Successful entrepreneurs are (or should be) role models for everyone starting a business. Very few of them started with a substantial capital, but all of them started with a vision and with the ambition to succeed and to make that vision come through. In doing so they have found – each of them individually – the best way to plan their time, stay motivated and deal with failure.
If we are to study a representative number of successful entrepreneurs, we will soon discover that they all have some common traits, some common habits which helped them stay on course, pursue their idea and succeed. Today we will share a few of the most effective habits of productive and successful entrepreneurs, which can help you become the best you can be in your own niche.
1. Do Not Wait until You Are Ready
The truth is, you will never be ready to go into business. There will never be a perfect alignment of the stars and circumstances to give you the green light to become an entrepreneur. The key to success is to start your business despite that inner voice telling you that you are not ready.
All of us fear failure – not just from a financial point of view, but because it is a blow to our egos. This is why we are never quite ready. A productive entrepreneur acknowledges this feeling, but does not let it stand in the way of fulfilling their vision.
2. Seek and Accept Feedback of All Kinds
Another important aspect in being a successful entrepreneur is being able to accept criticism. Asking for feedback for your ideas helps you step outside your own comfort zone and see things with different lenses. Thus you are made aware of potential caveats and weaknesses in your plans.
Nobody is perfect, so even your best plans may have a hidden flaw in them. By inviting others to scrutinise your business plans you can perfect them, eliminate flaws and give them a higher chance to succeed.
3. Set a Specific Number of Goals
One of the easiest ways to achieve nothing is to set too many goals. When you spread yourself out too thin, you are never able to focus on anything properly and devote enough time, resources and energy to achieve it. This is why you should rethink your entire strategy and set a small number of achievable goals per week and per month, and make sure that you do achieve them all.
Remember to hold yourself accountable for the success or failure of completing all of these goals. If you can brush a failure aside and never ask yourself why you did not make it, then you are not taking yourself and your business too seriously.
4. Get Up Early and Exercise
There is an old saying: a healthy mind in a healthy body. Successful entrepreneurs take care of themselves. They stay fit, they make an early start in the morning and, no matter how busy they are, they find time to go for a run or to the gym.
Good health is the key to a clear mind and an enthusiastic state of spirit which encourages entrepreneurial thought and action. Do not neglect to keep in good health – because your business depends entirely on you. You are the number one asset for the achievement of your vision, so treat it with great care.
5. Master the Art of Networking
You cannot succeed on your own – no matter what business you want to start. You will always need good advice, an investor, a team of talents, or even a business partner. This is why you should learn to build your network of acquaintances and nurture it. Be active on social media such as LinkedIn, attend business fairs, events and congresses, and learn to create a good impression and expand your network of contacts.
These are only five habits which you should embrace. In time, you will develop your own routine for success, and maybe you will return us the favour by sharing it with us.