Ten signs you’re an entrepreneur

Are entrepreneurs born, or do you develop the skills, attributes and attitude you need to mastermind a successful business as you go?

Have you ever thought about starting a business? Are you burning with a great business idea? Think about how well the following traits and characteristics describe you to discover if you have what it takes to be an entrepreneur.

1 You have passion

Is there something you never get bored of? Something you know everything about and still want to learn more?

Passion is key to an entrepreneur’s success. You’ll need it to battle the challenges you’ll face and to persuade people to believe in your ideas.

2 You’re bursting with ideas

Are you the kind of person who walks into a business and immediately sees the opportunity, or can spot something that’s missing?

If you’re always saying ‘Have you thought about…? Or ‘Wouldn’t it be better if…’ then you have the creative and constructive mind set of an entrepreneur. Thinking of starting a business? Here are five great reasons to make the leap.

3 You get things done

Do you take your time to consider things from many different angles? Or go ahead and take action, figuring out the details on the way?

Generally entrepreneurs don’t wait around for the permission to do things. They shoulder responsibility and forge ahead with their actions.

4 You figure things out

Entrepreneurs are able to assimilate information and learn new skills quickly. A business that started at the kitchen table, can scale up to trade around the world.

Are you prepared to leap out of your comfort zone and acquire new knowledge to drive success?

5 You believe in yourself

Entrepreneurs may have their doubts, but they’ll never let uncertainty detract them from their goal. Self confidence and trust in their own judgement are key character traits for an entrepreneur.

That doesn’t mean to say that everything you think or say is right though. Entrepreneurs listen to expert and constructive advice and are prepared to change tactics if things aren’t working out.

6 You’re resilient and adaptable

The road to success is never straightforward, and many entrepreneurs have encountered challenges along the way.

Whether you’re down to your last coins in your pocket, struggling to find a reliable distributor, or keeping your fingers crossed that a big order comes in before pay day, an entrepreneur rolls with the punches and keeps their eye on the end goal.

7 You’re persuasive

At some point on your business journey, you need to share your vision and persuade others to join you.

Entrepreneurs live and breathe their idea, so talking about it comes naturally. Being able to communicate what you’re offering and why it should matter to someone else is key to entrepreneurial success.

8 You manage money carefully

Business may be something they really care about and money may only be one of their measures of success, but entrepreneurs always know how much (or little) they have, what they need and what things cost.

It doesn’t matter if you’re starting with personal cash or have attracted a wealthy investor, entrepreneurs know that making bad financial decisions can quickly ruin a business.

9 You’ve always had an eye for business

Richard Branson started his first business at school, with a student magazine. Alan Sugar sold aerials from the back of a van.

If you found ways of making pocket money as a youngster, you may have the skills and confidence of an entrepreneur already.

10 You want to work for yourself

Imagine you’ve been offered your dream job with the perfect company, in a great location, with loads of benefits. But you’ve got your business idea and you really believe it could go places too. Which do you choose?

Microsoft’s Bill Gates, Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg and Apple’s Steve Jobs all dropped out of prestigious college courses to pursue their business dreams.

Successful entrepreneurs know they want to go into business for themselves, not work for someone else.