Are you one of those people who work hard to achieve your goals?
What methods, ways, or processes do you apply to accomplish that goal?
Do you think they are sufficient enough or effective as part of your progress?
But before answering these, let's focus first on one of the most perplexing questions you'll ever be asked:
"What is your definition of success?"
Is it anything tangible or something that makes us stand out?
Or maybe it's something we've been aiming for and finally gotten!
Success" according to Merriam-Webster, is a "favorable or desired outcome". Or if you put it into different words, it is the sense of accomplishment, a sense of winning.
One of the most confusing parts of our life's daily process is that do we believe that we are successful in life right now, and what are the signs that we already are? And if we are, what is the next chapter after it? Is this the final chapter of our life?
Most of us, including me, wanted to be successful someday. We're busy doing stuff we think could help us achieve the goals of our lives. But most of the time, we neglect the very significant things we must keep. Also, we believed in a systematic yet traditional way of how our life should be rolling. Where we need to study and do well at school first, choose and finished a great degree so, in the end, we could have a chance to be on the job that we want to be. But, there are a lot of people who critically think that it doesn't stop there. Being successful is not having a great degree, or landing a good job and be employed there forever until you decide to retire. NO! We all know that the only one getting successful in that so-called; "PROCESS" is the top of the food chain, the most elite of the company, the bosses the CEO in other words the ones who provided us the employment in the first place. The true step in achieving one's success is to be in their position: An owner of a business, an owner of a company, being business-minded, or in other terms, to be an "entrepreneur".
What is entrepreneurship?
Whether you have a single clue or not about being an entrepreneur, the fact that you want money to work for you and not the other way around only means to say that you want to be one. You're very lucky since, at this very moment, you will know more about that in a bit.
Based on research and studies, entrepreneurship is about the concept of developing, innovating, and managing a business venture with the aim of making it as profitable, while facing different risks in the corporate world. Only means to say, it is not an easy task to accomplish. In fact, even those who are already born with a silver spoon in their mouths are having difficulties and shortcomings when it comes to being successful in this kind of field. Moreover, entrepreneurship starts with a person who is willing to put up a new beginning business.
As of today, entrepreneurship became a career option in the world where it is the most chosen path by the "millennials" especially those who are new in having a family or students with bigger dreams. We can't deny that entrepreneurship has a big role in terms of being a factor in the progress of economic development and status globally in marketplaces. We can't also hide the fact that at this time of the pandemic, many people were suddenly looked into having an entrepreneurial sense of belief and mindset, so-called that they are willing to take the risks involved just to be able to gain something from it...
Do you consider yourself an entrepreneur?
Here are some of the characteristics of being an entrepreneur according to JBCN International School's studies about the 10 Characteristics of an Entrepreneur.
CREATIVITY
It is the act of giving birth to something new, implying that creativity promotes innovation. You may produce more fresh purposeful inventions the more creative you are. Furthermore, your ideas will be something skillfully unique that can be used to mitigate future dangers and solve current problems, turning them into opportunities.
PROFESSIONALISM
It is one of the most important characteristics. For it talks about the quality and discipline a good entrepreneur must possess. It also talks about your mannerisms and behavior towards employees and clients that will help to develop the culture of the organization. As a result, professionalism provides an example of how to be a dependable, trustworthy, and disciplined entrepreneur, motivating workers to work harder and accomplish their jobs correctly and to the best of their abilities.
RISK-TAKING
Because the only constant in the world is "change", an entrepreneur must be willing to accept the risks of evolving or adapting to the changes that occur, as well as having the desire to explore fresh perspectives and ideas that will help him find something unique. However, an entrepreneur must be prudent in the risks he will take in order to win because it will necessitate investments of time, knowledge, talents, and money.
PASSION
One of the most fundamental attributes of an entrepreneur, because it all begins with enthusiasm but never ends with passion. You are giving your all in your company endeavor not only because you want to make money, but also because you enjoy what you are doing, which makes you happy despite the difficulties of the corporate world or business industry.
PLANNING
An entrepreneur must be skilled at planning and decision-making since there will be no actual success for a firm that has not planned and has no precise goals to aim for. Furthermore, planning is the most significant phase required to manage the business endeavor, as well as a technique to structure processes inside the firm and assist the firm with the strategies that may be implemented. "If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail."
KNOWLEDGE
To solve problems that may arise in the business, an entrepreneur must have knowledge of the industry into which he or she is venturing. As long as the entrepreneur is knowledgeable about various aspects of the industry, he or she will be able to make sound decisions and devise new strategies to increase the company's success. He or she must also be aware of his or her own strengths and flaws in order to make decisions on how to improve the organization's success and health. The entrepreneur who understands his or her playground will also understand how to play on it.
SOCIAL SKILLS
This trait must be acquired by a competent entrepreneur since it entails connection development, recruiting and talent sourcing, and team strategy design. It discusses how the person will market his company, how he will hire and train employees, and how he will maintain good working relationships within the company. An entrepreneur must not act like a boss who merely gives orders and waits for the money to come in; instead, he or she must be a good leader who not only builds a lucrative company but also fosters positive relationships among employees, business partners, and owners.
OPEN-MINDEDNESS
When it comes to learning, people, and even failure, an entrepreneur must have the concept of acceptance or have a teachable personality that allows him or her to turn failures into chances and go on. Having an open mind can enable a person to be more determined when faced with failure, which will serve as a lesson to be learned from and used to open up new opportunities. It didn't focus on the problem, but rather on thinking beyond it and being clever in dealing with it until the fundamental purpose was achieved.
EMPATHY
Even if you will be the owner of a firm, it is beneficial for an entrepreneur to have a modest demeanor that still cares for the firm's employees. It's also the capacity to grasp what's on someone's mind, particularly your subordinates' minds. You must know their strengths and shortcomings, as well as whether or not their main personality is capable of maintaining enterprise harmony. You must remember that your staff is the ones that keep your company running, therefore you must show compassion for them. It's not about sympathy, but about recognizing their efforts, even if they're minor because they contribute significantly to the success of your company.
THE CUSTOMER IS EVERYTHING
This is something that every competent entrepreneur should be aware of: the capacity to comprehend the demands of clients. Customers are critical to the success of a business since they are both the source of growth and the source of profit. The first step in attracting a consumer to your business is to devise a plan for capturing their attention and compelling them to learn more about your products or services. It's critical to understand their requirements, desires, and even what's popular with them. Finally, establishing consumers' trust or loyalty as a result of the company's high-quality offerings will produce and grow sales, which is a strong sign of the company's success.
But, that doesn't stop here. If you possess the characteristics above, do you already consider yourself a successful entrepreneur? How will you define a successful business owner? You may think that having a business and making it profitable is enough to be called "successful" yet you will feel unhappy, empty, and lonely, do you still think that is considered a successful one?
People nowadays started to realize that success is not always about money nor any achievements or owning a mansion and other properties. Somehow, success is about the sustainability of your genuine happiness, unstoppable passion, and having a legacy in the life of many people. So, what are the things to consider to be a successful entrepreneur? Many people believe that the most successful persons follow passion, not paychecks. It's about putting love and happiness doing loads of work despite hardships, challenges, struggles, and problems without thinking about the money you will earn. It simply means that there are lots of people who became successful but not always after the money but after legacy and good deeds. "Don't worry about being successful but work toward being significant and success will naturally follow", said an American talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and philanthropist named Oprah Winfrey.
So, the considered successful entrepreneurs are those people who are able to pursue not just progress in the business industry but also pursuing to be a better person not just for self but also for the family and community. Just like what Jon Acuff (a best-selling author and motivational speaker in New York) said "Dear entrepreneurs, you can start a thousand businesses, launched 100 projects and take dozens of companies public, but you only have ONE SHOT at being part of your kid's childhood." It simply means that having physical success like building thousands of businesses with an income of millions is nothing to compare with being a hands-on parent, daughter/son, and friend. Being successful is not always about material things nor money, sometimes it's about genuine happiness with genuine people you're growing with. Lastly, the Founder and CEO of Stella & Dot (an online social selling company offering fashion accessories in California) named Jessica Herrin gave advice to people wanting to be an entrepreneur, saying that failure should be seen as the beginning and the middle but never entertain it as the end.
Simply because successful business owners are not quitters. They didn't treat failures as their end game but just a beginning of a wonderful opportunity. Nevertheless, if you can't see the good things that will happen or if the opportunity doesn't knock, build a door - said Melton Berle, an American actor, and comedian. We can't deny the fact that we can only be successful if we will be also initiative to make something better out of the trash or be a strategic person because entrepreneurship is somehow not about ideas but about making ideas happen which is according to Scott Belsky (author and professor of academic finance).
Did you learn something? I hope you did.
Just always remember that being successful on the inside is a pure success of life that no one can take away, and it is more precious than making money.
