The Entrepreneurial leap of faith

Most of the working population out there is scared to take what we entrepreneurs like to call ‘the leap of faith’. Letting go of a secure job to try and make money with such a huge risk? Most would think, ‘Absolutely Not!’

Many wantrepreneurs finally take the leap after hearing one of those Zuckerberg-style success stories. You know the one. Some kid out of college comes up with a genius idea and is suddenly a multi-millionaire.

The reality is the likelihood of finding that kind of success, as an entrepreneur is usually the exception and not the rule. Not everyone has the ‘Entrepreneur DNA’. This is why so many people jump into entrepreneurship then soon give up and go back to their monotonous desk job.

Ask yourself do you really have what it takes? There has been extensive research to assess what personality and aptitude traits match up with revenue growth and market success.

Here are 6 of these traits that make successful entrepreneurs!

Persistence and Optimism – A good entrepreneur is determined to succeed and believes that he will see his vision come to fruition. When you quit your job, many people are going to tell you that you are making a huge mistake. People say things like “you don’t have the proper experience” or “you are too old to start a business” the reality is, however, there is very little that cannot be learned online and your chances of success keep increasing every year till you are 40, and even after that, they do not diminish.

Being Socially Smart – A good entrepreneur is someone who is sociable and street smart, and knows how to influence people with words as well as actions. Look at successful entrepreneurs and you will see that they have a certain charm that sets them apart from the crowd; They are typically respected by their peers and often can be quite influential when speaking to others.

Business-Mindedness – Of course, none of this comes without a business mindset; you may be street smart and optimistic, but you can’t get through without a great product or service. Do you have a unique business idea? Do you know how to market it to your target audience? Not knowing how to stand out and run an entire business will seriously hamper your chances to succeed.

Willingness to Work Hard – Most entrepreneurial endeavors fail because not enough work is put into them. What most people forget is that big money does not come overnight and that entrepreneurship takes a lot of time, effort, and sacrifice.

Management – If you are someone whose life is absolutely haphazard, then entrepreneurship might not be for you. Chances are when starting a new venture you will be running an entire business on your own and that requires the ability manage and multitask. Not to mention, that being your own boss means you will need to be self-driven.

Honesty and Integrity – No one has ever succeeded with the sole aim to be rich. All the most successful people out there are not only smart but also honest and genuinely willing to help their followers and customer base. You may make a lot of sales with false claims, but your business will eventually fail as a result. It is only with the provision of true value and honesty that you can guarantee longterm-success.

Look back at yourself and your general lifestyle. Do you think you fall into these personality trait categories? If the answer is yes, it might be time to make a decision, take a deep breath and dive in!

If you would like to learn more about this topic I highly recommend Joe Abraham’s Ted Talk on the Entrepreneurial DNA: