Most Noticeable Entrepreneurial Traits
By Weerad D. Arma [caption id="attachment_176146" align="alignleft" width="239" caption="Entrepreneurial Traits"][/caption]
It is not true that successful entrepreneurs are born that way; in fact, anyone can be a successful entrepreneur. However, there are some specific entrepreneurial traits a person must have to be successful in the field of business. What are these essential Entrepreneurial Traits that anyone who is interested in starting a business must possess?
1.  Independence - This is the most common denominator of all entrepreneurs.
2. Persistence and Determination - The world of entrepreneurship is fraught with both success and failure. An important quality of a successful entrepreneur is the doggedness to continue pursuing his goal despite some setbacks and obstacles that he may encounter on the road. This persistence and determination is fueled by a burning desire to achieve his goal of succeeding in his chosen field of business.
3.  Self-Confidence - Along with independence, an entrepreneur possess self-confidence. The business world is very competitive and is not a place for the half-hearted. Belief in one's capabilities is very important in achieving any goal - especially in the world of entrepreneurship.
4.  Creativity - In the business world, you can not afford to be complacent and un-creative unless you want the competition to move up on ahead of you. Creative people are naturally curious, inquisitive, bright and highly flexible when thinking.
5.  Organized and goal-oriented - An entrepreneur knows the value of organization in a business endeavor. All efforts must be focused towards achieving the goal. A good entrepreneur has the ability to consolidate his resources.
6.  Visionary - An entrepreneur has a vision for his future. This vision may be for short, middle or long term, but all visions are to ultimately succeed in expanding one's business.
7.  Risk-taking and Tolerance for Failure- A good entrepreneur realizes that loss and failure are inherent in any business endeavor. Thus, an entrepreneur must always be ready to make calculated risks and face whatever consequences those risks might have. Entrepreneurs must have the courage to face failure and start again despite these setbacks.
8.  Perseverance and Hard Work - These are perhaps two of the most important entrepreneurial traits. In the world of business, there can be no real success without perseverance and hard work.
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.
