How To Become An Entrepreneur

OK, I LOVE being an entrepreneur. Truly I do. Even with the hard work and the frustration, it’s such an amazing pursuit for me, and has been for 30 years. Honestly, I’m still as energized when working on a new business today as I was when I was in my twenties. 

Entrepreneurship is not for everyone, but if you have a passion for a particular idea or product and have a willingness to take the risk to bring it to market, then it might be for you. Many successful entrepreneurs have started with a simple idea and grown it into a thriving business.

There’s risk involved, are you OK with that?

Becoming an entrepreneur involves taking risks. There is a possibility of failure, but the rewards can be great. You need to be comfortable with the idea of taking risks and be willing to learn from any mistakes you make along the way.

There are many attributes that contribute to the success of an entrepreneur, but here are ten of the top ones:

1. Passion: Successful entrepreneurs are passionate about what they do. They have a strong desire to build a business, and they’re driven to make it succeed.
2. Resilience: Entrepreneurs face many challenges, setbacks, and failures along the way. Successful entrepreneurs are resilient and have the ability to bounce back from these challenges.
3. Creativity: Entrepreneurs need to be creative to come up with innovative ideas for their businesses. They need to be able to think outside the box and find new solutions to problems.
4. Flexibility: Successful entrepreneurs are flexible and adaptable. They’re willing to change course if something isn’t working and are able to pivot their business in new directions.
5. Risk-taking: Starting a business is inherently risky. Successful entrepreneurs are willing to take calculated risks and are not afraid to fail.
6. Vision: Entrepreneurs need to have a clear vision of what they want to achieve with their business. They need to be able to see the big picture and plan for the future.
7. Perseverance: Building a successful business takes time and hard work. Successful entrepreneurs have the perseverance to keep going even when things get tough. 
8. Leadership: Entrepreneurs need to be effective leaders to build and manage a team. They need to be able to inspire and motivate their employees to achieve the company’s goals.
9. Focus: Successful entrepreneurs have a laser focus on their business goals. They know what they want to achieve and stay on track to get there.
10. Customer-oriented: Entrepreneurs need to focus on their customers to build a successful business. Successful entrepreneurs understand their customers’ needs and create products or services that meet those needs.

There is hard work involved

Starting a business requires a lot of hard work, dedication, and long hours. You will need to put in a significant amount of effort to get your business off the ground and keep it running. However, the satisfaction of building something of your own can be incredibly rewarding.

Being an entrepreneur can incredibly rewarding (or frustrating or both!)

Being an entrepreneur can be one of the most rewarding experiences of your life. You get to be your own boss, set your own schedule, and create something that you’re truly passionate about. However, it can also be frustrating at times, especially when things don’t go as planned. But with persistence and a positive attitude, you can overcome any obstacles that come your way.

Are you willing to work for someone else forever?

If you have a desire for independence and want to be your own boss, then becoming an entrepreneur might be for you. Working for someone else can be limiting and may not offer the freedom to pursue your own ideas and passions.

No risk, no reward

If you want to achieve something great, you need to be willing to take risks. The most successful entrepreneurs are not afraid to take chances and make mistakes. They learn from their failures and use that knowledge to improve and grow their business.

The reason a lot of people decide to learn to become entrepreneurs is that there’s a chance your business will make a lot of money – presumably a lot more than you can make at your present career or day job.

It’s a way to roll the dice as they say. You bet on yourself in this case. Fun stuff.

The entrepreneurial mindset

The entrepreneurial mindset involves being able to identify opportunities, take calculated risks, and stay focused on achieving your goals. It’s about having a vision and being able to execute on it. With the right mindset, you can overcome any challenges and achieve great things.

Entrepreneuring is a path, it doesn’t happen overnight

Becoming a successful entrepreneur takes time and effort. It’s a journey that requires hard work, dedication, and persistence. You will face challenges and setbacks along the way, but if you stay focused on your goals and keep moving forward, you can achieve great success.

I always tell my entrepreneur students and people I coach “The only way to lose as an entrepreneur is to actually give up. If you keep stepping up the plate and swinging at the ball, you’ll eventually get a hit.”

I love it and you might too!!

I absolutely love being an entrepreneur. It’s not for everyone, but if you’re ready to take the plunge and you have the drive and determination to learn what you need to learn in order to succeed, it can be an incredible experience. There’s no greater feeling than seeing something you’ve built from scratch become successful, and the satisfaction that comes with that is unmatched.

UH-OH:  Not everyone should be an entrepreneur

I wish I could say that entrepreneuring is great for everybody – but that’s simply not true. 

If you have a very hard time getting things done on your own or struggle with motivation and follow through, or you know that you give up easily then there is a strong chance that entrepreneuring is not a good fit for you. 

That doesn’t mean that you don’t have your own super powers! You probably do! But entrepreneuring is not a good fit for a person who loses motivation and struggles to get things done because you need an extra dose of that of strength in order to make progress and to create a business out of nothing.

Be honest with yourself because the process of building a business is a long and somewhat arduous task – it takes a lot of time, energy, money and resources.  If you’re not the right profile for all this,  there are probably better ways for you to advance your career and make money and achieve things. That’s OK. Everyone’s path is unique.