Do you want to start a tech startup but lack business ideas or the know-how? If YES, here are 9 simple steps to becoming a tech entrepreneur at a young age.
Becoming a technopreneur at a very young age is the best decision you would ever make. You don’t have to wait till you have worked for so many people or companies before taking the leap; and you don’t have to wait till you are 35 before you start.
The best time for you to start is now. Many young people are ready to start this business but are confused on how to go about it. It is one thing to be a technopreneur and it is another thing to be successful at it. Do you want to be a successful technopreneur at a young age? Then this article is for you.
What is a Tech Entrepreneur?
A technopreneur is an entrepreneur who makes use of technology to fabricate new or innovative products through the process of commercialization. You might have heard of the likes of Mark Zuckerberg, Steve Jobs, Dustin Moskovitz, Evan Spiegel, Bill gates, Lee byung-chul and Liu Chuanzhi; they are all tech entrepreneurs who are worth billions of dollars. Technopreneurs use technology to solve problems.
The industry in itself is very profitable because the richest man in the world today is a technopreneur who is valued at billions of dollars. You are sure going to make it as a technopreneur if you just do it right. How to get it right is what I would be discussing in this article.
If going on holidays with your family is what you really want to do, then you should become a technopreneur. You would have all the time in the world for yourself and your lovely family when your business breaks even and starts running itself.
If you are wondering what it takes to become a tech entrepreneur at a very young age, then you need to go through this article and find out for yourself.
9 Simple Steps to Becoming a Tech Entrepreneur at a Young Age
1. Surround yourself with the right people
Just imagine you are surrounded by pessimists, do you think you would be motivated or inspired to venture into what you really have passion for? No matter how hard you try, no matter how hard you work, it will be very difficult for you to achieve anything.
The people around you are those who would motivate you when you are about to give up. When you are surrounded by people who are also passionate about what you do, anything is possible. A supportive eco-system is extremely important.
Whether you like it or not you will pick up attributes or characteristics from the people you spend time with. You don’t want to be with negative personalities because this will be detrimental to you and your future.
2. Read Wide
Most tech entrepreneurs are fantastic readers, fascinated by tech books and magazines. To become a technopreneur at a young age, you have to lay your hands on all the books you can. This will give you a wide exposure and also give you a glimpse of what you are getting yourself into. Curiosity is an attribute that a tech entrepreneur should possess.
Curiosity leads one to search for information both online and in books. During this process of acquiring knowledge you are sure to come across things that will help in your journey to become a successful tech entrepreneur. Ask yourself questions each time you discover something new, “is this possible?”, “Can I achieve this?”
3. Work Hard
If you are lazy in nature and still want to become a technopreneur at a young age, it will be very difficult for you and you might end up quitting. If you want to be successful at what you do, then the word “lazy” shouldn’t be found in your dictionary.
Had the likes of Mark Zuckerberg, Ludwick Marishane and Ezlyn Barends not worked so hard, they wouldn’t have gotten to where they are today. As an aspiring technopreneur, have it at the back of your mind that all successful technopreneurs on planet earth worked their ass off, stayed up at night and brainstormed. Hardwork doesn’t kill, it pays.
4. Be Passionate
If you do something you are not genuinely passionate about, the end result might be disastrous. To go a long way you have to be passionate about what are about venturing into. Being passionate about what you love will help you go a long way. Money shouldn’t be the reason why you want to be a technopreneur. Being passionate about what you do will be the driving force in achieving your dreams.
5. Never Give Up
When things don’t go according to your plans, your second thought would be to give up and go in search of a job in a tech company. Every young technopreneur have been through this. When things go wrong, don’t go wrong with it. There is no kind of failure except not trying. Becoming a technopreneur at a very young age requires you not giving up when you face hard times.
6. Be Ready for Competition
The competition in the industry is high but adding a little touch of creativity into what you do would ensure that you become successful. Before the arrival of Facebook and snapchat, there were social media sites that were popularly used by people, but some are gone because they were unable to compete. Life itself is survival of the fittest. There is always advancement in technology every day, every hour and every minute.
7. Financing the business
Financing the business is one of the biggest problems technopreneurs face. Signing up as a freelance programmer or web developer on freelance websites is one of the smartest and best ways to raise funds for your business. Survey has shown that freelancers earn $5,500 per month which is on the average, while some make more than $10000 in a month all depending on how good you are in the field.
Signing up for tech competitions is also another way for start-ups to finance their tech business. The bank might not give you a loan because of your account status but that uncle who has so much love for you and also believes in you may lend you some cash for your business. Approaching a family, friend or colleague is not a bad idea. You might be lucky.
You need money to finance your tech business because you cannot market your tech business without money. You need to employ few people for a start and get yourself a sales department team who would help you in marketing. You cannot do everything all by yourself even though you are very conversant with the business.
8. Getting Certification and insurance
You don’t need certification for a tech business as long as you are an expert in the field. Mark dropped out of Harvard to start facebook, and it is the same story with many other technopreneurs; though it is going to be a plus for you if you have the required certification.
There goes the big question, “Do I need to insure the company?” Yes you do. Not insuring your company is very bad for business. Clients want to be secured in case anything happens. Insurance means your company would be safe if there is any bad occurrence. It is simply a protection from financial loss.
9. Know your Risk factor
The biggest risk is not taking any risk as a tech entrepreneur. In a world that is dynamic, the only way that is guaranteed to fail is not taking any risks. To become a tech entrepreneur, you have to be able to take calculated risks. Mark Zuckerberg started facebook when he was just 19, he didn’t know much about business then.
The late Steve Jobs said, “Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition, everything else is secondary”. It takes more than courage to become a tech entrepreneur. Having a basic understanding of HTML and CSS coding would be a Plus for you. It would give you better understanding on how websites and the internet as a whole work.
Knowing how the ‘biggest thing that ever happened to the world’ works which is the social media is a big bonus. As a soon to be tech entrepreneur you should capitalize on this. The social media is your greatest asset. This will help your business reach that audience you have always dreamed of.
Knowing how to communicate with your audience is just as important as everything else. As a technopreneur you have to be a goal getter and a problem solver. For your brand to be a success you will have to invest wisely in email marketing.
Over 50% of the world’s population checks their mail box every day. You need to basically have an idea about the social media and the whole communication process that comes with it. Your tech entrepreneurial journey would be a lot easier if you set your priorities right.