By Bert Zethof

Persistence has always been touted as an entrepreneurial virtue. Making incremental improvements and achieving many small wins over a long period of time will set you up for success.

It's the old story that an "overnight success" is really the culmination of many years of effort.

I feel that we are in the midst of an historical shift in capitalism itself; in the very way that business is done. When we look back at this time twenty or thirty years from now, we will see that the global economic recession will have been like a forest fire that burns away the old to prepare the ground for the new.

The new business landscape is already emerging and is dotted by truly triple-bottom line companies: They are good for the economy, the environment and society.

Right now, many thousands, if not millions, of entrepreneurs are toiling in relative obscurity with less than satisfactory returns. Of course, not all will succeed and few will be an instant success. It typically takes years of effort to develop the value proposition, build the infrastructure and create the customer base.

But when their business concept matures and the economy turns around, we will see green shoots everywhere, growing rapidly into strong sustainable businesses.

So keep the faith. If things seem hopeless, first check that your business is not in a dreaded cul-de-sac where success is impossible. Determine if your business is simply in a "dip" which you can eventually work through.

If your business has an upside then adopt the mindset that failure is not an option and go for it! As long as you follow a sensible course of action, the truth of your offering will prove out.