My Super-Charged Life» grit http://mysuperchargedlife.com/blog Good Habits for a Great Life! Tue, 22 May 2012 12:00:21 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= Living Your Passion: What It Takes To Be An Entrepreneur http://mysuperchargedlife.com/blog/living-your-passion-what-it-takes-to-be-an-entrepreneur/ http://mysuperchargedlife.com/blog/living-your-passion-what-it-takes-to-be-an-entrepreneur/#comments Mon, 13 Apr 2009 09:00:22 +0000 Jeff http://mysuperchargedlife.com/blog/living-your-passion-what-it-takes-to-be-an-entrepreneur/ running Living Your Passion: What It Takes To Be An Entrepreneur Do you have what it takes to be an entrepreneur?

Many people dream of leaving their job and starting a business.  They daydream about being their own boss and living their passion.

However, only a few ever take the leap to explore their entrepreneurial yearnings. 

For the majority, the perceived risk involved in starting a small business is just too great of an obstacle to overcome.…

The stumbling]]> running Living Your Passion: What It Takes To Be An Entrepreneur Do you have what it takes to be an entrepreneur?

Many people dream of leaving their job and starting a business.  They daydream about being their own boss and living their passion.

However, only a few ever take the leap to explore their entrepreneurial yearnings. 

For the majority, the perceived risk involved in starting a small business is just too great of an obstacle to overcome.

The stumbling block most of us can’t get over

So, what does it really take to be a successful entrepreneur?

Well, first let’s look at what it means to be an entrepreneur in general.

Entrepreneur – one who organizes, manages, and assumes the risks of a business or enterprise.
~ Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary

Many of us have the organizing and managing part down.  We’ve done that for others for years. 

We’ve created budgets, tracked expenses, managed resources, lead people, organized projects, conducted meetings, made decisions and been held accountable for results.

Most of us know how to run a business because without realizing it we’ve been doing it forever already.  We’ve just been doing it for someone else.

The kicker in the definition above is the part about assuming the risk. 

We keep holding back from going into business for ourselves because we aren’t sure we want to take the risk.

Basically, we are afraid that we might fail to earn a living as an entrepreneur.  Furthermore, we fear that we might make some bad decisions and wind up worse off than we are now.

That’s the stumbling block holding most of us back.  Agreed?

The most important thing you need to become an entrepreneur

Okay, so we’ve identified the stumbling block that is holding us back.

It all goes back to the question I posed at the beginning of this article.  Do you have what it takes to become an entrepreneur?

We’ve already covered the part about organizing and managing.  We already know that we are competent at that or other people wouldn’t pay us to do it.

What else is there?

Well, I’ve had the opportunity to be in business for myself and I worked with a lot of other entrepreneurs over that eight-year period.

As a result, I believe I have identified the remaining key ingredient to becoming a successful entrepreneur and I think that the word that sums it up best is GRIT.

Grit – firmness of mind or spirit : unyielding courage in the face of hardship or danger.
~ Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary

It takes an incredible amount of grit to decide to win at being an entrepreneur.

The ways that grit helps an entrepreneur succeed

An entrepreneur with a healthy does of grit does the following:

Goes all the way - The successful entrepreneurs that I’ve met are willing to do whatever it takes to make their business succeed.  They get up early and work late.  They make a ton of cold calls.  They leave no rock unturned.  They are firm in their commitment to making their business a success.
Refuses to lose - Good business owners refuse to lose.  They won’t take no for an answer.  They are bulldogs, not in a pushy, obnoxious sort of way, but with a calm and persistent determination about them.  They drive on until they get what they want!
Inspires others - Entrepreneurs that achieve their goals know they can’t do it alone.  They inspire others to join the fight.  They rally the troops motivating those they need and letting their passion sell customers.  Their enthusiasm is contagious and everyone that comes close catches it.
Takes responsibility - Entrepreneurs that do well know that the buck stops with them.  They do not make excuses about the economy or their suppliers or an employee’s bad behavior.  Instead, they assume responsibility and make the situation right.  They accept that the business rests on their shoulders and wouldn’t want it any other way.

Living your passion as an entrepreneur is possible if you have grit

What do you think?  Do you have the grit needed to be an entrepreneur?  Are you willing to commit yourself and lay it all on the line?

It truly is a move that will make you feel more alive and excited than you’ve felt in a long time.  What is holding you back from pursuing your passion?

Leave me a comment and let me know your thoughts!

Photo by Niklas Hellerstedt

Living Your Passion: What It Takes To Be An Entrepreneur]]> http://mysuperchargedlife.com/blog/living-your-passion-what-it-takes-to-be-an-entrepreneur/feed/ 14