Why Join a Startup Community?
Entrepreneurship doesn’t have to be a Lonely Journey
Lone Wolf Entrepreneur
“Being an entrepreneur is lonely at the top.”
“I have to manage every aspects of my business on my own.”
Pause. It may not be the case.
Many entrepreneurs deem themselves lone wolves along the entrepreneurial journey. Too often entrepreneurs focus merely on their own “real work” 24/7 but overlook the importance of leaving the work table and getting out to reach new people.
The startup community may be the next thing you would like to join.
What is a Startup Community?
Startup community is composed of different parties - like-minded entrepreneurs from diverse industries, people with great business ideas, talents with specialised skillsets, angel investors, startup incubators, etc. So why should you join one?
Let people know you
You may be a newcomer to entrepreneurship, who lacks a network in the business field. Having exposure in the startup ecosystem is very important. Networking sessions at startup events allow you to meet other like-minded entrepreneurs and share your business plan with them. You can then receive instant feedback which may help you modify your business plan.
Through one-to-one individual “pitching”, connection and deeper impressions are made, these are favourable to follow-up and building further relationships. This leads to future opportunity for both parties in terms of help, advice, business deals etc. You may also find potential team members through these networking sessions.
It also horns your communication skill. Through delivering and pitching your business idea repetitively, you can figure out ways to better deliver the core message and how to structure your 5-min pitching so that people can get straight to the point and be impressed.
Get Advice from People
Many entrepreneurs start from zero. They bravely resign from their previous corporate jobs and found their own startups. As a consequence, they start to build their business without some of the required skillsets and mindsets. It is easy to become frustrated when encountering unseen situations e.g. when facing an issue with customer validation, fund-raising, brand building, product development, etc.
People in the startup community may offer help. Often you’ll meet someone who has been there before you and can share their past experience with you. From others’ experience, you can figure out the commonplace among your situation. This gives you insight on how to handle the setbacks. People in the same community can also serve as an emotional support.
Seek funding and mentorship
Angel investors, startup incubators and accelerators are also parts of the startup community. They attend startup events like Pitch Nights to look for great business ideas, which brings high potential returns to them. They are more than happy to offer you financial help if your business idea is great enough to persuade them.
Other than funding, accelerators and incubators also offer you the mentorship and professional advice needed to scale your business. They can also introduce you to potential partners and investors through their network.
All in All
Joining the startup community is not just about networking and making new friends. It leads you to tremendous potential business opportunity and useful advice. You never know who you are going to meet and who can help with your business (or who you can help!) at some point in time.
Be open-minded to the unknown is the key to uplift your business and joining a startup community is definitely what you should do to seize latent opportunity!
This article was contributed by the team at WHub
About WHub
WHub is an online startup community that connects startups with talents, exposure and all kinds of startup resources.
