Have you ever thought about jumping off the corporate hamster wheel to strike out on your own? Admittedly, the thought of being your own boss can be quite tempting. But the fact is, owning a business isn’t the right choice for everyone. To be a successful entrepreneur, you’ll need to possess—or cultivate—certain attributes.
Here’s a list of character traits that many thriving entrepreneurs have in common:
A Steadfast Motivation
Do you have a desire to take charge of your financial future and start your own business? According to Monster, “Entrepreneurs are enthusiastic, optimistic and future-oriented. They believe they’ll be successful and are willing to risk their resources in pursuit of profit.” People with an entrepreneurial spirit are energetic, and their thoughts are usually laser-focused on their business and increasing market share. Does that sound like you? Are you consistently motivated to succeed? Do you have the drive to bounce back when challenges arise?
A Knack for Creativity
“Successful entrepreneurs have the creative capacity to recognize and pursue opportunities,” says Monster. Being the founder of your own company will require vision to steer your business in the right strategic direction. Can you look ahead and see the big picture? Do you have the creativity necessary to find innovative ways to promote your products or services? Are you good at generating fresh ideas and executing in way that connects with customers?
An Ability to be Versatile and Adapt
When you first start out, you won’t have staff members or colleagues to provide support, so you’ll be wearing a lot of hats for a while. Are you versatile enough to act as the sole customer support representative, as well as the CEO, marketing specialist, and bookkeeper? If you want to succeed as an entrepreneur, you’ll need to be able to adapt as needs arise and/or changes occur. You will need to good at multi-tasking and having a solid grasp on where your time is best spent.
A Personal Toolkit of Business Skills
While there are many business skills a successful entrepreneur should possess, Inc. lists five abilities they feel are essential:
Sales
Marketing drives customers to your business, but sales keep the money pouring into your pockets. How are your selling skills? Are you persuasive and persistent, with a willingness to tirelessly promote your business and look for clever ways to spread the word about your product or service?
Planning
To be a successful entrepreneur, you’ll need to make a plan and stick to it, thinking out every risk, benefit, and cost of your business venture. You’ll also need to set realistic goals, factoring in necessary aspects such as time and budget.
Communication
This essential skill is what helps you cultivate loyal customer relationships, court investors, and build other lucrative partnerships that will increase revenue for your business. Communication will also help you deal with vendors or other business services that contribute to the success of your venture.
Customer Focus
You need to recognize that customers pay your bills and make your venture possible, so that’s where your focus should be. Everything you do should be for the customer, whether you’re assisting them with orders, listening to complaints or doling out praise. Customer focus means that you view every customer experience as an opportunity to improve.
Curiosity
A healthy curiosity as a successful entrepreneur will inspire you to examine what your competitors are doing, as well as try out new technologies to streamline your business and reach out to new customers. “When the only limit you have is what you can imagine and apply, just about anything is possible,” says Inc.
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