The Qualities That Define a Successful Entrepreneur

Being a successful entrepreneur means more than starting new ventures every other day. It means the right attitude towards a business and the determination and grit to achieve success.

A successful entrepreneur has a strong inner drive that helps him or her to succeed. Let us take a look at the qualities that go into making a successful entrepreneur.

An entrepreneur should be excited by the prospect of work. They should always have a strong drive to succeed and overcome obstacles. They should not only set big goals for themselves but also see that they are actually committed to achieving them regardless of the countless setbacks that occur.

A successful entrepreneur always has a strong sense of self-confidence and a healthy opinion of their skills and abilities. Their personality is assertive and strong. They are always focused and do not really dilly dally with the issues at hand. This is what makes them different from the rest.

An entrepreneur should always be on the lookout for new innovations and ideas in order to emerge as a winner. They should constantly reinvent themselves and think of better ways to run a business and improvise on the products and services offered by them. Read more at Groco.com.

7 Common Traits of Successful Entrepreneurs

Mark Zuckerberg, the founder and CEO of Facebook, works 50-60 hours a week and the rest of the time he spends exercising, spending time with family and travelling.

Warren Buffet, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, spends 80% of his working hours reading reports, newspapers and books. Buffet said “I just sit in my office and read all day.”

Steve Jobs, founder of Apple Inc. used to work from 7 am to 9 pm. He was known to have an incredible work ethic.

All successful entrepreneurs have habits unique to them. There, however, are some common traits that set them apart from the rest of the population. Here are 7 common traits of successful entrepreneurs that can offer you an insight into what it takes to succeed in work and life. Read more at FutureStartup.com.

A Message from Acceler8Success Founder, Paul Segreto

This is an excellent message about focusing on the important things in life and still being able to make time for a beer or two. Please take a moment to read… Setting Priorities is Critical to Happiness

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full.. The students responded with a unanimous ‘yes.’

The professor then produced two Beers from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand.The students laughed..

‘Now,’ said the professor as the laughter subsided, ‘I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things—-your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions—-and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.. The sand is everything else—-the small stuff.

‘If you put the sand into the jar first,’ he continued, ‘there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life.

If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.

Spend time with your children. Spend time with your parents. Visit with grandparents. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and mow the lawn.

Take care of the golf balls first—-the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the Beer represented. The professor smiled and said, ‘I’m glad you asked.’ The Beer just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of Beers with a friend.

You’ll never achieve work-life balance if you don’t know what you’re balancing

If you think you’re “too busy” for something, it’s probably because you’re not great at investing your time.

I’ve spent most of my career thinking about resource management. I started off in finance thinking about money management—budgets, forecasts, and spending analyses. And as my career shifted into product management, the focus became time rather than money. But, compared to money management, time management is relatively underserved.

Go ask someone how they spend their week and you’ll get some hand waving, loose guesses, and lots of uncertainty. Now ask them what they spend on rent or a mortgage every month and you’ll get a crisp number along with a rich set of guidelines for how much that should be based on their financial situation (e.g. the 30% rule!). How should a product manager budget their time? How should a sales leader be spending theirs?

I believe the primary reason for this disconnect is because very few people have a detailed picture of how their time is actually spent—and thus there’s a general lack of planning and conversation around it. Read more at FastCompany.com.

Entrepreneurial Mindset: How to Think Like an Entrepreneur

Let’s start by dispelling a common myth about successful entrepreneurs.

Entrepreneurs are NOT born. They are driven to it. And this same drive enables them to do what is necessary to be an entrepreneur.

If you have ever had a feeling in the pit of your stomach — that you are meant to do something bigger, more meaningful, and all yours — you are an entrepreneur. You just need to learn to think like an entrepreneur.

You simply need to harness your entrepreneurial mindset. Read more at HackTheEntrepreneur.com.

12 ways to manage your mental health as an entrepreneur

Did you know, over 70% of entrepreneurs experience poor mental health?

Tania Diggory, Founder of Calmer, wrote in Psychologies Magazine that entrepreneurs need to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. “Every day presents different challenges as an entrepreneur … the entrepreneur lifestyle demands that you to take calculated risks, try new things, find solutions and make bold moves … this can feel highly overwhelming and have a profound impact on a person’s mental health and wellbeing.”

Whether you are planning on launching your business, working freelance, or you have been running your own business for a number of years, it’s important to prioritize your mental health and well-being. Read more at ThisIsCalmer.com/blog.

How Successful Entrepreneurs Spend Their Weekends

If you believe everything you read or see on TV, you have to work every moment you’re awake, subsist on leftovers, and live out of your car at some point in order to become a successful business owner.

Although that may be the route to success for a few entrepreneurs, not everyone follows the same path to greatness. To gain some insight into how successful types actually spend their precious time, the Intuit Small Business Blog interviewed dozens of small-business owners. We asked them one telling question: What do they do on weekends?

Contrary to popular belief, small-business owners aren’t all constantly focused on the job. In fact, the majority of them told us they prioritize spending time with their families, pursuing hobbies, and recharging their mental batteries on weekends. Read more at QuickBooks.Intuit.com.

Do you consider work / life balance when planning your weekend?

Successful entrepreneurs have a passion for what they do, so working hard is part of their DNA. But anyone who is successful also recognizes that life and work are a marathon, not a sprint. Even they need downtime on the weekend to ensure they’re up to the task of being creative problem solvers and innovators Monday through Friday.

Are you finding it difficult to maintain work / life balance as an entrepreneur… small business owner, franchisee, restaurant operator? If so, let’s talk. Inquire here.