Do you dream of starting your own business? Are you constantly thinking of innovative ways to make the world a better (or more fun) place to live? If so, you definitely have the entrepreneurial spirit. But simply having unique ideas does not make a successful entrepreneur. Read below for five traits you really should have if you want to be a successful entrepreneur.

Positive Attitude

As an entrepreneur, you are going to face a lot of adversity. People may turn you down your ideas and straight-up ignore you more times than not. In order to be successful, you have to keep pushing through. It can be hard to face rejection day after day, so entrepreneurs need to have positive attitudes.

Glen McKay, a business leader and co-founder of Newfoundland Hard-Rok Inc., believes in the “make it happen” attitude. A self-proclaimed optimist, he says that while many people don’t have a natural affinity for staying positive, he tries to whenever possible. Only you can make yourself successful and being pessimistic won’t help, so there is no point in it.

Strong Work Ethic

Every good entrepreneur knows that you can’t get anywhere without hard work. In order to get ahead in any industry, you have to be willing to put in more time and effort than anyone else. If that means getting a little less sleep, printing more business cards to hand out, or accepting rejection after rejection, so be it.

Good Listening Skills

As an entrepreneur, you do a lot of talking. You are the contact person for your business, so you constantly have to pitch your ideas, connect with partners, and train team members. While knowing how to communicate well is key to success in business, you also need to have good listening skills.

Being a good listener shows others on your team that you have empathy. Everyone also likes to feel like they have a voice. Take a minute to really hear and understand any ideas, questions, or concerns your employees or business contacts have. They might come up with something you would never have thought of yourself that turns out to be essential to the success of your business!

Creativity

Nobody ever got rich and famous from stealing someone else’s idea. The most successful entrepreneurs look at the world in a different way. Their creative approach to the current way of life is what sets their business ideas apart.

Even if you are in an industry that doesn’t seem to have a lot of room for creative thought, entrepreneurs try to find new ways to meet people’s needs. You don’t have to come up with a crazy invention to be considered an innovator.

Passion

More than anything else, an entrepreneur must have passion for their work. How can you expect anyone else to get excited about your ideas if you don’t show excitement yourself?

The only job worth doing is one that you love and if you don’t love your job, you haven’t found your place yet. Truly believing in your idea and sticking to your vision throughout your entire career will set you apart.

For instance, founder and CEO of Damon Motors, Inc. Jay Giraud loves riding his motorcycle around his hometown of Vancouver. However, he constantly fears for his safety as he shares the road with cars and trucks. As a result, he helped invent a motorcycle with innovative safety features like a rearview camera and radar to help with blind spots. Because the project is so close to his personal interests, Giraud stays passionate about the company day in and day out.

Becoming an entrepreneur is easier said than done. Start with a dream, then work on your attitude, your people skills, and your work ethic. Success is just around the corner!

Published: 2019-04-11 14:41:04