The allure of being a successful entrepreneur is strong, but it is not without its failings

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Many entrepreneurs are still dreaming of the glamorous life years after launching their business; they didn’t create the right foundation from the start, and have been treading water ever since.

If you’ve created a business that feels more like a job, it’s time to turn things around. If your business can’t thrive without you working as much or more than your staff, you’re probably making one of the following mistakes:

Mistake #1: Scaling back when you should be pressing forward

All startups go through a definite ‘curve’ of initiation. First, a brilliant idea is created. Next, a team is built. You launch a product. Then, the novelty fades, reality sets in, and everything seems hopeless. That’s not always the truth, but that’s how it can occur.

Inexperienced startups might come up against a wall of fear when they reach the stage requiring pushing forward at all costs. However, persistence is what will get you through this phase and any apparent obstacle after that. In fact, you can’t succeed without persistence.

Resist the habit of seeing failure as synonymous with obstacles and a lack of cash flow. You have to start somewhere and push through.

Mistake #2: Thinking you’re invincible to hackers

It’s a mistake to think that hackers won’t target you because you’re not a giant corporation housing a database full of consumer credit cards. Hackers don’t always target their victims based on who they are. Often, they’re looking to exploit weaknesses wherever they can.

Also read: The 8 biggest mistakes entrepreneurs can make after closing a round of funding

As an entrepreneur, you’ve got a mission to fulfill. You don’t have time to waste dealing with the aftermath of getting hacked left and right. If you don’t secure your technology from day one and hire an IT security professional, you’ll never be able to step away long enough to step into your desired role in your own company.

Put the right tools and professionals in place from day one

In the beginning, it’s up to you to select the software your business uses. When you don’t have a team to help, your choices may or may not be optimal. However, you do the best you can. Some of the software you choose might look “plug and play,” but to an IT security expert, that’s never the case.

Among the tools you’ll be using, remote administration software carries a host of potential risks and needs to be carefully selected. Consider using Smart Card authentication to provide two-factor authentication for your IT administrators. This is the type of authentication mandated by the US Federal Government when accessing its information systems. There is no physical card or equipment required, and it meets strict cryptography standards set by multiple entities.

Implementing secure tools from the start makes delegating tasks smoother. You don’t want your security professional to have to untangle a mess on the first day. The messier your security is, the more you’ll be tied to your business and helping sort it out.

Hackers are attracted to challenges

Understand that hackers don’t always target you based on who you are or what you have to offer.

In 2015, Shubham Paramhans reverse engineered the API belonging to Ola Cabs – Uber’s largest competitor in India. He said, “After seeing those flashing binary data going from my system I forgot my weekend project and started tweaking and reverse engineering Ola’s APIs which eventually resulted in breaking their money transaction system. As a result I was able to recharge my Ola wallet with any amount.”

In the article linked above, Paramhans describes precisely how he reverse engineered the system. His detailed description indicates the great lengths a hacker will go to exploit a weakness. In Ola’s case, they’re lucky they were dealing with an ethical hacker. You may not be so lucky.

Never think you’re too insignificant to be a target. Hackers are interested in exploiting weaknesses, and if they casually see an opportunity like Paramhans did, they’ll follow the trail to see how far they can go.

How long do you want to be tied down to your business putting out fires? Acknowledge that you’re at risk and hire an IT security expert from the start.

Mistake #3: Creating a business just for the money

Working out of obligation or expectation is the definition of a job. When you have to answer to someone else, doing something you don’t want to do to earn a salary, and aren’t calling the shots, you’ve got a job and not a business.

The allure of being a successful entrepreneur is strong. However, if you don’t absolutely love what you do, you’re going to get bored or frustrated and want to quit before you’ve achieved success. On the other hand, when you love what you do, you may get frustrated but you’ll be determined to have a breakthrough and accomplish your goals.

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