How to Start a Business Without Giving Up: Real Lessons From Failure and Success

Running a business isn’t easy. Whether you’re managing a family shop, launching your first startup, or growing a medium-sized company, you’ll face challenges that test your limits. Team conflicts, money troubles, market competition, economic downturns—the list goes on.

I know this firsthand. In 2012, my co-founder and I opened our dream business. Fifteen months later, we had to close the doors. The failure hurt. There were moments when I wanted to walk away from entrepreneurship completely.

But here’s what I learned: giving up wasn’t the answer. Understanding how to start a business without giving up made all the difference when I tried again.

Today, I want to share the lessons from my failure—and my eventual success. These aren’t theories from a textbook. They’re real strategies that helped me rebuild, stay committed, and finally create something lasting.

Why Do So Many New Businesses Fail?

Before we talk about solutions, let’s be honest about the problem. Most new businesses don’t make it past their first few years. Why?

The reasons vary, but here’s what I’ve noticed:

• People start businesses for the wrong reasons (just chasing money or trends)
• They lack the necessary skills or experience.
• There’s no clear plan or vision for growth.
• When problems arise, they don’t have the inner strength to keep going.

To avoid failure in your first year, you need to address these core issues before you even open your doors.

My Story: Starting a Business After Failure

Let me take you back to 2001. I had worked a few different jobs, never finding my place. Nothing felt right until I landed at a bookstore in 2001. Something clicked. For the first time, I actually enjoyed going to work.

After three years there, I knew: this was what I wanted to do with my life. I dreamed of opening my own bookstore.

In 2012, my co-founder and I finally did it. We were so excited, so full of hope. But reality hit hard. One year and three months later, our bookstore closed. We had failed.

I could have stopped there. Many people do. But in 2014, I tried again with a new approach and a new name: Wardoh Books. This time, things were different because I had learned how to start a business without giving up.

Today, Wardoh Books has published 12 collections and works with 40 talented Singaporean writers. What was the difference between my first attempt and my success? I changed my entire approach.

1. Start With Passion, Not Just Profit

Here’s the first secret to building a business you won’t abandon: it needs to come from genuine passion.

Turn Passion Into a Successful Business

Passion isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s your lifeline when things get difficult. And trust me, things will get difficult.

When your business idea springs from something you truly care about, you develop a different kind of determination. You’re not just working for a paycheck. You’re building something that matters to you personally.

Think about it: Why did I go back after my first bookstore failed? Because I genuinely love books and believe in their power to change lives. That passion gave me the strength to face failure and try again.

Compare that to someone who opens a bubble tea shop just because it’s trendy, or starts drop-shipping because they saw someone get rich online. When the first major problem hits—and it will—they have no deep reason to push through.

Here’s what passion gives you:

• A purpose beyond making money
• The motivation to solve problems creatively
• Resilience when things don’t go as planned
• A genuine connection to your work that customers can feel

Every successful entrepreneur I’ve met started with real passion. They wanted to solve a problem they cared about, contribute something meaningful, or create value for their community.

So before you do anything else, ask yourself: Am I passionate about this idea? Do I care enough to stick with it through the hard times?

If the answer is no, keep searching. Your business idea is out there—something that excites you, something you’d do even if it were difficult. Find that, and you’ve laid the first foundation for how to start a business without giving up.

2. Build on Skills You Already Have

Passion is essential, but here’s a hard truth: passion alone isn’t enough. You also need the right skills.

How to Use Your Skills to Start a Business

After working in that bookstore for a few years (I started in 2001), I knew I wanted my own shop. But I was smart enough to realize I didn’t know everything yet. So in 2004, I asked my boss if I could also work in the printing department.

Why? Because I wanted to learn every aspect of the business. I wanted to understand not just selling books, but also how they were made, how inventory worked, and how the whole operation ran smoothly.

Skills give you three critical advantages:

1. Confidence – When you know what you’re doing, you face challenges with assurance rather than panic
2. Problem-solving ability – Experience teaches you how to handle issues before they become disasters.
3. Credibility – Customers and partners trust someone who clearly knows their craft

Here’s my advice for starting a business after failure—or before your first attempt: Take time to develop your skills first.

If you want to open a restaurant, work in one first. If you want to start a marketing agency, master marketing in someone else’s company. If you want to launch a tech startup, build your technical knowledge and business understanding.

Don’t rush. I spent years preparing before my first attempt, and even that wasn’t enough. But those skills I developed? They were crucial when I relaunched in 2014.

Ask yourself these questions:

• Do I have the technical skills needed for this business?
• Do I understand the financial side of running a company?
• Can I manage people effectively?
• Do I know my market and customers?

Be honest. If you’re missing important skills, that’s okay. You can learn them. Take courses, find a mentor, work in the industry, or partner with someone whose skills complement yours.

The worst mistake is jumping in without the skills you need. That’s how you end up overwhelmed, making costly mistakes, and eventually giving up.

3. Create a Vision for the Long Road Ahead

Even with passion and skills, you need something else: a clear picture of where you’re going.

How to Create a Long-Term Vision for Your Business

When I restarted Wardoh Books in 2014, I wasn’t just thinking about the next month or even the next year. I was thinking five to ten years ahead.

I asked myself: Where do I want this business to be? What impact do I want to make? How will it grow and evolve?

My vision was simple but powerful: Everyone needs knowledge, and knowledge comes from reading. I wanted to be part of bringing valuable books to readers, especially by supporting local Singaporean writers.

That vision has shaped every decision I’ve made since.

Here’s why a long-term vision matters: A business without growth potential will eventually drain your energy and enthusiasm. If you’re doing the same thing year after year with no progress, no expansion, no evolution—you’ll burn out.

But when you can see a path forward, when you can imagine your business growing and making a bigger impact, that vision pulls you through the tough times.

To create your vision, ask yourself:

• Where do I see this business in five years?
• How can it grow and expand?
• What new opportunities might emerge as I succeed?
• What impact do I want to have on my customers, community, or industry?

Don’t just think about revenue (though that matters too). Think about the difference you want to make, the problems you want to solve, and the legacy you want to build.

When times get hard—and they will—your vision reminds you why you started. It gives you a reason to keep going when everything feels impossible.

This is a crucial part of how to start a business without giving up. Your vision becomes your north star, guiding you forward even when the path gets foggy.

4. Always Start With a Solid Business Plan

This might be the most important point of all. You can have passion, skills, and vision, but without a clear plan, your business idea might never leave the ground.

Your Business Plan Is Your Roadmap

Think of a business plan as your GPS for success. It shows you exactly what steps to take, helps you avoid common pitfalls, and keeps you focused on what matters.

A good business plan includes:

• Your business concept – What exactly are you offering and why?
• Market research – Who are your customers? What do they need? Who are your competitors?
• Financial projections – How will you make money? What are your costs? When will you become profitable?
• Marketing strategy – How will people find out about your business?
• Operational details – What do you need day-to-day to run this business?
• Growth strategy – How will you scale over time?

I didn’t have a detailed plan when I opened my first bookstore in 2012. I just had enthusiasm and hope. That wasn’t enough.

When I relaunched in 2014, I approached it differently. I mapped out every aspect of the business. I identified my income sources, figured out smart ways to invest, and created strategies for long-term sustainability.

Here’s what a business plan does for you:

1. Forces you to think critically – Writing everything down reveals problems you hadn’t considered
2. Helps you secure funding – Investors and lenders want to see a solid plan.
3. Keeps you accountable – You have clear goals and milestones to track your progress.
4. Guides decision-making – When opportunities or challenges arise, your plan helps you respond wisely.

Don’t worry—your business plan doesn’t need to be 50 pages long. Even a simple, clear plan is better than no plan at all.

Start by answering basic questions: What are you selling? To whom? How will you reach them? How much will it cost? How will you make money?

Refine these answers over time as you learn more. Your plan should be a living document that grows with your business.

Putting It All Together: How to Avoid Business Failure

Let me be clear: following these steps doesn’t guarantee success. Business always involves risk, and external factors you can’t control will affect your journey.

But what I can promise is this: these principles dramatically increase your chances of building something that lasts.

Here’s your action plan:

1. Find your passion – Identify a business idea that genuinely excites you, something you’d pursue even if it were challenging.
2. Develop your skills – Take time to learn what you need to know. Work in the industry, take courses, and find mentors.
3. Create your vision – Look five or ten years ahead. Where do you want to be? What impact do you want to make?
4. Write your plan – Map out the practical steps, finances, and strategies that will turn your idea into reality.

When I look back at my failed bookstore from 2012, I don’t see it as wasted time. That failure taught me everything I needed to know about starting a business after failure and doing it right.

The pain of closing those doors pushed me to prepare better, plan smarter, and build stronger. Without that experience, Wardoh Books wouldn’t exist today.

Your Journey Starts Now

If you’re thinking about starting a business—or if you’ve already started and you’re facing challenges—remember this: giving up is easy. Anyone can quit when things get hard.

But learning how to start a business without giving up? That’s what separates entrepreneurs who build lasting success from those who just had a brief idea.

Start with passion. Build on skills. Create a vision. Make a plan.

Then, when obstacles come (and they will), you’ll have the foundation you need to keep going. You’ll have reasons to push through, knowledge to solve problems, a vision to guide you, and a plan to follow.

That’s how you build a business that survives—and thrives.

I failed once, but I didn’t let that failure define me. Today, Wardoh Books stands as proof that with the right approach, you can turn dreams into reality.

Your turn. What business will you build?