That Entrepreneurial Itch
I want to talk to you today about something near and dear to my heart, and obviously present in my life every day. As you know, I’m an entrepreneur. I don’t think any of us is born as an entrepreneur, but many of us have an itch that just needs to be scratched at some point in our lives. Many times that itch leads us to entrepreneurialism.
Let’s talk about the US economy for a second. I know that’s not always a happy word, but the fact of the matter is, the economy will always fluctuate. It’s very cyclical. The truth is, the business landscape is very unpredictable as well. A solution to that often is entrepreneurialism. It really is an answer for many people.
12 Entrepreneur Skills
I came up with some important skills that every entrepreneur should have. They’re in no particular order, but I thought they were all essential to entering the world of entrepreneurialism. They’ve all been true to my own life too.
Curiosity
1. This may be one of my favorites. I think I was just born this way. An entrepreneur needs to be curious. They need to take a stance of asking questions. Why does that happen that way? Why is this not working? Why are they doing that? You must be in a state of wonder, or a discovery zone in your head.
They also must have a willingness to learn, which is always tied to curiosity. They should surround themselves with people who are smarter than they are, which in turn breeds this curiosity! What are those successful people doing that works for them? An entrepreneur can in turn be very innovative from this curiosity.
Resiliency
2. An entrepreneur needs to be resilient. They must have thick skin. Rejection is going to come their way. They will experience burnout and slow progress, because things don’t happen overnight. They must maintain positivity, determination, and drive. They need to become an expert at failure management.
Remember…I say this often…failure is a bruise, not a tattoo! That’s something an entrepreneur needs to adopt.
Branding
3. An entrepreneur must have a great skill at branding themselves. They must be creative and consistent, and brand themselves across their social sites. They must find the right audience. They can’t take a chameleon stance, but they must maintain a consistent brand. People want to know, love, and trust you, and an entrepreneur knows that.
Communication
4. An entrepreneur needs to communicate well. They must communicate clearly, with purpose, and with impact. They need to say what they mean and mean what they say.
Authenticity
5. An entrepreneur needs to be authentic. They must be genuine. They need to know that people don’t care what they know, but rather that they know what they care about, and they adopt that mantra. They stay authentic to who they are.
Time Management
6. An entrepreneur must excel at time management. They must know how to prioritize planning, how to time block, and how to use different apps and technology to help them time manage. They must remember that Rome was not built in a day. They must be patient and take a bite one chunk at a time. They know that success takes time!
Strategic Thinking
7. An entrepreneur must utilize strategic thinking. They must think outside the box. If this is not something that comes naturally to you, which it certainly doesn’t to me, then you should be willing to reach out for help. There are definitely people who can show you how to do this!
Networking
8. An entrepreneur must be a good networker. They need to be willing to be a referral source, a recommendation source, an endorsement source, to take on mentors, and to be a mentor. They should look to inspire people. They know that success leaves clues, so they network and look for those clues.
Share Person
9. An entrepreneur needs to be good at sales. I know the word sales can turn people off, but listen up. I train my team and my clients to think of it as being a share person, not a sales person. If you love what you do, you’re sharing your product or your service.
Bottom line is, sales keep the lights on in our businesses. They pay the bills. So take the negative stigma off the word, and share your passion with your customers.
Financial Management
10. An entrepreneur should be good at financial management. They need to develop discipline and be good stewards of their money. If you lack financial savviness, then you’re being put at risk for bankruptcy, regret, and going back into the full time workforce. If you’re not good at it, then hire someone.
I personally have someone who does my books for me, and she’s such a blessing to me.
Stress Management
11. An entrepreneur needs the tools to develop stress management. Ask yourself this…is this situation something I have no control over, or is this something I can take action on? When you ask yourself that question, especially as an entrepreneur, you can manage your stress. Channel your stress towards positive things.
Team Player
12. An entrepreneur needs to be a team player. They’re known for teamwork. They aren’t holding things in a closed fist. They’re willing to share their work. They’re giving, and they know that three heads are better than one, so they love to collaborate.
The Good News Is…
If you get discouraged at any point in your professional journey, just remember…not everyone is born to be an entrepreneur, it sometimes takes time. Here’s the good news I promised you though…
You can learn these things! You can hone in on your strengths and improve your weaknesses. If you’re fearful about doing these things, hire a coach to hold you accountable. Be willing to learn!
Spread Value!
Now, I could have gone into many, many other helpful topics for entrepreneurs. Such as needing to know how to hire people, train people, etc. but I do feel like these are the 12 most important things that must happen first.
I hope you got some value out of these tips. If you did, feel free to share it! Think of someone who may be considering starting her own business, and share it with her too! Most importantly…if you’re ready to take that leap and start your own business, let’s chat!
