Entrepreneurial Traits

9.   Commitment - An entrepreneur will not achieve success if he/she gives up at the first sign of trouble. Commitment to his business and to its success springs from the urge to achieve the goal.

10.  Honesty and Honor - Another very important mark of a good entrepreneur is his being honest and honorable in all his business dealings and interpersonal relationships - whether it is between business partners, employees, peers and investors.

Curiosity

This applies to small and large companies, start-ups, and service or product companies. Without creativity, you are susceptible to becoming a me-too company, which will lead to lower profit margins, loss of market share, and eventual demise in today's fast moving entrepreneurial world. You want people who ask a lot of questions-not gossip questions. They should ask how questions. How do we know if our ads work? Look for curious people and think of questions to ask them. Etc.

You, as the Small Business owner, need to have a high patience level to listen to all these questions. Curious people are also much more apt to always be learning. It will pay off in your business and employee retention. This patience with questions carries over to your home life, particularly with kids. Their barrage of questions can be annoying at times. Your patience will help the process.

Most successful entrepreneurs have a strong passion for their ideas or concepts. The key to success in any business is to find your passion. Contrary to popular belief, they are not natural risk takers. Like most successful business people, they will carefully assess risks before making any major decisions. The fact is; most entrepreneurs love their work.