Shadowing Practice: How to Become a Successful Entrepreneur No-BS Guide - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Becoming an entrepreneur can seem overwhelming.
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You may already have the ambition, the ideas, and you've probably seen videos on how to get rich that talk about ways to make money,
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but no one explains how to actually build a business that works.
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So, in this video, I'll show you a complete roadmap with the essential parts you need to become an entrepreneur
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and massively increase the chances that what you're building actually works.
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Let's not waste time and get started.
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Part 1.
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The main paths to becoming an entrepreneur.
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According to Google, an entrepreneur is someone who takes on the risk to create a product
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or service that delivers value and does it with the ultimate goal of making a profit.
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But how do you actually get there in practice?
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If you look at how entrepreneurs actually start, you can usually group their paths into three broad approaches, shaped by their experience and available resources.
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The first path, and probably the easiest one if you're starting from scratch, is selling a skill of yours.
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In fact, to start any entrepreneurial project, you mainly have two levers available, money and time.
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If you don't have money, you can use your time to build skills that you can later turn into income.
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And I'm not talking about random skills, but the ones the market is actually willing to pay for, and pay well.
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Nice.
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What you're seeing here are simply the highest paid skills, and the nice thing is that learning these skills is free.
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For example, if you want to learn how to sell, you can search for that skill on YouTube,
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and you'll find tons of videos on the topic.
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It's not the most efficient path because you're trading time for money,
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but it's also the fastest way to go from zero to your first real results.
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And, step by step, you stop selling just your time and start building something more scalable, like a team or a structured service.
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Another path is improving a product that already exists.
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This is where many people get stuck, thinking they need a revolutionary idea to start a business.
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In reality, if you look at the biggest companies, they took existing product and made them better.
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For example, Apple didn't invent the computer.
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Before the Apple one, computers already existed, but they were hard to use.
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You had to buy components, assemble them, and install the software yourself.
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Apple introduced a fully assembled computer with an integrated operating system, ready to use.
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Amazon did the same.
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It wasn't the first company to sell books online, but it made buying books easier for customers.
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So ask yourself, how can I make this same thing 10 times better for a specific group of people?
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Then there's the problem -solution model.
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In this path, you start from the problem itself, and you design whatever solves that pain best.
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There are countless problems in the world, but not all of them are valuable or worth building a business around.
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The right approach is to focus on problems that are widespread and costly to ignore.
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Problems that, if left unsolved, cost people money, time, energy, or customers.
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In these cases, people are much more willing to pay for a solution.
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You don't need to search across every industry.
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You can solve a problem you personally have, or one within your area of expertise, because you understand it deeply and can recognize realistic solutions.
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One efficient way to find these opportunities is to ask AI to analyze real -world problems and generate possible business solutions.
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Just remember to do your own research and verify the information before building anything.
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Part 2.
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Build a basic skill stack.
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One of the biggest myths in entrepreneurship is that success comes from one big idea.
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In reality, it's about building up multiple layers of skill that can actually make a business work.
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The more skills you build, the more problems you can solve, and the more valuable you become in every part of the business.
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When it comes to the skills an entrepreneur needs, there are six main fields to focus on, such as marketing and sales,
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which help you attract customers and turn interest into actual sales.
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The operational side of the business, meaning understanding how the work is done in practice.
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And here, your priority should be to become the best at doing it in your niche.
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Accounting, to keep track of what happens in the company.
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Corporate finance, so you can read a balance sheet, understand cash flows, and interpret the key indicators of the business.
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Taxation, to manage taxes and compliance correctly.
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And the classic soft skills such as communication, time management, which help you guide people.
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Of course, you don't need to know everything from day one.
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Otherwise, you risk never getting started.
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Learning is a gradual process, and in practice, it never really ends, because an entrepreneur is always looking for new skills to implement in the business.
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That said, the goal is to build enough foundational knowledge in each field to make informed decisions
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and understand whether the people you work with are doing a good job.
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Because if you outsource your marketing to an agency, you still need enough marketing knowledge to judge their work and know whether their strategy makes sense.
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If you can reach a 40 % level in each field, that is already an excellent result.
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To build this foundation, you have access to countless tools and resources.
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Part 3.
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Map Your Market and Opportunity Before collecting data, you need to decide whether you want to sell B2B or B2C,
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because your approach changes depending on that choice.
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B2B means selling to businesses, while B2C means selling to consumers.
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Both have pros and cons, and the right one depends on whether the problem you found is more relevant to companies or to end customers.
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Once that's clear, the first thing to understand is market size, how big the opportunity is.
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This is usually done using three levels that progressively narrow down the market, from the total theoretical size to the portion you can realistically gain.
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The first is total addressable market, which represents total demand if every potential customer bought your product.
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You calculate it by multiplying the number of potential customers by the average price.
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If you sell software for restaurants and there are 5 million restaurants worldwide, with an average price of $500 per year,
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your TAM is $2 .5 billion.
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Next is the served available market the portion of the TAM you can realistically serve based on geography, language, or sales channels.
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You calculate it by applying filters to the TAM.
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If you decide to operate only in the southeast of the United States, and there are 150 ,000 restaurants there,
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then your SAM becomes those 150 ,000 restaurants times the average price, which gives you $75 million.
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Finally, you get to the serviceable, obtainable market, which is the slice you can realistically capture in the first few years,
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based on your current resources and operational capabilities.
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You usually calculate it by applying a realistic percentage to your SAM, based on what typically happens in your industry.
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If you think you can capture 1 % of your SAM in the first year, then in this example, your sum would be $750 ,000.
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In this way, you get a realistic estimate
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and understand what the maximum earning potential for the first year of activity looks like.
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After that, you move on to analyzing your target customer and the competition,
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looking at demographic and behavioral data on one side and competitors' prices and strengths on the other.
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Part 4.
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Calculate Your Startup Costs.
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Startup costs are the expenses you actually need in order to get started, and estimating them properly is key to avoiding early failure.
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They're made up of two main types of expenses.
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The fixed costs, meaning recurring monthly expenses you'll have to pay, like rent, utilities, or salaries.
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And the one -time costs, meaning expenses you pay only once to start, like equipment and setup fees.
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These are often the biggest upfront items.
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You can estimate your startup costs by adding your one -time expenses to your fixed costs multiplied by your buffer months.
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Buffer months are usually 6 to 12 months of fixed costs, so you don't run out of of cash in the first weeks.
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Part 5.
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Turn your idea into a business plan.
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The business plan is one of the most important documents when you want to turn an idea into a concrete project.
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It is often seen as something complicated or useful only if you need to ask the bank for money.
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But in fact, it is much simpler than it seems.
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It is simply a document that fully describes your business project, usually over a five -year period.
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You don't need to start from scratch.
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You can download a free template online and there are plenty of options available.
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Then, simply fill in the pre -made sections with your own details.
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What matters is that it gives you a written point of reference, forcing you to think in real numbers instead of vague ideas in your head.
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Part 6.
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Launch your project.
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Before you launch your project, it's important to follow a clear sequence of steps,
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because each one gives you concrete data you can use to shape the next.
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The first step is doing a SWOT analysis.
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A SWOT Product analysis is a strategic planning tool used to systematically evaluate the situation of a project.
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The name comes from four words.
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Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats.
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Strengths represent everything that makes your idea competitive compared to others in the same sector.
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Weaknesses are what you're still missing or what could slow you down on the way.
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Opportunities look outside your business, at what's happening in the market that could work in your favor.
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Threats are all the external elements you can't directly control, but that could make the path more complicated.
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This analysis should be done before launching your project on the market,
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because it helps you better understand customer needs and identify the distinctive traits of your product.
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At this point, your value proposition comes into play.
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That's how you explain why a customer should choose you instead of any alternative.
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It shouldn't be a generic sentence or a list of technical features.
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What matters is explaining in a simple, direct way what concrete result people get when they choose you.
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For example, we help small digital entrepreneurs who feel lost in bureaucracy get their business in order within 30 days.
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Now, instead of going all in immediately, it makes sense to do a pre -launch.
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This means testing your idea on a small scale a simple landing page that explains what you offer,
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and a few emails to collect the first signups, is already an excellent way to test.
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At this stage, it's much better to have a few highly targeted customers than a lot of random contacts,
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because those first customers will give you far more useful feedback to understand whether your idea can really work.
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Only after you've collected this feedback and made the necessary adjustments do you move to a full product launch.
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At this stage, it's important to already have your acquisition channels ready and a way to measure your results.
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The data you collect will constantly help you refine your communication and improve your internal business processes.
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Part 7.
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Master Cash Flow.
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There are three types of cash flow, but the one worth keeping an eye on is operating cash flow.
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It is very important because it shows how much cash your core business is really generating,
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and it gives you a clear view of whether you will have enough liquidity to cover your costs in the coming months.
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To calculate it in a simple way, you start with the company's net income, meaning the final profit after subtracting all the costs it has incurred.
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Then you add back depreciation, if there is any.
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Finally, you consider changes in working capital, meaning the money tied up in the day -to -day operations of the business,
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for example in inventory or payments to suppliers.
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Let's break this down with a simple example.
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Imagine a clothing store that makes $8 ,000 in one month.
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In the same period, it buys a new lighting system for the store, costing $5 ,000.
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In accounting, that cost is spread over time with depreciation of $500 per month.
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In addition, there are $3 ,000 worth of clothes and inventory that were not sold that month.
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In the end, even though the profit is $8 ,000, the actual cash generated by the business is $5 ,500.
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Part 8.
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Set up your management control.
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Think of this tool as the control panel of your business.
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A pilot would never take off without checking the instruments.
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In the same way, you should not make important decisions without having the key numbers in front of you.
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Many companies actually fail because they do not make decisions based on numbers.
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And management control is precisely the tool that helps you keep an eye on all the essential figures of the business.
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While you may not need a full management control system from day one.
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It's wise to start early with a basic version that tracks only the key performance indicators for your business,
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so you always have a clear picture of how your business is really performing.
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To learn how to use it, you don't need a degree in economics.
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You can start with practical books that include examples
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and downloadable excel files and combine them with video tutorials
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that show you step by step how to set up the sheets and read the results.
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Part 9, the main levers of business growth.
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At this point in the journey, a natural question comes up.
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How do you go from a business that works to a business that grows in a big way?
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Scaling doesn't just mean working more or trying to sell to everyone, but acting on a few specific levers that,
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when managed well together, multiply the potential of the business.
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The first lever is your team.
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Delegating intelligently allows you to free up time and mental focus
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so you can take care of what really matters in the business, even though not everything should be delegated in the same way.
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You usually start with repetitive tasks, the ones that eat up hours but can be done just as well or even better by someone else.
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When the operational side is in the team's hands, the entrepreneur's role boils down to three main activities, keeping an eye on the numbers,
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leading the company's strategy, and taking care of relationships within the group.
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The second lever is growing your customer base, which basically means bringing more people into your world and turning some of them into paying customers.
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The most direct way to do that is by investing in marketing, a topic I've already covered in detail in another video here on the channel.
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So if you're interested, make sure to check it out.
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The third lever is improving your margins.
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Profit margin is simply the difference between the revenue your business generates and the costs you sustain,
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and it's one of the clearest indicators of how profitable a company really is.
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Successful companies almost always have solid margins.
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Among the different types of margins, the most useful for an entrepreneur in day -to -day management is the operating margin.
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The operating margin measures how much you earn from the core activities of your business.
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The formula to calculate it is this.
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Where cost of goods sold refers to all the costs directly tied to what you sell,
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while operating expenses are all the ongoing costs needed to keep the business running every day.
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If in one month you make $10 ,000 in revenue, spend $4 ,000 on cost of goods sold, and $3 ,000 on operating expenses,
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your operating margin will be 30%.
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That means that for every dollar that comes in, after paying what it takes to keep the business going, you're left with 30 cents in profit.
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To understand whether your margins are good, all you need is a quick search to compare them with the average in your industry.
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To improve them, you can reduce operating costs, increase the average order value, create a customer loyalty program, or quite simply, raise your prices.
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The last lever is raising investment, meaning putting yourself in a position to grow much faster than
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you could by relying only on the resources generated inside your business.
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At this stage, all the work you did earlier becomes crucial,
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especially your business plan, together with a pitch deck that clearly communicates the value of your project.
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To actually find investors, the best places are still LinkedIn and the various matchmaking platforms you can find online.
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Part 10.
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Use the right environment to grow more quickly.
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Growth rarely happens in isolation, and the first person who can genuinely accelerate yours is a mentor.
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When people hear mentor, they often think of the usual fake guru selling online courses and promising magical shortcuts.
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But a real mentor is someone who has already done what you're trying to do
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and has achieved results similar to the ones you want.
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And it doesn't have to be just one.
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You could have a different mentor for each key area of your business because each field has its own logic.
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Steve Jobs himself, when he decided to turn Apple from a garage project into a real company, leaned on Mike Markala, a former
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Intel executive who supported
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Jobs in Apple's strategic decisions.
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It's a concrete example of how even someone with a huge vision still needs someone more experienced on the business side.
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Alongside this, there's the whole topic of networking.
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Being surrounded by people who have goals similar to yours
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and who don't look at you like you're crazy when you talk about business speeds up your growth.
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In practice, the mentor is the vertical figure you look up to, while your network is the horizontal environment you move in.
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Taking care of both makes your entrepreneurial journey much more effective.
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During this journey, there will be highs and lows.
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Days when you feel unstoppable and days when you wonder why you even started.
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But if your goal is to escape the 9 to 5 and build something of your own,
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it's also one of the most rewarding paths you can choose.
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If you enjoyed this video, remember to leave a like and let me know in the comments where you are right now in your journey.
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Bye.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This C1 speaking lesson is built on the video “How to Become a Successful Entrepreneur No-BS Guide”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: cost, customer, skill. This video has 218 sentences and 3080 words to shadow. The speech runs for 17:38. The speaker talks at a natural 175 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 87% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| entrepreneur noun | /ˌɑn.tɹə.pɹəˈnɝ/ | A person who sets up a business; generally, a person who owns and manages a business and assumes its financial risks. |
| lever noun | /ˈliː.və/ | A rigid piece which is capable of turning about one point, or axis (fulcrum), and in which are two or more other points where forces are applied; — used for… |
| calculate verb | /ˈkælkjʊleɪt/ | To determine the value of something or the solution to something by a mathematical process. |
| mentor noun | /ˈmɛn.tɔː/ | A wise and trusted counselor or teacher. |
| realistically adverb | In a realistic manner. | |
| startup noun | /ˈstɑɹtˌʌp/ | The act or process of starting a process or machine. |
| indicator noun | /ˈɪn.dɪˌkeɪ.tə(ɹ)/ | A pointer or index that indicates something. |
| depreciation noun | /dɪˌpɹiːʃɪˈeɪʃən/ | The state of being depreciated; disparagement. |
| entrepreneurial adjective | /ˌɑn.tɹə.pɹəˈnɝ.i.əl/ | Having the spirit, attitude or qualities of an entrepreneur; enterprising. |
| assemble verb | /əˈsɛm.bəl/ | To put together. |
| delegate noun | /ˈdɛlɪɡət/ | A person authorized to act as representative for another; a deputy. |
| buffer noun | /ˈbʌfəɹ/ | A solution used to stabilize the pH (acidity) of a liquid, such as by resisting a change in pH when an acid or alkali is added. |
| analyze verb | /ˈæn.əˌlaɪz/ | To subject to analysis. |
| countless adjective | /ˈkaʊntləs/ | Synonym of uncountable. |
| addressable adjective | Able to be addressed. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| set up verb | /ˌsɛt ˈʌp/ | To make ready for use. |
| build up verb | To erect; to construct. | |
| come up verb | To emerge or become known, especially unexpectedly. | |
| eat up verb | To consume completely. | |
| look up to verb | To show respect or admiration for (someone); to see (someone) as a role model. | |
| speed up verb | /spiːdˈʌp/ | To accelerate; to increase speed. |
| take off verb | To remove. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Let's not waste time and get started.
- You don't need to search across every industry.
- You don't need to start from scratch.
- Let's break this down with a simple example.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | is often seen · should be done · is spread |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | you've probably seen · you've collected · has incurred |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | someone who takes · market, which is · person who can |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 30 contractions and reduced forms, such as you're, don't, doesn't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: theoretical /ˌθi.əˈɹɛt.ɪ.kəl/, myth /mɪθ/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: depreciation /dɪˌpɹiːʃɪˈeɪʃən/, foundational /faʊnˈdeɪ.ʃə.nəl/, entrepreneurship /ˌɑn.tɹə.pɹəˈnɝ.ʃɪp/, taxation /tækˈseɪ.ʃən/, proposition /ˌpɹɑpəˈzɪʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: entrepreneur /ˌɑn.tɹə.pɹəˈnɝ/, indicator /ˈɪn.dɪˌkeɪ.tə(ɹ)/, depreciation /dɪˌpɹiːʃɪˈeɪʃən/, entrepreneurial /ˌɑn.tɹə.pɹəˈnɝ.i.əl/, foundational /faʊnˈdeɪ.ʃə.nəl/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like entrepreneur, lever, calculate.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.