Entrepreneurs are truly a unique breed. You might even go as far as saying there are only two types of people in the world: entrepreneurs and everyone else. They’re dreamers and doers, the people who come up with ideas that are crazy enough to work and then set about bringing those ideas into reality. They constantly wear many hats and never stop learning.
It takes a special skill set to carve your own destiny and take control of your future. What does it take to become a successful entrepreneur? Here are seven signs that you may have what it takes:
1. You’re Passionate About Your Ideas
When a true entrepreneur has an idea, everyone else better move out of the way. Entrepreneurs know no obstacles, not when it comes to knowledge, skills, money, or even time. If they’re passionate about a project, they’re going to find a way to overcome anything that stands in their path.
If you have an idea that’s burning a hole in your brain, keeping you awake at night, and speaking to you from the depths of your soul, you might have the makings of an entrepreneur. Even in the face of setbacks and challenges, your go-getter attitude never wavers. Most importantly, you try to get everyone you know to be just as consumed by your idea as you are.
2. You’re Comfortable with Failure
A great entrepreneur of his time, Thomas Edison once said, “I didn’t fail. I just found 10,000 ways that didn’t work.”
Entrepreneurs love to experiment, and they usually have to fail multiple times before they find the right way to do something. But entrepreneurs never see this as failing, but rather as part of the learning curve. They embrace these opportunities to learn and improve, and take each lesson to make their next attempt stronger and better.
If you fall off the horse, do you get right back on it or do you leave the barn once and for all? If you’re bound and determined to master something no matter what it takes, then you’re probably an entrepreneur at heart.
3. You Wake Up Hungry
Just about anybody with a great idea has what it takes to start pursuing it. But not everybody has the ability to sustain it.
At some point, those that don’t have the entrepreneurial spirit are likely to abandon their projects, lose sight of their purpose, or have some other, shinier new idea pull their focus.
Not entrepreneurs.
Entrepreneurs wake up hungry every morning, not for breakfast but for success. They can’t wait to start the day and see what new tasks they can accomplish or new challenges they can overcome. They look forward to solving problems because doing so means they’re making progress toward their goal.
4. You Relish Being in Control
The single most common reason most people switch to entrepreneurship is because they like the idea of becoming their own boss. They enjoy being in control and having the flexibility to do things their way. In fact, a recent Vistaprint survey found that 62% of respondents want to own their own business and be in charge, but only a slight few felt they had what it takes to make it happen.
A lot of people enjoy being in control, even those who aren’t made to be entrepreneurs. There are times when most of us have seen better ways of doing things but couldn’t get anyone’s attention to make it happen, and it can be frustrating to feel like we’re not being heard.
But the difference is that entrepreneurs can succeed in self-autonomy, while it becomes quickly obvious to non-entrepreneurs that they lack one or more skills or characteristics that will help them become successful.
Likewise, if you don’t like working independently and constantly rely on others for direction, entrepreneurship likely isn’t for you.
5. You Haven’t Found a “Fit” Anywhere Else
Many entrepreneurs come to entrepreneurship after having met dead end after dead end working for other people.
Some entrepreneurs have an unstable job history because they never really found the place where they fit in. Maybe you’ve been fired from every job you’ve ever had, or maybe you left every job you’ve ever had simply because you didn’t find it to be fulfilling.
Whatever the case, people who were born to be entrepreneurs typically won’t fit in anywhere other than self-employment. This is important because they have strong feelings about the caliber of their work and their own ideas that don’t always mesh with the vision of the company they work for.
To some, this can look like stubbornness, a disregard for rules, or disengagement from company culture.
6. You’re Curious
As a general rule, entrepreneurs have an insatiable thirst for knowledge. They’re the ones who ask the tough questions and dive deeper into things that typically never hit other people’s radars.
Entrepreneurs tend to read a lot, especially books written by experts in their field or self-help books that can help them develop successful habits that will prove useful in their ventures.
Most importantly, entrepreneurs that are always asking “Why?” are the ones who are able to uncover problems that need solving and develop solutions that solve those problems. We see this happening a lot in the tech industry, specifically with software-as-a-service solutions that are being developed to tackle just about any type of problem in any industry.
7. You Can Step Outside Your Comfort Zone
Being an entrepreneur comes with a lot of inherent risks. You’re now depending on yourself for a paycheck rather than punching someone else’s time clock. You’re tasked with solving all of your own problems. You have to manage your own resources.
For some, this is a huge step outside of their normal comfort zone —but this is also a necessary part of growth. The more you step outside your comfort zone, the easier it gets and the larger your comfort zone becomes, as well.
Wrapping It Up
Interested in reading more posts like these? Check out these previous blog posts to help:
- 5 Ways to Stay Disciplined and Achieve Greatness
- Why You Should Start a Side Hustle
- How to Stop Waiting and Start Creating Opportunities
Lastly, know that entrepreneurship comes in many different forms. You don’t have to go 100% full-time right away. Starting a side-hustle can be a great way for you to figure out the market you want to tap into. This is a great way to see if what you’re wanting to do is going to pan out and actually help generate enough income for you to go full-time.
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