Motive is a powerful word and force in life. It is behind absolutely every action we take in life, even starting a business. Darren Lomman shares with us the why behind starting a business in his interview with Dale Beaumont.
While at university, Darren invested over 4,000 hours in designing and building a hand-controlled motorcycle that could be ridden by a person with paraplegia. Dreamfit was then born and Darren continues to make people”s dreams come true through his passion.
What recommendations would you make to aspiring entrepreneurs who want to get started in a business of their own?
Recommendation one: don’t go into business for the money! – I initially chose engineering as a profession for two reasons. First, because I had a natural understanding of maths and science, which I thought would enable me to do well, and doing something you are good at definitely makes life easier. The second reason I went into engineering was because I had heard that engineers make lots of money. In hindsight, they were completely the wrong reasons to go down that path.
Recommendation two: don’t go into business for the sake of going into business – this is the wrong reason and you will more than likely end up regretting it or disliking what you do. Find something that you are passionate about and love doing, and then look for opportunities or ways you can turn that into a business.
When I first started my engineering degree, I really didn’t enjoy it all that much. It was simply a career path until I realised I could use my skills to make a difference to the lives of people with disabilities.
For me that was an absolute awakening. I loved the idea of being able to help other people. That’s when I started to become passionate about what I was doing and began to excel. Passion gives you a natural source of energy, which allows you to dedicate yourself to achieving your goals.
For those thinking, ‘You are so lucky, I don’t know what my passion is’, keep your eyes and ears open. The world is full of exciting opportunities ready to be grabbed.
It was never a long-term plan of mine to go out and start a business that designed equipment for people with disabilities. It all happened from one little statement – ‘If I had one wish, it would be to ride again’. Had I not been on the lookout for a university project at the time, I probably would have ignored it. Who knows how my life may have turned out if that had been the case?
For more of this interview and what to think about starting a business, check out “Secrets of Entrepreneurs Under 40 Exposed!“
