Recently, several European economies are pushing for more entrepreneurs to emerge as a way to bounce back from the shaken economies due to the pandemic.
It provides a way for governments to support business growth without too much strain on their fiscal budgets. As these governments are counting on individuals, because they can move faster, as well as, can be more motivated than entities and bureaucracies.
Everywhere you look now, there is someone talking about entrepreneurship. Universities are offering more classes on it, people are attending more public courses for it, and everyone follows the big entrepreneurs around the world to learn what it takes be an entrepreneur, and more importantly, a successful one.
It’s safe to say, we need entrepreneurs now more than ever.
However, anyone can call themselves an entrepreneur, what does it actually take to be a successful one?
Responsibility
This is something that can elude us if we are employees in a company. We can forget that aside from getting on with our jobs and doing the best we can, there is a lot of stress on the boss. They carry the weight of the company on their shoulders. It’s different because the buck stops with you.
The same applies for entrepreneurs. They alone stand responsible for the consequences of what they think is best for their dreams. It can take a toll, but it’s the price they pay for having a vision of their own, which is the next point.
Vision
An entrepreneur is someone who has a vision of their own. A clear and definite image or mould of where they fit in the world, and where their ideas fit as well. They are able to formulate clear steps based on that vision, a realistic map and plan to achieving what they envision. They also waste no time, effort or resources that don’t pour into their vision. They adhere to that plan whatever the cost because as Nelson Mandela once said, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail”.
Eagerness
An entrepreneur has to really want to succeed. They have to want it badly. Otherwise, the opposing forces and obstacles, of which they will face plenty, will surely stop them in their tracks.
They can’t afford to be complacent, lazy or become frustrated quickly. They must persevere and endure the complications that they come across, they have to be eager.
Risk
Any business owner will tell you, risk is a natural part of the work that entails what they do for a living. Taking risks requires a plethora of skills. Courage of course is necessary, without it, you won’t be able to take the first step. However many people can have courage without the necessary preparation. You have to be excellent at reading reality, this means having an accurate understanding of the people and circumstances around you, you need to be an ambitious realist.
Teamwork
Although an entrepreneur starts with their own vision, yet this vision can hardly be accomplished without a supporting team. No one can do anything entirely on their own. We need others, and we need to understand that our need of others doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with us. A mistake that some eager entrepreneurs fall into is thinking that they have to do it all on their own. They need to find the right crowd to depend on, who would help push their vision forward and not hinder them. When people unite to form a single unit determined to achieve one goal, nothing is impossible.
Entrepreneurs are needed now more than ever, but they have to be committed to certain principles that guarantee their success, as well as the overall good of society. The more successful they are, the more they can enrich their societies, not just themselves, that is something they should always keep in mind.
