried.
