Being an entrepreneur and kick-starting your dreams is tough. You have to be passionate, relentless, determined, and even crazy at times to make sure it works. The beginning is always difficult – you have to decide on the business idea, get a business plan, finances, a store/office/website and so much more goes into starting your entrepreneurial dreams. This is exactly where you will need all the support you can to make it happen.
But this is also the time when it might be difficult to get your parents on board. So, how do you get your parents who have been your support system since childhood support your entrepreneurial dreams? How do you convince them that you are doing the right thing by following your passion?
For parents, usually, success means having a secure job and going up the corporate ladder. For them, success might look different because of their struggles in life. Like a lot of us have parents from modest backgrounds, some might have come to this country as migrants and worked on minimum wages and made ends meet just to make sure that you have everything you need to succeed in life. Their role as parents is to make sure you have a secure future and are safe from the struggles they faced.
But for you success might have a different meaning, it might mean being your own boss. If you are sure about being an entrepreneur, then follow your vision and start working towards your goal. Explain to them why their version of success is not what you dream of in life.
Once you have figured out what business you want to run, don’t just go out and quit your job. You need to prove yourself to your parents before you go out and pursue your entrepreneurial dreams.
Do well in your day job first, work hard and be the best in what you are doing, so that your parents feel that you are disciplined and appreciate your work ethic. Meanwhile, work on your entrepreneurial skills as much as you can and keep preparing for the day when you can finally tell your parents that you are ready to quit your 9 to 5 job and follow your dreams. This way they have the reassurance that you can go back to your job anytime you want to.
This is by far the most important step. Firstly, don’t hide your dreams and passion from your parents. If you want to be an entrepreneur, then don’t hide it from them out of fear of rejection. It might take some time for them to go along with the idea but eventually, they will understand, when they see you happy and successful. Secondly, don’t just go all out and push your ideas on them. Rather, just sit down with them and be honest and tell them that you are thinking of being an entrepreneur and following your dream because you feel passionate about it. Ask them how they feel about this idea and what thoughts do they have about it, this way your parents will feel involved and will be able to share their honest thoughts with you.
If you have always worked hard in life, right from school to your day job and paid respect to your parent's choices, the path to earning your parents blessing becomes easy. It increases the odds of your parents supporting your entrepreneurial dreams in the future. So, keep on working hard and be patient, eventually, your parents will understand what it means to you.
