How to Become a Successful Entrepreneur

Entrepreneurs rule the world, I said that! These are guys who aim to be very creative and also want to positively impact the lives of people around them, and also around the world. C’mon, they deserve some accolades.

Yeah, yeah! We’ve seen people like Elon Musk, Gary Vaynerchuk, and all other very successful entrepreneurs and wonder, “how exactly did these people become so phenomenal?” And then we even have doubts as to whether we could actually attain heights that those guys are in. While it is very possible, it takes hard work, smart work and a combination of the both.

I will be showing you 13 ways to become a successful entrepreneur

1. Start your own business – Very important, as you cannot call yourself an entrepreneur without a business. Do something, gain first-hand knowledge, make your mistakes, fail, learn from your failures and mistakes, and then keep moving.

2. Be willing to take risks – You have to be willing to take risks in order to make it big as an entrepreneur. This isn’t gambling, but starting your business is really hard work and risky. There would be decisions that you may need to take along the way that would warrant you to take the path least expected or taken.

3. Be passionate about what you do – You have to be passionate about what you do, and you will find yourself taking more risks, standing out, being unique, and making a name for yourself. If you don’t love what you do, it transforms work into a chore or punishment. Love what you do and transform work into a source of joy and happiness.

4. Discipline – You won’t ever be successful if you lack this in your repertoire. “It is the ability to make yourself do, what you should do when you should do it, whether you feel like it or not.” – Kop Kopmeyer.

Times would come as an entrepreneur when you just want to give it all up and run to a cave to hide from everyone else, but discipline says, “It’s not about how I feel at the moment that counts, it’s where I’ll be that does. So, I’ll keep grinding, I’ll keep moving forward.”

5. Know where you’re going – You have got to have a future, where you want to be. Then, back that dream up with a concrete plan especially by setting SMART goals. Your goals must be; Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timed.

6. Hire smarter people – It’s not the job of the entrepreneur to be the smartest and the best person in the company, it’s his job to bring together a team of smarter people who can get the job done. Don’t get carried away by the fact that you are the boss and should be the best, get better hands to do the work for you instead and you’ll be more fulfilled and more satisfied.

7. Just do it – I’m sorry Nike, I will have to steal this one. Entrepreneurs do it even when other people are still talking because they understand that talk is cheap and it is only action that really counts.

8. Be a good listener – Listen, listen, listen. To your customers, your workers, your partners, everybody. Be careful though, don’t listen to naysayers. People certainly won’t like everything about you and you have got to accept that – know the difference between a genuine complaint and just naysayers talk. But still, listen because there must be things you need to improve upon.

9. Help others – You may be lost in your own work that you fail to realize that there are people who may be going through stuff that may need your help to scale a new level. Helping others isn’t a waste of time. In fact, you gain more respect, you enter someone else’s good book, and also learn something new in the process. Reach out, and don’t stop helping.

10. Network – You certainly would be who you hang out with the most. Surround yourself with entrepreneurs, talk to them, rub minds and always learn something in the process. Don’t constantly hang out with people with bad ideologies about money because they sure would affect you.

11. Health – Your health is important! Inasmuch as you would like to go days or nights without sleep, you need it! A few weeks ago, I tried going with very little sleep for days. Trust me, it wasn’t good at all. Eat well, exercise, sleep well and don’t ever joke with your health in the chase of money.

12. You don’t know everything – Keep asking questions and don’t stop till you get answers. Great entrepreneurs know this. That’s why they get mentors; people that have already gone before them, attend seminars, and just keep asking. You certainly cannot know everything no matter what heights you get to. So, come down from that castle you’ve built for yourself, be humble, and keep learning.

13. Learn, learn, learn – Keep building yourself by learning! Read the right books, follow the right people, watch the right videos on YouTube, Instagram and others. Read case studies about businesses, what issues they had and also how they solved them. All entrepreneurs make learning a habit, and so should you. We all have different ways we learn. Know which works for you and stick to it.

Being an entrepreneur has a lot of benefits like having your free time to enjoy life rather than slaving for a boss who probably doesn’t care about you, but just as it is really something that we all want to experience, the key lies in just one word, “Discipline!” Achieve this and you would go a very long way in the world of business as being an entrepreneur demands a whole lot of commitment and dedication to your cause even when circumstances are pulling you down. Discipline in your health, discipline in working, be disciplined in all aspects of your life that require it. You can be a successful entrepreneur if you believe and work towards it with all persistence, focus and singleness of purpose.

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