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What do you picture when you think about a day in the life of an entrepreneur? Meetings with investors? Strategy sessions with the executive team? Going over financial statements and analytics reports? While these items all might appear on a business owner's schedule, there are some things that entrepreneurs may never have expected to do on a regular basis. Eight startup founders shared the one task they were surprised to add to their everyday to-do lists.
"We have always been told that you need to dress for success. We did not realize how tedious that task would be on a daily basis. We knew that this venture would include hard work with long, sleepless nights, but we also thought it was going to be balanced with relaxed, poolside conference calls. While there are definitely calm moments where you feel like a zen master, the fact is, being an entrepreneur also requires discipline. You always have to make sure your shoes are shined, your shirt is pressed and that you are ready for anything, because you never know who you are going to meet or where you are going to be. We are constantly networking and meeting amazing, new people and consequently, we always put our best feet forward, literally." – David Czinn and Josh Kahn, co-founders of Fruigees Organic Fruit Snacks
"Coming from the corporate world, I didn't realize as an entrepreneur that you have to strike the right balance between aspiration, ideation and execution every single day. It's like you're an improv performer in a one-man show, where you write, direct, produce and perform. When the day ends, you prepare yourself to start over and do it all again tomorrow — and then you listen for the applause." – Andrea Simon, CEO and founder of Simon Associates Management Consultants
"The daily task I didn't expect to do as an entrepreneur is constantly having to be prepared. I never know what's going to pop up as the day's emergency, and it can range from the mundane to the truly bizarre. Therefore I have to wear many hats and sometimes it feels like part of my day is being a professional firewoman/trouble shooter/problem solver!" – Alix Astir, CEO of Trellis Fine Florals
"As an entrepreneur, I didn't think about doing all the daily tasks I would be doing to keep the company going. I still make my own coffee. I was still cleaning the bathrooms here at work (this year I have given up that job, thankfully), taking our company recycling to the recycling center, taking out the garbage, etc. A few things have changed in the last few years, but I'm still very much involved in the day-to-day operations of the company." – Holly Bartman, founder of SuperflyKids
"As someone who only worked at large companies prior to becoming an entrepreneur, I didn't expect to be as deeply immersed in all of the minutia involved in operating a business — as many as 20 different daily tasks. In particular, I didn't anticipate watching our marketing budget every single day, measuring how each channel is performing and adjusting funds accordingly." – Joe Noonan, founder of HomespunDesign
"The daily task I didn't expect to do as an entrepreneur has changed as we have grown and evolved as an organization. In the beginning I would have answered, 'daily book keeping.' Then I hired someone full time to manage our books, allowing me more time to focus on producing revenue. As the years have gone by and we have added staff, my answer has become, 'employee management and problem solving.' I did not envision I would spend the better part of each day meeting with my co-workers and solving problems. Surprisingly, this is what I do best and really enjoy. – Damian Rodriguez, president and COO of CDR Global
"Cleaning everything! As an independent business owner, you end up not having much time. However, you are in charge of everything with your business. I prefer to get my hands dirty and stay involved with every aspect of our business. Nothing is off-limits." – Kenny Vayda, managing member of Eliminate'Em Pest Control
"The very act of dealing with the unexpected is often what separates successful entrepreneurs from those who fail. I spend a lot of time navigating the finance world in order to raise funds for our company, including pitching private investors, meeting potential strategic investors, working with our attorneys, etc. What's surprising, almost shocking actually, is how difficult and cumbersome that process is for most entrepreneurs. I spend time with my team and other experts following the new regulatory changes driven by the market and technology that could change the landscape for capital raising. Such changes could truly unlock the potential for entrepreneurship and innovation to solve problems and create social and economic opportunities for all of stakeholders." – Amro Albanna, founder and CEO of ieCrowd
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