Top 10 Ways You Know You’re An Entrepreneur
Are you an entrepreneur?
You might be. Inside you there just might be an entrepreneur waiting to tear out.
Here are the top 10 ways to know if you’re an entrepreneur. (And for those of you that are already entrepreneurs, you can nod your head as we go along…Or disagree with me! Or add your own points!)
- You’re passionate. Passion counts for a whole lot when it comes to being an entrepreneur. Without it, you’re dead before you even start.
- You’re always looking for opportunities. Entrepreneurs are opportunity-seekers. Everything is an opportunity. Failures are even an opportunity.
- You always think to yourself, “I can do that better.” You might know nothing about the retail business, but every time you walk into a big box store you have a thousand ideas on how to make it a better experience. Combined with your eye for opportunity, you can’t help but believe there’s a better way of doing things.
- You want to live your work. Work isn’t a means to an end. It isn’t a way of collecting a paycheck and going home. You’re dreaming of something more than that, where you can live and breathe work. Not because you want to work more, you want to work smarter. You want your work to mean something. You want to experience something more than shuffling to the office at 8am, leaving at 5pm and forgetting what happened for that day.
- You’re dreaming miles ahead while focused on what you’re doing right now. You’re a dreamer, but not a daydreamer. You’re dreaming a plan ahead while working constantly at achieving success on the details today. You’re a big-thinker but you don’t lack the ability to focus on details. Accomplish the little tasks is moving the ball forward for you…towards the big dream.
- You’re an ego-maniac. You look at your boss and shrug. You know things could be better, and you believe strongly in your own abilities. You’ve got a big, healthy ego. It’s not unwarranted, but it’s not proven just yet either. Still, ego is important – because it’ll help you take risks, power forward and succeed.
- You’re prepared to say, “I don’t know, but I’ll figure it out.” Your ego doesn’t preclude you from admitting that you don’t know something. Too many people fake their way through life, or duck their head when they don’t know the answer. Your response is to jump into it, learn what you can, move quickly and get some damn answers.
- You’re a strategist. You’re not just thinking about tomorrow. You’re thinking much further ahead than that. This is a trait you share with a lot of people – career ladder-climbers and “cover your ass” employees. The difference is that you’re also a dreamer, and strategy + dreaming is very powerful indeed.
- You’re a builder. You like to create things. You don’t care about recognition, praise from your boss, awards and money as much as you care about building something remarkable, and having others enjoy it and benefit from it.
- You want control. You watch the world spin, shake and bumble around you and want to harness that more. You watch your boss and co-workers shuffle around each and every day and you want to rattle some chains. You want control. Seth Godin calls them torchbearers. You want to bear the torch.
So what if I answered yes to all ten? I guess I am an entrepreneur to the core because every single one of these points resonated with me.
Now all you have to do is back it up with action.
greetings, i’d just finished having a “blogversation” over at Making it Great how the passion for innkeeping (and horsekeeping for that matter) makes entrepreneurship and motivation for me.
#2. Every problem’s an opportunity in work clothes
#4’s a given :)
Thanx for yet … another list :)
GP in Montana
Wow, your right on the money with these, except for #6 maybe.
I can see how an ego can help you though, but I think it can also hinder you. Especially, when you want to build a strong team and delegate “some” control.
Oh my Lord, Ben. This list is excellent! I think I actually fit all ten of your criteria here. I might borrow this for the entrepreneurship/personal branding support group I’m starting up…
Thanks for an awesome post!
-Cody
Nice Checklist.
#11. You banged my ex-wife, thus breaking up our ten-year marriage.
Exactly the same way I feel!!!
Wow. Looks like I’m an entrepreneur, thanks Ben.
Wao! I am really an entrepreneur ! but not a successful one yet ! could you put a list on that too ! successful vs unsuccessfully entrepreneur
Those are basically quite like me. So, am I an entrepreneur?
http://www.neohide.com
You missed one:
A s*** load of money suuuure helps..!
I needed this article. I am an entrepreneur. :)
I would say I am I’m always looking to make a buck! I built http://www.surf2earn.info to help me on my mission as well as various other projects that are taking off right now! :)
#11 you are no reading start ups blogs
So the real question is: “what to do if you are an entrepreneur?”
I’m hoping you follow this up with another article that helps provide some guidance for all those people that read this one and said “Yes I am! Now what?”
–jdan
This is so true. I can tick each item on this list. And I am an entrepreneur so no wonder ;-)
Awesome list. Thanks for articulating the reasons why I’m frustrated with my 9-5 job.
I love this Ben! Especially because most of these traits apply to me. Now it comes to bearing down and building something from the ground up.
A real entrepreneur doesn’t need some lame list to know who he is.
I do the majority of the above, do I get special letters to put after my name or a title?
The entrepreneurial spirit is needed as much in the public service/government sector as it is in business.
Did we really need a top 10 list to tell us we’re entrepreneurs? Nice confirmation, but if you’re truly a entrepreneur, your life will show it.
This is kind of self-congratulatory isn’t it?
Hey,
Nice Story ! It looks that I’m 100% Entrepreneur !
I’m working on several Online Businesses. I think I’m an Entrepreneur !
Without a doubt! Descriptions of us are so harsh…lol
“#4 You want to live your work.” One day, one day…
Good list, thanks.
11. Screw health insurance. You think: “What? I feel fine, I’ll start making the payments once I make my million first. I need to buy next gadget.”
12. Screw status. You think: “Should I buy this gadget which will help me with my biz, or should I save it and buy a nice car/set of clothes?” You (foolishly) think: If I build it, they will come.
13. What vacation? Go on vacation when I can buy another gadget? Why?
…been living it for years. :-)
#0: You have started a company
Thanks for the encouraging and motivational list. Also an entrepreneur takes risk (educated, calculated risk).
#11. You want to steal our subscribe box
8 tips to be an excellent entrepreneur! lol
11. Because you don’t know what the Forer effect is, you think you’re an entrepeneur when in fact all you do is browse digg.com at your 9-5.
Excellent post! I remember when i used to go to the supermarket with my mom when i was 12 and tell her how i would be doing things better if it was my store. She thought i was crazy, thanks for clearing that up with #3.
Good but I think most people have these sort of things, the main difference is the drive to do it.
Great list. Looks like I am one and here is my startup http://www.PhotoAbode.com
Thats was Great !! Really applied !!
I believe I exhibit all except #6 and #10. Hope I still qualify to be an entrepreneur…
Awfully generic.
WOW. its a perfect 10..
Awesome post Ben – and seems right on the mark to me. Many many links to follow here ;)
Some entrepreneurs start with nothing and some start with something. Those that start with nothing also need to be able to tell a story. If you lack contacts and money, you have to start by persuading people at the grass roots level. True entrepreneurs make something out of nothing.
So, it’s confirmed, I am an entrepreneur, and I am going to be an evil capitalist monster some day. muhahahaha :devil:
okay .. how do I put that smilie in there?
That list is right on, but now you have to take action! It’s not enough to define yourself as an entrepreneur, but then you have to go on and figure out how to be an effective entrepreneur.
Here’s a great new book that serves as a guide for everything an entrepreneur needs to know: how to get repeat customers, how to close the sale, and how to juggle all the work we put on ourselves: 101 Entrepreneur Tips by Susan Payton.
The tips are very useful.And also it can test you if you’are an entrepreneur.
I just wrote a similar article and also am referencing this post. Check it out at http://digital-nomads.blogspot.com
Very well! Your site is neat! Visit my sites, please:
All Greetings ! ! !
You are not happy your smile? Toothpaste
Here you will find all that could change this …