Leonardo DiCaprio’s character adaptation in the movie ‘The Great Gatsby’ has not only increased the popularity of its American classic novel but also the character he played – Jay Gatsby.

Nick Carraway describes Jay Gatsby as the most hopeful man he ever met. The original storyline, in the novel as well as the movie, takes place on Long Island during the 1920s. It is about a man named Jay Gatsby, a mysterious millionaire living in the North Shore village of West Egg who hold lavish parties on regular basis with the only hope of drawing his old lover to his mansion. Although he is married, he holds luxurious parties so he can revive the romance between him and his past lover.

Over a period in the movie, it becomes obvious to everyone that Mr. Gatsby has earned his money by being involved in illegal activities such as bootlegging. In fact, the people he is surrounded with are unsavoury and seem to only care about where the money for the next luxurious party will come from.

As we all witnessed the end, all the money Jay Gatsby earned wasn’t able to save him from an untimely demise.

But if you saw the movie entirely from a business perspective, it makes the two of us who did. There are some savvy business lessons one can take from the movie ‘The Great Gatsby’.

Without wasting any further time, following are three business lessons every entrepreneur can take from the iconic character – Jay Gatsby himself.

1: Networking

Jay Gatsby knew the importance of networking and the benefits it carries in the business world. He used these strong connections to build an even stronger reputation among the people of the fictional town of West Egg. It was due to his strong network that he managed to bring back his long lost love, which by the way was his ultimate goal and reason behind throwing huge parties.

Using the same referencing in the real business world, we say it is important that businesses take networking seriously. Every business owner should be able to leverage networking in such a way that it helps them build their company. It is impossible to continue doing business in a bubble.

With networking, you come across your potential investors and other people in the industry with who you might end up dealing with later in the future. It not only gets you in touch with your potential business partners and investors but also your potential customers and clients.

If you want your business to succeed in the near future, we strongly recommend you to build your network and get to know companies in your sector. Having a strong network will help you through your thick and thins.

For instance, if you are suffering financially, other business owners you socialise with may refer you several alternative finance options which could get you out of your financial issues.

In the end all we can say is, having a strong network not only helps you build your company but also leads you towards your set goals.

2: Goals

Jay Gatsby’s career was entirely focused on getting his past love back in his life. He held lavish parties regularly because his eyes were always focused on the prize and he strategically worked on achieving it. From building his empire to throwing lavish house parties, his entire personal and business life was centred on his key goal.

However, we want you to have long-term goals that are business oriented than that of Gatsby’s. But even with all the long-term goals in mind, you also need to be focused on achieving your ultimate aim. Ensure that you are not distracted or caught up in some new trend which isn’t helping your company achieve the set goals.

We believe that goals and aims are bound to change over time, but it is important to always remember that you keep aiming forward.

3: A Strong Foundation

Jay Gatsby was a mysterious millionaire. But from all that we know about him, he managed to build an empire all by himself. However, his entire empire had a terrible foundation. It was built on everything illegal (an illegal enterprise) and was associated with people of questionable personalities. Even though Jay Gatsby was good at business and had a great business sense, he always opted for easy ways to build his empire without developing an honest business empire.

This is why we want you to build your business on a strong foundation and around network of reputable business associates. You need to have strong products and services that fulfil their said purposes and an outstanding customer relationship. Remember, never take shortcuts. They will only come back to you in form of losses and irrecoverable business failures.

As we all know the movie ‘The Great Gatsby’ is adapted from an American classic novel that explores the world of roaring twenties. We just tried to depict a few business lessons in our article. We believe a lot about life and failure can be learnt from the character – Jay Gatsby. But the moral is, to keep trying until you achieve it.

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