Not everyone has the mindset, skills, and discipline to become an entrepreneur. Being a business owner is a significant challenge, as you are relying on yourself to make things happen rather than doing what your bosses require each day.
There are many sports players with similarities to entrepreneurs, as they must also work for themselves and build up their careers over time. You can take inspiration from any athlete, gambler, singer, actor, or writer as you look to become an entrepreneur.
Prospective business owners should also understand the qualities they need to possess to succeed in such a world.
Below are the top ten characteristics of a disciplined entrepreneur.
1. Discipline
The most vital attribute for any entrepreneur, or person in life, is discipline. You must have self-discipline when you are starting a new business, as there is no one to dish out consequences if you do not stick to your deadlines.
Some people have incredible ideas and visions for a business, but they lack the focus and discipline to sit down and do the work. Only with discipline can you put in the necessary effort to create and run a business.
2. Curiosity
An entrepreneur is someone who looks at the world with curiosity. Each time you see a product or service, you want to learn more about the associated journey.
You must also have the curiosity to challenge the status quo in a particular sector. If you are comfortable working for an established company and taking home a paycheck, and are not curious about how you could do things differently, you will fail as an entrepreneur.
3. Experimentation
Being willing to try different steps as a business owner is imperative, especially when running a small business. Perhaps you have one idea for how to run your business, but you crunch the numbers and find that said idea will not work.
Rather than throwing in the towel, you must be ready to experiment and come up with a Plan B, Plan C, and Plan D. By experimenting, both theoretically and practically, you can go a long way as an entrepreneur.
4. Planning
People imagine spending a few days on planning is enough, but that is not the case. There is so much work that goes into getting a business off the ground. You could take months to iron out all the details ahead of getting your business license and eventually launching your company.
Such planning is challenging, both from the standpoint of getting the job done and remaining focused. Your mind can easily wander as you stare at financial projections, which is why you must be a great planner to make this work.
5. Integrity
Your business is only as good as the image you can project of yourself. People must trust that you are running a legitimate business in good faith. That is the only way they will deal with you.
Whether you are negotiating with a vendor, talking to a supplier, or finalizing a transaction with a customer, trust is necessary. That trust can only occur when people believe that you are a man or woman of integrity. If they know you are reliable and trustworthy, they will consider doing business with you.
6. Risk-Taking
There is no such thing as playing it safe when you are developing and running a small business. You are taking on players in the same market that have a lot more experience and resources, which means you have to take gambles to achieve success.
People who are risk-averse may think they will make great businessmen or women, but they find being an entrepreneur very challenging. You cannot be irresponsible as a business owner, but you have to gamble from time to time as well.
7. Optimism
You are likely to face many obstacles when you are developing your plan for a business, getting everything off the ground, and eventually opening your store or online business.
These challenges can take out the best of us. You may find that you are ready to call it quits after one or two setbacks. Only those who have a lot of optimism, and can see the light at the end of the dark tunnel, can succeed as entrepreneurs.
8. Hard Work
There is a notion that when you leave your corporate job and you go into business yourself, you will not have to work as hard. People imagine setting their hours and only working four or five hours a day.
The truth is that if you want to run a successful business, you have to work night and day to make your dreams a reality. That is especially the case during the first few years of setting up and establishing your business.
9. Networking
Being able to successfully network with influential people in your industry or local area is so important when you are a small business owner. Between getting permits, finding great deals on property, engaging with marketing companies, and dealing with suppliers and vendors, you have a lot to do as a small business owner.
Handling such tasks deftly and with great people skills is so crucial. Only those who are outstanding networkers can go into business alone and succeed.
10. Creativity
Anyone who wants to go into business for themselves must have a lot of creativity. You are entering a market that likely has many established players, which means your product or service must stand out from the crowd.
If you are attempting to create a new niche, product, or service, then you are taking an even bigger gamble. Such risks are manageable, but only when you have the creativity to come up with new ideas and out-of-the-box solutions to problems.
