How to handle failure as an Entrepreneur

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No one ever said being an entrepreneur would be easy, and for many people, failure is just a part of the journey. In fact, according to Forbes, around 90% of all startups fail. So if you're an entrepreneur who has experienced failure, know that you are not alone. This blog post will discuss some ways to handle failure as an entrepreneur.

#1 Accept it
First and foremost, it is important to accept failure. This may seem like an obvious statement, but in order to move on from failure, you must first accept that it has happened. Denial will only make the situation worse and make it harder to learn from your mistakes. So how do you accept failure? An excellent way to start is by taking some time to reflect on what went wrong. Once you have identified what went wrong, you can begin to develop a plan for how to avoid making the same mistake again in the future.

#2 Learn from it
One of the best ways to handle failure is to learn from it. As mentioned above, taking some time to reflect on what went wrong can be helpful in this process. But learning from failure goes beyond just understanding what went wrong; it also involves understanding why it went wrong.

For example, let's say you launch a new product, and it fails miserably. In order to learn from this experience, you need to understand not only that the product was unsuccessful but also why it was unsuccessful. Was there a problem with the product itself? Was the marketing campaign ineffective? Did you misjudge the target market? Once you have answered these questions, you can begin to develop a plan for how to avoid making similar mistakes in the future.

There are many ways to learn from failure, but one of the most important things to remember is that failure is not permanent. Just because a venture has failed does not mean that you have failed as an entrepreneur. It is crucial to pick yourself up and try again.

​If you are finding it difficult to motivate yourself to keep going through the failures or to find the lessons to be learnt consider hiring the help and services of a business coach. Award winning business coach Peter Boolkah emphasises that business coaching is all about you, the business owner, and how you manage, run and react to your business. Business coaching can help you develop and improve in such a way that your business will reap the rewards. It will give you a means of accountability to put those mistakes to good use and learn from them going forward. Business coaching could be just the drive to turn your mistakes into opportunity. So don’t let those mistakes go to waste.

#3 Use it as motivation
Another way to handle failure is to use it as motivation. When you have experienced a setback, it can be easy to feel like giving up. But if you use your experience of failure as motivation, it can be a powerful tool for helping you achieve success - Krissy Jones’s story is a great example! Think about what you want to achieve and let that be your driving force. Use your experience of failure to remind yourself why you are doing what you are doing and what you are working towards. Let it motivate you to keep going even when things are tough.

#4 Don't dwell on it
Finally, it is vital to not dwell on your failures. Yes, it is important to learn from your mistakes, but dwelling on them will only make things worse. Once you have accepted and learned from your failures, it is time to move on.

Focus on the future and what you can do to achieve success. Use your experience of failure as a lesson and a reminder of what not to do in the future. But don't let it hold you back from moving forward and achieving your goals.

Failure is a part of being an entrepreneur, but it doesn't have to define you. By following the tips above, you can learn how to handle failure in a healthy and productive way.