How constant change is reality as a Professional Entrepreneur
Everyone likes to count on someone’s word. When I say things I like to mean it. The reality of our profession is no consistency. I do not mean telling lies or failing to be truthful. What I mean is there is so much we cannot control. Something as simple as, “I will pay you Friday when the deal closes” can turn to ten days past the milestone. No person can control when another person wires money. No person can control how many customers will show up on a given day. No person can control banking policies on small business lines of credits. No person can control another market entrant that introduces a superior product.
Change is reality.
A huge hurdle you need to overcome is appearing inconsistent. Individuals who have simple lives predict their routine. A person who works a 9–5 job wakes up, takes their children to school, does the same redundant tasks, comes home, spends family time, goes to gym, sleeps…repeat. This is a normal cycle for some people.
A Professional Entrepreneur’s daily cycle is unpredictable.
The first reality you must face is constant change. If you involve people who are upset by constant change it will cause dissension. You must pick team members who are fast thinkers, resourceful, and adaptable to different circumstances. The market we seek to take advantage of is a fluid environment. Often we can have our paychecks influenced by something as simple as “one decision”. The beauty of working with Middle Space Business People is their uncomplicated decision process. The process of decisions is always centralized. Middle Space Business People are very hierarchical and traditional (One Person at the top — many people at the bottom). This style of organization is true regardless of personal preferences. Cash flow constraints prevent division managers, corporate managers, and board of directors. If your Business Person gets sick, suffers a setback, or has some family emergency your deal can stall.
The nature of a Professional Entrepreneur’s battlefield is unpredictable.
The constant change can cause ignorant team members to breed negative emotions. Ignorance is not an insult. Ignorance simply means “lack of knowledge”. It is important that you understand most people lack understanding required to operate in this environment. As a result “playing the odds” is very important. Professional Entrepreneurs must locate opportunities that have straight forward business models. The more complicated a business is the greater the chance for non performance. If a business product is dependent on 2, 3 or 4 different parties to be fulfilled there is great chance for failure. Find business products that conduct their product fulfillment in-house when starting. Relying upon 1 key vendor is okay, provided the product is not complicated. The more gears in the rotation portion of a wheel the greater the chance the wheel will not turn. I also work on public private partnerships (P3). Those have nearly 10 or 11 different pieces. Those deals are very complex. I once had 35mm lined up to set solvency for a foreign banking institution. The institution would refinance a government bond debt restructure. I worked the deal for almost a year. I met with the Premier and Minister of Finance. I shook his hand and he committed to me in Miami. After legal fees, plane rides, and my time we arrived just before the application for licensing. I introduced the fund manager that would set the solvency for the bank and the premier did an about face. I had 9 out of 10 pieces. The deal fell apart at the end and the fund manager thought we were “rubbish”. That is an example of how inconsistent a complex deal can be.
The more complicated the business product, the more profitable the venture is. On the bond restructure deal I would have cleared nearly 1mm USD. The correlation between complication and profit is obvious. Most people do not want to try low probability events. When there is scarcity of talent, pay demands a premium. You must learn to balance the desire to earn high with the likelihood you will get paid. Professional Entrepreneurs balance their projects like an investment portfolio. Each entrepreneurial endeavor represents a risk reward. I usually start 3 or 4 different items at a time. I can manage as high as 6 or 7. Typically 1 or 2 will pan out. The other 5 or 6 will stall, not complete, or have the business person abandon the task mid stream. The degree of uncertainty may cause some people to be reluctant. That is okay. You must know what you are doing to enter a professional entrepreneur’s climate. The cost benefit analysis will be worth it. I once went 5 months without earning a dime. I then earned $40,000 in a single month with a $125,000 payment due within another 180 days. For nearly a half a year nothing I did panned out. After my 5 month drought I earned out $165,000 with still 5 months left in the year. This is the reality of this profession. This profession requires sound money management skills, very good saving habits, knowledge through education and living within your means.
$100,000 in your account does not mean you can go out and get a nice car. You might have to use that for a half a year before you get paid again. Prudent decisions make a prudent bank account.
For me, living on my own terms everyday will always be priceless. A Professional Entrepreneur knows this and values it. Gain some prospective. Understand change is good. Understand change will be your reality if you decide to choose this path. If you are a Business Person reading this, have some empathy. The path is hard and working with us requires understanding. We will create the opportunity to double your profit. You just have to be patient and understand our environment is fluid. A good professional entrepreneur always wins more than they lose. I do. Don’t quit on us after one loss.
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About Christopher: Christopher Knight Lopez is a Professional Entrepreneur. Christopher has opened over 7 businesses in his 14-year career. Christopher’s purpose is to take advantage of various market-driven opportunities. Christopher is a certified Master Project Manager (MPM) and Accredited Financial Analyst (AFA). Christopher previously held his Series 65 securities license. Christopher also has his General Lines — Life, Accident, Health & HMO. Christopher has managed a combined 286mm USD in reported Assets Under Management & Assets Under Advisement. Christopher has work experience in 29 countries, raised over 50mm USD for various businesses, and grossed over 7.5mm in his personal career. Christopher worked in the highly technical industries of: biotechnology, finance, securities, manufacturing, real estate, and residential mortgages. Christopher is a United States Air Force Veteran. Christopher has a passion for family, competitive sports, fishing, martial arts and advocacy for entrepreneurs. Christopher provides self-help classes for up-and-coming entrepreneurs. Christopher’s passion to mentor comes from belief that entrepreneurs need guidance. The world is full of conflicting information about entrepreneur identity. See more at www.christopherklopez.com
