5 Essential Ingredients to Be(come) a Successful Entrepreneur
When I decided to start my own coaching business, I had no idea what it really meant to be an entrepreneur.
Yes, I had a passion to support others in improving their wellbeing and success in life and in business. Yes, I was hoping to contribute to a bigger cause by following that passion. And yes, I wanted the personal and financial freedom that comes along with being an entrepreneur, so I could spend more time doing other things that I value in life.
But, as it turns out, I was clueless about what it REALLY takes to turn that vision into my reality.
And so…I lived and learned.
What does it take to be(come) a successful entrepreneur?
I don’t think there’s an easy answer to this question, nor is there a one-size-fits-all solution. But I’ll share some of the many ingredients that I’ve found to be essential.
To make this a little bit more interactive, I will also ask you some questions to consider throughout this blog post.
5 Essential Ingredients To Be(come) A Successful Entrepreneur
1. The willingness to learn new things and develop new skills.
This could be anything that isn’t directly linked to the product or service that you’re selling. For example: time-management, (social media) marketing, having sales conversations, effective networking, or bookkeeping.
What are some of the skills that you’ll need to develop in order to take your business to the next level?
2. Learning the art of “wearing multiple hats” and being able to switch hats effortlessly.
Let’s face it: You’re managing your own business in ALL its aspects. You’re the front office, you’re the back office, you do costumer care, you’re in charge of product/ service development etc. etc. etc.
What are some of different roles that you fulfill in your business?
What are some of the things that support you in being flexible in fulfilling those roles?
3. Having the courage to stretch out of your comfort zone.
Why? Because this is where you’ll find opportunities for learning and growth, both on a personal and a professional level.
Eleanor Roosevelt said: “Do one thing every day that scares you”.
What can you do TODAY that will stretch you towards getting the results you want in your business?
4. (Learning to) see setbacks and failures as opportunities to learn and grow.
Stretching out of your comfort zone every day also means that you’ll make mistakes, you don’t get the results you want straight away, or that things don’t go the way you’d hoped for.
Does this stop you in your tracks? Or does this motivate you to do better next time?
Psychologist Carol Dweck found that our mindsets about success and failure are very powerful forces behind the actions we take, or don’t take, in order to be(come) successful.
How can you learn to see setbacks and failures as opportunities to learn and grow? It all starts with increasing your awareness about your habitual way of responding to setbacks and failures.
How do you tend to give meaning to setbacks and failures in your business?
5. Finding ways to sustain your motivation.
Have you ever had one of those moments where you started questioning this whole endeavor of becoming a successful entrepreneur? What were you thinking, right? Before you know it you’re summing up all the reasons why you shouldn’t continue…
One of the things that help me in moments like these, is to reconnect with my ‘WHY’. Check out his TED talk to learn more about this.
What are some of the ways that support you to stay fired up when the going gets tough in your business?
As a coach I just can’t get enough of asking questions!
To finish this blog post I would like to ask you two more questions:
What are some of the biggest challenges you’re facing as an entrepreneur?
What have you found to be some of the essential ingredients to be(come) a successful entrepreneur?
As always, feel free to share your answers, comments or feedback with us.
You can also opt in to book an appointment with me. I’d be honored to partner up with you in your journey towards becoming the best entrepreneur you can be!
