Are You an Entrepreneur?

Wikipedia defines an entrepreneur as an individual who organizes and operates a business or businesses, taking on financial risk to do so. If you aren’t operating a business just yet, don’t worry, you can be an entrepreneur in heart and mind while still feeling a little stuck on getting that business going. Whether you are a wee budding entrepreneur just learning to take your first few baby steps or an entrepreneurial guru racing through the land of risks, fun, and adventure that is entrepreneurship, the following 11 traits of a successful entrepreneur can help you on your way! How many of these traits do you possess? 1. Limitless Imagination: Entrepreneurs are creative by nature and full of imagination. All self employed entrepreneurs possess and value imagination.  The founders of google could have worked for any technology company in the world, but they saw a new way to search for things on the Internet.  They imagined something that didn’t exist and made it a reality (and a verb, for that matter)! “Imagination is more important than knowledge" – Albert Einstein 2. Visionary Genius: This one is tough to teach.  You can show people how to open their minds to it but then it’s up to them to see it! Any article you read on how to become a great entrepreneur will include vision on it’s list. In some cases, you could be an entrepreneur following someone else’s vision, like in the franchise or network marketing. You still need to have clarity and passion around that vision to make it your reality. 3. Invest in Yourself Daily: Top entrepreneurs educate themselves by reading books relevant toentrepreneurship, leadership, self-help and anything else they can get their hands on including newsletters, websites and industry publications! Self employed entrepreneurs attend business and marketing seminars, workshops and training courses, even if they have already mastered the subject matter of the event. They do this because they know that education is an ongoing process. There are usually ways to do things better, in less time, and with less effort. In short, self employed entrepreneurs never stop investing in the most powerful, effective and best business and marketing tool at their immediate disposal–their mind! 4. Risk + Action = Self Employed Entrepreneur: Success Swimming with sharks. Taking the highest bungee jump in the world. Running with the bulls. Speaking in front of thousands. Risk! Entrepreneurs LOVE, or at least embrace risk.  You wanna know how to be a great entrepreneur, you gotta learn to exercise your risk muscle and take subsequent action! Mitigating risk is good. Successful entrepreneurs don’t run in with guns blazing all the time. They assess the risk (with a high tolerance level for it) then they take action. Each one may have a slightly different risk meter, but when the time comes; they step out of their comfort zone and take massive action.

5. Tenacity of a Pit-bull: Of all the traits of a successful entrepreneur, this may be the BIGGEST of all. They never quit... NEVER quit! Things are going to look un-winnable with obstacles at every corner that would make most just throw in the towel. Entrepreneurship can be a daunting thing! Do you have what it takes to never, never give up? Ever watch a pit-bull play ball? 6. Constant Curiosity: True entrepreneurs can't help but question EVERYTHING. They're sitting at a football game wondering what the demographics of the audience are for marketing purposes. They're wondering how things work and have to read up on it immediately or just take things apart to look at it. The curiosity is insatiable and drives them to ask why we keep doing things the way we do, come up with ways to do it better, faster, cheaper, and take action. 7. Sales Professional: Being a great salesperson isn’t always about the “hard sell.” In fact, great entrepreneurs promote the benefits of the sale and let the service or product sell itself. Do you know how to develop your customers, present them with the right product or service at the right time, and follow up to build your business? Self employed entrepreneurs work on this one until they master it! 8. Technology & Social Media Savvy: All of the most successful entrepreneurs of recent years have used technology to their advantage, from Microsoft’s Bill Gates to Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg. You don’t have to invent new technology, but using tech trends to save time and increase profit can give your business a huge advantage!  Ignoring technology and social media can cost you millions! 9. Unwavering Passion: You don’t have to adore every aspect of your business to be a successful entrepreneur. But it’s absolutely necessary for you to have a deep passion for making your business a success, because this passion will take you through all the crap you have to go through to make it a massive success.  Your entrepreneurial journey will be unique to you but you’ll only get to your destination with unwavering passion! 10. Leadership, Leadership, Leadership:Great news is that leadership can be learned and honed and improved. You may be thinking I’m self employed and don’t need employees to be successful.  That could be true but you do need customers, vendors, team members, partners... you will cross paths with those who you’ll need to lead so don’t push this to the wayside. 11. Work Hard, Play Hard: I bet you’re surprised to see this one on here. If you really want to know how to become a great entrepreneur, you got to know when to play hard an when to unplug!Taking time to recharge those batteries is important. True entrepreneurs know the importance of keeping that passion alive.  The curious, risk-taking adventurous side of the entrepreneur can’t be neglected or it will shrivel up and die!  They follow all their passions and live life to the fullest! So how did you do? How many of the traits of a successful entrepreneur do you have? Are you ready to develop the others? (By Matt Morris at MattMorris.com)