5 Traits of a Successful Entrepeneur

By: Toni Thomas

Many of you know I started my life as a business entrepreneur at the very young age of 29 when I opened my first store front business.  Although I was likely an entrepreneur long before I opened my first business, I just had a way of sharing my passions with others and getting people to share my enthusiasm.  To me the word entrepreneur has always been closely related to sharing our passions with others successfully.

I have now been an entrepreneur for the past 20 years and although not always on the upside of money I was always on the up side of life and everything I learned about the world of business I learned on my own. I spent many years watching others in business and trying to understand why some are successful and why others seem to struggle. Here is what I have observed about those we find to be successful entrepreneurs.

1.       No Shame

Successful entrepreneurs have no shame. No shame in who they are and no shame in what they do. They move forward with complete confidence that everyone they meet wants to know who they are and what they do. They know that what they do and what they have to offer is the best and that everyone should have the opportunity to share in their products or services. They tell everyone they know and everyone they meet exactly what they do and how they do it. They never let a single opportunity pass by without sharing their ideas with others.

2.       Complete Confidence

Every successful entrepreneur I know has an aura about them that is so hard to describe. Although I’m going to call it confidence I’m not sure that word does them justice. They have confidence but so much more. They have a complete understanding of who they are, what they want and where they are going. To be next to a successful entrepreneur is like getting struck by lightning and enjoying it. The electricity is so powerful you are unable to pull away and yet you know you don’t want to be anywhere else. These folks have a hard time leaving a room, no one wants the energy to be gone, and the letdown is just too great.

3.       Assertiveness

Have you ever wanted to say something so bad but you hold back and let the moment pass. Well a successful entrepreneur never lets the moment pass. They speak in truths all the time. They say exactly what’s on their mind and never do it in a way that makes us feel uncomfortable. They point out issues the moment they see them and have no fear of repercussion because for them there are none. They know they owe their successes only to their abilities and they have no patience for wasteful conversation and unacceptable behavior. They never mince words and always put it all on the line.

4.       Focus

All successful entrepreneurs live in their passions and their ability to see the future. Successful entrepreneurs never waiver from where they are going and always focus on completing the task, their ability to create the future is how they define their successes. There is no compromise for them. The outcome is well defined and their focus is always on the mark.

5.       Plan

No successful entrepreneur goes into any project without a well thought out plan that has been put to paper. They strategize followed quickly by implementation. They never let ideas sit on the sidelines. Even a bad idea has to be explored just in case it leads to a better idea. They always follow through and never fail to follow up. Every successful entrepreneur I know would say the fortune is in the follow up.

Successful entrepreneurs have proven that their best traits have allowed them to be dynamic in a world which is ever changing. I for one want to be on the other side of success and know that each of you have the ability to be there as well.

Cheers

Toni