According to Webster’s dictionary, an entrepreneur is one who organizes, manages, and assumes the risks of a business or enterprise. But what defines a successful business owner? What characteristics or traits are common to those who enjoy success with their own home business, for example? It can be argued that these character traits translate to successful people in general and do not just apply to successful business people.
The following is certainly not based on any scientific research but is based on what I believe the majority of successful business owners have in common. This comes not only from my opinion but also from past experience and my dealings with successful entrepreneurs.
The number one trait I have discovered which is common to all is their desire for hard work. Not only, not shying away from it, but also in seeking it out. The more work they have to accomplish the happier they seem to be. If they aren’t busy or have very little to do they begin to worry that something is wrong. Being a hard worker is essential for success in any field of endeavour, not only business.
The second characteristic which seems to be shared among all winning business people is being happy in what they are doing. They have chosen to do something which they enjoy. With most it seems to be more of a passion than enjoyment which drives them to greater heights time and again. In order to enjoy success in any field you must enjoy what you are doing. If you’re not happy with your situation then success will be very difficult, if not impossible, to attain.
A third quality which seems to be universal among winning home business owners is their self-discipline. These people know what they have to do, when they have to do it, why they have to do it, and they just do it. Procrastination isn’t in their vocabulary because they know in order to rise to the top and to stay there you have to stay ahead of your competition. You aren’t going to accomplish this by putting off until tomorrow or next week what should have been done, by their way of thinking, yesterday.
A fourth attribute successful business owners share is their goal orientation. They all seem to be focused on the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. The majority of victorious entrepreneurs actually sit down everyday and write out what their ultimate goals are for their business. They do this on a daily basis and visualize it in their minds. They believe that if you can see it, you can, and will achieve it. Having defined goals is a necessary ingredient for the success of any venture.
A fifth and final feature attributable to many successful business owners is their unwillingness to give up or quit. Quitting isn’t an option for many of them. If times get tough they will fine tune certain aspects of their situation and perhaps make drastic changes if they feel they are warranted but they will not give up.
These are some of the characteristics I have found to be present in many successful business owners I have encountered over the years and if you’re lucky enough to be blessed with all of them then you can’t help but be successful with your home business enterprise.