What do people such as Bill Gates, Walt Disney, & J.K. Rowling all have in common? Yes, they are all entrepreneurs but they share more than that. They have achieved success because of their similarities as well as their ability to design something unique.
They were, at one time, ordinary people just like you and me. So if they can achieve their goals, what’s to say we can’t have similar success? By passionately possessing and exemplifying the following traits, you can be one step closer to your ideal goals.
- Take risks. Now we know what you are thinking, every entrepreneur pours thousands of dollars into their business originally so we are simply referring to financial risk. However, that is not always true. Sometimes the time and work that goes into a business initially, outweighs the money aspect. You can still be successful with limited funds. Taking risks also applies to creativity with your design and products or services. Uniqueness succeeds better than commonality.
- Have passion for the product or service. If you are selling something that you don’t truly believe is one of the best products out there, what makes you think you will be able to convince others differently?
- Visualize a timeline and end goal. With the ideal end result in mind and visible, you have a far better chance of achievement. If you think what you want to do is not obtainable, then how will you ever obtain it? It is best to have a realistic timeline where you can lay out where you want to be and when you want to be there. Then make it happen and don’t give up till it does. We suggest even writing your goals down to refer back to.
- Determination and drive is key. We are pretty sure you have heard the quote by William Edward Hickson, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, again”. As cliche as this sounds, we really mean it. Success is not going to come within your first attempt and maybe not even in your second or third. You must be persistent and understand that failure is simply part of the learning process to set you up for future success.
- Adaptability is necessary. Yes we suggest having a timeline and yes we suggest following it as close as possible but we know that problems are always going to arise and no plan is seamless. With this in mind, you must have the ability to adapt and make decisions on your feet. Being indecisive and cold cut will make the entrepreneurial process very difficult. You need to have an open mind and be able to adjust with change.
- Have a clear message and project it. Your customers should understand the message you are hoping to spread through your project or service. Be transparent with your customers by sharing what you plan to accomplish and why you are interested in pursuing your desired business.
Being an entrepreneur is not an easy job. We know that, which is why we can’t stress to you enough how important it is to always keep these six traits close to your heart throughout the entire process. These traits may seem obvious to some but just because you know what you need to do, doesn’t mean that your actions will reflect that. If these traits are not something you are strong in, work on it for the better of your company. We truly believe these are necessities if you want to see progress in your company.
