What Are The Traits Of A Successful Start-up Entrepreneur

Entrepreneurs – are they born or made? This topic is endlessly debated in the start-up world and a lot of aspiring entrepreneurs want to know if they have what it takes to become successful.

I think it’s a combination of both and what really determines success in entrepreneurs is their passion to make it regardless of their education or background.

However, people who go on to achieve long-term success share some skill-sets which can be adopted by most people. 

Let’s take a look at these 6 traits and see if you have what it takes to be a successful start-up entrepreneur:

Be A Knowledge Sponge

When you set up your own business you have to constantly stay on top of industry changes and developments including areas which are not directly linked to your area of expertise.

Only those who have a craving for learning will stay ahead of the game and avoid being surpassed by competitors.

Reading books, attending seminars and following industry news is important but you also need to open your mind and ask people questions as their answers can inspire learning and a better understanding of the market and business in general.

Be A Hard Worker

Success doesn’t come easy and starting and running a business requires long hours and hard work during the start-up phase and beyond. You need to have the energy and stamina to work the long hours and do what is required to get the business up and running.

You will also need to steer clear of any distractions and make sure you don’t cut any corners just because no-one is peering over your shoulder. This will only harm your long-term business plans.

Remain Grounded

As an entrepreneur, it’s important to have aspirations and pursue goals which may appear unrealistic to those around you. While you need to be ambitious, you still need to listen to those around you.

Entrepreneurs know how to walk the line between self-confidence and external feedback and should be fully grounded.

Believe in your dreams but react to what’s around you and be willing to change your mind following feedback from your target audiences.

Being grounded will give you the ability to respond quickly to any situation and will help you to make the right decisions. Don’t be afraid to take a step back and re-assess your decisions if you feel you have to.

Become A Survivor

Starting your own business means that you have to live with uncertainty and you have to overcome a number of challenges on a day-to-day basis.

Many of the most successful entrepreneurs have experienced failure before going on to achieve success. It’s not failure that that can harm a business, it’s how you handle it that makes the difference.

If you encounter failure, what’s most important is to take that experience on board and use it in a way that will help you in future endeavours.

Be A People Person

Genuinely liking meeting and talking to people is vital to running a successful business because no-one can build a business alone.

As a business owner, you will be surrounded by different groups of people that have a stake in your business – whether it’s your employees, sub-contractors, suppliers, your local community or your customers.

Learning how to communicate and how to build trustworthy relationships with them will determine the future of your business.

Display A Salesperson’s Skill

Many start-up entrepreneurs get caught up in developing the perfect business plan for their business launch but remember that being a salesperson is one of the most important jobs you have.

It doesn’t matter how great your business plan is, if you’re not actively selling your product or service, you’re not going to succeed. If you’re confident about the product or service that you’re offering, then you should be passionate about selling it and everyone around you should be able to pick up on that.

If you want to grow your enterprise, you need to know how to influence people and make them buy into your vision. This doesn’t only include your customers; it involves your team, potential investors and everyone you meet.

Even if you have hired a sales team, you should still need to be the most passionate salesperson within the company to generate leads and attract interest.

Exclusive content for I Am New Generation Magazine – Matt Gubba is the Founder and CEO of BizBritain, which works as an official delivery partner of the government’s Start Up Loans Scheme. BizBritain was founded by Matt to deliver funding and mentoring to aspiring entrepreneurs.