Entrepreneur
noun
- a person who sets up a business or businesses, taking on financial risks in the hope of profit.
"many entrepreneurs see potential in this market"
synonyms: businessman, businesswoman, business person, business executive, enterpriser, speculator, tycoon, magnate; More
- a promoter in the entertainment industry.
"the music entrepreneur pulled back from financing a screenplay Hopper had written" - ***from google search***
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| There is so much in it! |
In recent years business professionals have learned a lot about what it takes to become a
successful entrepreneur. Although there is no 'perfect' combination, most successful
entrepreneurs share very similar characteristics.
In the sections that follow, those characteristics are detailed for you to consider and compared
with your own personal profile.
You may discover that the profile fits you like a glove. On the other hand, you may find that you
prefer instead to work for those who blaze the entrepreneurial trail. In either case, you owe it to
yourself to discover your true path.
Entrepreneurs are:
1. Healthy and Energetic - Starting a business takes an enormous amount of time and energy.
Working long hours is easier to do when you are healthy and fit for the task. It's no surprise
therefore that entrepreneurs pursue healthy sporting activities in their spare time rather than
lounging on the couch in front of the TV.
2. Self-Aware - Entrepreneurs who become successful know who they are, what they are goodat and what they like to do. They choose businesses that are based on their fields of expertise
or in areas that they particularly enjoy.
3. Knowledgeable - Knowledge is power. To succeed in a particular business you must know
all aspects of that business, including your competition and trends for growth or decline.
Smart entrepreneurs get smarter by regularly investing time and money in advanced education.
4. Goal-Oriented and Ambitious - Entrepreneurs love to set highly specific, challenging goals
for themselves and then take action to achieve them. They feel at 'loose ends' when they don't
have a project to work on.
5. Excellent Planners - Entrepreneurs create and follow plans to reach their goals. They know
that 'failing to plan is planning to fail'.
6. Highly Focused and Self-Motivated - No one needs to tell an entrepreneur what the task is,
or that they need to get going on a job.
7. Independent and Self-Confident - Entrepreneurial spirits are discontent when working in
large organizations, especially where their authority and control over production is minimal.
They generally believe that they can achieve a better result if they are personally in control of
the production process.
8. Realistic and Positive - Entrepreneurs accept that life isn't perfect. When life gives an
entrepreneur lemons, he or she makes lemonade. They feel challenged rather than
discouraged by setbacks and failures.
9. Willing to take Moderate Risks - A common myth about entrepreneurs is their tendency to
engage in risky behavior. Nothing is further from the truth. Successful entrepreneurs
carefully evaluate risk in terms of the potential rewards and the realistic odds of realizing
those rewards.
10. Perseverance - Small business success is 90% due to perseverance. Desire and
determination fuels an entrepreneur's ability to tough out the early days when large
investments of time, money and energy bring minimal return. Perseverance is the
characteristic that ensures survival during bad times and keeps entrepreneurs focused on the
road to success.
Although this is not an extensive profile of the successful entrepreneur, it does provide some
insight into the traits and characteristics that these individuals have in common.
So… are you an entrepreneur?
Quiz: Are YOU an Entrepreneur?