Successful Women Entrepreneurs
They used to be a rarity, successful women entrepreneurs, but since the turn of last century this tribe has been on the increase. Now, in 2010 over 8% of the UKs total working population are women entrepreneurs; with a similar percentage in the US.
Classic women business pioneers showed us the way; Coco Channel, Mary Kay Ash and Debi Fields. These were women in women-centric businesses fashion, cosmetics and cookies. And all power to those bold visionaries. Then came the women in a mens world era with Margaret Thatcher in politics, Oprah Winfrey in media, and Ann Mulcahy in technology. Tapping into a different part of their infinite resources to make it to the top in their field.
And today entrepreneurship for women is in massive expansion in every area of service you could think of. There are businesses supplying virtual assistance to corporate consultancy, social media services to IT solutions, and manufacturing outlets to retail chains. There are hundreds launching every day and over time tens of thousand will thrive.
Some are run from home offices, others from prime real-estate commercial spaces. Some begin with just a home computer and a phone, others have 100,000 of angel investment. Some of these women remain solo-preneurs for the duration of their empire building, others hire staff of hundreds. There is no stereotyping.
If youre one of this growing tribe good on you! Learn your lessons, face your fears, trip, get up, brush yourself off and never give up. Get clear about you dream and take some action. Loads of us are out there making a difference. Some because were the sole bread winner in our family, others because we have a burning desire to contribute for most of us its a combination of a whole number of factors.
Remember that the biggest names we reference as successful women entrepreneurs took years and decades to become household names. Persist. And know that your biggest breakdowns come right before your biggest breakthroughs!
Og Mandino often keeps me persisting: I will consider each days efforts as but one blow of my blade against the might oak.
The first blow may cause not a tremor in the wood, nor the second, nor the third. Each blow, of itself, may be trifling and seem of no consequence. Yet from childish swipes the oak will eventually tumble. So it will be with my efforts of today. I will persist. I will succeed.
Onwards super-charged, rock-chicks!
Tags: Entrepreneurs, Successful, Women
12 Traits of Highly Successful Entrepreneurs
After understudying the lives of successful entrepreneurs, i have been able to pinpoint 12 traits that make them successful. Without wasting your time, below are the 12 traits of successful entrepreneurs:
Entrepreneurship is a life long process and successful entrepreneurs know this. Things change so fast in the business world; you could be an innovation today and become obsolete tomorrow. To stay on course and adapt swiftly to the ever changing trend, successful entrepreneurs keep studying and learning.
They read industrial journals, books and magazines. They attend seminars and update themselves regularly with the latest industrial trend. Successful entrepreneurs know that their cup is never full; they know that they don’t have the right answers to all questions. So they humble themselves and learn when availed the opportunity.
I have never seen a successful entrepreneur who rose to the pinnacle of success without a measurable amount of risk. Successful entrepreneurs are risk takers; they risk their time, energy and resources with the hope of building a strong business. If they fail, they risk losing everything they’ve ever owned. Risk is the main reason many employees fail to start a business.
Working for free is one of the traits of successful entrepreneurs that set them apart from others. It’s hard to find individuals who will be willing to work for free, without pay for many years but successful entrepreneurs do this. They work on their business for many years without pay.
Being an entrepreneur, i can attest to this trait because i have built businesses without getting a dime from them for some years. All profits generated are re-invested into the business. To be a successful entrepreneur, you must always bear in mind that you are not building a job for monthly pay. Instead, you are building an asset that can generate residual income for you and add value to humanity in the coming years.
Successful entrepreneurs are known for their extraordinary resilience and long standing commitment to the course of building a business. Building a business is never easy and it requires time and dedication. Some entrepreneurs are known to work for 70 – 80 hours per week while average employees work less than that.
So if you are going to join the league of successful entrepreneurs, then you definitely need to develop the trait of working longer hours than normal.
Of all the traits of successful entrepreneurs, this one interests me the most. Many individuals shy away from the game of entrepreneurship because of the fear of making mistakes. They perceive mistakes as bad because mistakes sometimes cost money and pain; so they avoid it like a plague. But successful entrepreneurs see mistakes as a learning tool; they see it as an opportunity to learn something new.
“.” – Henry Ford
Successful entrepreneurs make mistakes in business but they don’t quit. They know mistakes are part of the process of entrepreneurship, so they learn quickly from these mistakes and move on. If you are being held back by the fear of making mistakes, i will suggest you read the article “How to learn from your mistakes in business.”
“.” – Robert kiyosaki
As a rule of life, we are all indebted to someone in one way or the other. With respect to building a business, i have never seen a successful entrepreneur that hasn’t been in debt. Everyone owes but successful entrepreneurs know how to use debt to their advantage, they know how to use debt as an instrument and leverage to build a business and get richer.
“.” – Rich Dad
Successful entrepreneurs are accountable and responsible for the failure or success of business. They shoulder the responsibility of piloting the business through its trying times. If they succeed, it becomes a plus to them but if they fail, they will be held responsible.
Another trait successful entrepreneurs share in common is the ability to forge ahead in the face of criticism. Building a business comes with its own challenges; as the entrepreneur, you are bound to be loved and hated by the public. But successful entrepreneurs always devise a means to use every bit of criticism to make themselves better and stronger.
“.” Henry Ford
“.” – Bill Gates
Ambition is one of the traits of successful entrepreneurs. Successful entrepreneurs think big and do things big. They are never satisfied with their current achievement; they believe there is always room for constant improvement and they go for it.
Take a look at Mukesh Ambani’s achievement in building Reliance Group; the world’s largest refinery. Lakshmi Mittal built Mittal Steel, the world’s largest steel producer. Look at Larry Ellison’s ambition to surmount Microsoft. In generality, entrepreneurs are very ambitious personalities.
This is another trait of successful entrepreneurs. Successful entrepreneurs share a common ability to see opportunities, where others see problems. They know that behind every problem lies an opportunity. Successful entrepreneurs are the drivers of creativity and innovation.
“.” – John D. Rockefeller
Successful entrepreneurs are great leaders with a proven leadership strategy. They possess the ability to bring out the best in their employees. They inspire creativity and foster innovation. They also have the ability to hire and lead smarter individuals.
“.” – John D. Rockefeller
“I want to start my own business,” ‘i want to be my own boss,’ ‘i want to do this my own way.’ These are the words i often hear from would be entrepreneurs. Successful entrepreneurs know that entrepreneurship and investing are team sports. So therefore; they never work alone, they join forces with other entrepreneurs and professional advisers to build a stronger business.
“.” – Ajaero Tony Martins
Tags: Entrepreneurs, Highly, Successful, Traits
Five Keys To Being A Successful Entrepreneur
What is it that sets a successful businessperson apart from an average businessperson? Is it down to pure and simple luck, or is it all about having an amazing idea and a successful and strategic business plan in place?
Well, these factors do indeed go a long way to turning a good business idea into a successful business operation, but they have nothing to do with what makes the ‘person’ succeed at business.
Every great entrepreneur has five key attributes that sets them aside from their competition and that ensure they will succeed where others may fail.
These five personal qualities will all reflect upon the entrepreneur’s business and they will mean the entrepreneur grows and develops every area of their own personal expertise to become not only the strategic thinker behind the business, but the strategic manager poised to lead the company forward to achieve even greater success.
The five qualities that every entrepreneur shares and that are the keys to their business success are:
Desire
To succeed you have to put your ideas, ideals and beliefs into action. An entrepreneur’s desire for personal fulfilment and professional success is his number one key strength.
This desire to achieve will become a desire for success and this desire for success will be reflected throughout the business.
Positive Attitude
Entrepreneurs have a positive mental attitude towards their life, their business and themselves; they are not restricted by disappointments and regrets and they look forward not backwards. A naturally positive person sees opportunities where others see obstacles, a naturally positive person frees their mind from negativity and disappointment so that it is free to dream, imagine, develop and expand.
Commitment
To succeed you have to commit to your beliefs and desires, you have to commit to your business idea and you have to commit to the employees, within your company. With commitment comes effort, with effort comes results and with results comes success.
Patience
Patience and commitment go hand in hand, and the patient entrepreneurs who dedicate themselves to working at their business day after day will reap the rewards of their patience when the steady and focused hard work, pays off in the form of positive and successful results.
Persistence
Nothing is ever straightforward or without contradiction or change and the future is unknown.
These factors mean that the final key entrepreneurial attribute is simply critical to success. When obstacles appear, when goal posts are moved and when ‘these things are sent to try us’ you have to persist with your ideas, persist with your hard work and keep focused on success. With patient and committed persistence the desired results will come.
Tags: Being, Entrepreneur, Five, Keys, Successful
