The concept of starting one’s own business is a popular one, and it’s not hard to see why. Many dream of success that would enable them to kick back, travel the world, or simply enjoy life without having to worry about money. However, building a successful business is much harder than it looks; even many successful business owners today have tried and failed more than once in this field. One such business owner is Raffaele Riva, the founder of the Aurea Multi-Family Office, a group of companies that offers wealth management services that include corporate finance, sports finance, real estate, estate planning, and services related to tax and legal issues arising from international trade. Riva is eager to offer advice to those who are considering starting their own firm; to this end, he recently outlined the three most important things he has learned as a business owner.
Maintaining a positive attitude is at the top of his list. As he has experienced failure, he has found that it doesn’t have to be permanent; rather, it can lead to success if one is willing to learn from the experience and move forward. He encourages entrepreneurs to be bold and daring, without fearing the consequences of making mistakes. He also advises individuals to be careful who they listen to. One of his favorite quotes, attributed to Albert Einstein, states “Stay away from negative people. They have a problem for every solution.” While Riva is the first to encourage individuals to listen to advice from the right people, he urges would-be business owners and entrepreneurs to reject criticism, pessimism, and negative comments that do not lead to personal or business growth and progress. Rather than focusing on what is wrong, he urges individuals to focus on why things went wrong and find solutions to problems while learning how to avoid similar problems in the future.
Riva also reminds entrepreneurs of the importance of staying true to their values. He knows first-hand the dangers of trying to acquire wealth too quickly, as at one point he expanded his business too far and was unable to handle the workload that came with the rapid business growth. Rather than saying yes to every opportunity and making it possible for people to take advantage of the new business, he urges entrepreneurs to examine opportunities very carefully and from multiple angles before making a decision. Wealth isn’t everything, he is fond of saying, as he states that a wealthy man is one who is not afraid of poverty. As odd as this may sound to some, Riva asserts that those who are truly wealthy do not value money above all.
Finally, Riva reminds individuals who want to build a successful business that they will have to work hard in order to not only become successful but also maintain a successful business. While Riva has business offices in three countries and has many qualified people working with him, he himself works from morning to night. In order to stay abreast of how he is doing, he uses a personal journal to keep track of every single thing he does during the day. He also makes it a point to do the most important things in the morning rather than putting them off until later. Another productivity tip he offers is to schedule meetings and appointments far in advance. This makes it possible for him to properly plan ahead to ensure each meeting/appointment is as successful as possible.
Raffaele Riva clearly enjoys his work and where he is at now in life. He notes that no two days are alike, as what happens each day is determined by who he is meeting and working with that day. Having climbed his way up the corporate ladder and then launched out to start his own businesses, he understands the urge many have to ditch a 9 to 5 job in favor of entrepreneurship, and he is eager to see those who do so succeed and reach their full potential. His advice is sure to be a boon for anyone who wants to learn how to not only start a successful business but also reach their long-term business goals.
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