Return to list of archive articles
Do you have what it takes to become a successful entrepreneur?
by Robert Imbriale, Business Coach

Do you think you have what it takes to become a successful entrepreneur? I'm not just talking about being able to pay your bills and have zero debt. I'm talking about being a super success where you become an industry leader, somebody who is looked to as the foremost expert in your field. The kind of success you might consider to be nothing more than a dream right now can be yours, if you have what it takes!

Being an entrepreneur means that you realize that there is opportunity in everything and immediately get a gut feeling inside that tells you what you need to do to take advantage of it before anybody else even notices it.

Where others see disaster, entrepreneurs see potential. When others think it can't be done, entrepreneurs find at least half a dozen ways to get it done. When others think of challenge, they get shivers down their spines. When entrepreneurs think of challenge, they also get shivers down your spine, but they're not shivers of fear, they're tingles of excitement!

An entrepreneur is high on life, often hating the fact that they have to "waste" part of their life to sleep! They are the people who always seem to be thinking about business. Their passion shows in all they do and they rarely lack energy when it comes to following up on a new idea.

With that description, do you consider yourself to be an entrepreneur? I know I do, and if you'd call me at 11 o'clock at night, the chances are very good that I'd still be hammering away at my computer working out the plans to a new idea or project! An entrepreneurial mind is not like anything you can define in a few sentences. It's active, alive, constantly calculating, and always on the lookout for the next big opportunity.

Recently, I met a man who I consider to be the premier role model of all entrepreneurs, Mr. Victor Kiam. You might know Victor Kiam from his many television commercials for the Remington Razor. Remember, he liked it so much, he "bought the company!"

In fact, it was his wife that bought him his first Remington Razor as a gift. He tried it, loved it, and his entrepreneurial mind raced at light speed until he found a way to buy the company!

When asked what the turning point was for the Remington Razor, he simply bent slightly forward, grinned and said, "Shaves as close as a razor or your money back." He recognized that by adding a little risk-reversal to the offer sales would soar. He was right. to the tune of millions and millions of dollars in sales since he bought the company!

I want to share with you some of Victor Kiam's insights on becoming a successful entrepreneur. According to Mr. Kiam, these are the 7 most important questions you need to ask yourself to become a success, no matter what it is you do! Here they are:

1: Do You Have Confidence In Yourself? In other words, do you truly believe in yourself? Do you believe you are capable of accomplishing anything you really set your mind to doing? Do you honestly believe that you can muster the passion to burst through obstacles and reach your goals? If you don't have confidence in yourself, you're doomed. It is important to realize that confidence comes from believing in yourself. If you believe you can, then you have all the confidence in the world. Where do you get confidence if you're not already confident? Try pushing yourself to do just a little bit more than you are comfortable with each day. Before you know it, you'll be doing things that were once well beyond what you ever thought possible! Remember, no matter how successful a person may be today, they probably started out with little or nothing.

2: Do You Have Confidence In Your Venture? Ask yourself if you really, truly believe in what it is you are doing. If you're not totally committed to your venture, keep looking until you find one that you feel ready to fully commit to. To become a success in any venture, you have to focus on it day and night. You have to constantly re-invent it, fine-tune it, and build it. If you're not totally committed, don't even start!

3: Are You Willing To Make Sacrifices? As an entrepreneur, you have to realize that nothing in your life will resemble what the rest of the world considers "normal." You won't be eating lunch with everybody else, if you eat lunch at all! You'll be working early in the morning well before the rest of the working world, and you'll still be there when it seems everybody else is plunked down in front of their television for the night. But that's the essence of a successful entrepreneur. You have to be willing to go beyond what is considered normal. You have to be willing to break the rules. I've always believed that if you follow the crowd, you're never going to get any further ahead then the crowd, but if you make your own way, you'll often find yourself in places the crowd will never see. Just be sure that your significant other understands that you will be making sacrifices, and make them at your expense, not theirs!

4: Are You A Decision Maker? If you needed some piece of information, would you know how to get it? Would you know how to get it fast, without wasting your time or other people's time? In other words, if you had a decision to make, would you get the facts fast and make the decision, or are you a person who procrastinates forever until the mere fact that you've not made a decision actually becomes your decision? Like it or not, there are going to be a lot of decisions to be made in your entrepreneurial career, so get in the habit of getting the facts together fast and making an informed decision. Realize that every decision you make, no matter how insignificant it may seem at the time will affect your future in some way. When in doubt, go with your gut instinct and always do what's right!

5: Can You Recognize Opportunity? If your business were to burn to the ground tomorrow, would you look at it as a loss, or as an opportunity to rebuild, improve, and grow? If you bought a unique product that you liked, would you be alert enough to recognize any opportunities that it might represent? One of the most interesting facts that I have found in entrepreneurs that I have had the pleasure of working with over the years is that they do see opportunity in everything! They question everything. "How do they get those pickles to sit up in the jar like that?" "How do they wrap straws in paper economically?" No matter what it is, they ask questions about it. They wonder if there's a better way, and if they think there is, they either find it themselves or seek out somebody who can help them find it. Opportunity is everywhere and with new technology such as the Internet and the World Wide Web now available, there's never been so much opportunity knocking at our feet! If you can see it too, then you are a true entrepreneur!

6: Do You Have High Levels Of Energy And Stamina? To be a successful entrepreneur, you're going to need boundless energy and stamina. If you're not eating right, exercising, and keeping stress to a minimum, chances are you're not doing all you can to maximize your energy. An interesting fact I've found is that you have much more energy when you eat less! Why waste precious energy on digesting heavy foods? Eat light, eat right, exercise regularly and you will have all the energy you'll need to take advantage of any and all opportunities as they present themselves to you. A successful entrepreneur can never have too much energy because you never know when opportunity will knock!

7: Are You Willing To Lead By Example? You're not going to be able to do it all yourself. There will come a time when you will have to hire employees, apply for loans, speak to investors and otherwise play the role of leader. If you can't lead, nobody will ever follow you. As the president of your company, your employees will look to you for guidance and support. As an industry leader, the media will look to you for information and the public will look to you as the expert in your field who provides the best products or services. As a successful entrepreneur, your peers will look to you for guidance, hints, tips, and strategies. Being a leader means becoming a true success.

Now that you know what it takes to become a successful entrepreneur, the only thing stopping you is... hmmmm. I can't think of anything either. So go for it! Follow Victor Kiam's advice and become the success that you were meant to be! Or call me and I'll be your coach and help you to get started on the right path to success! ______________________________________________________________________ Resource Information: Mr. Imbriale is a nationally recognized Business Coach, Speaker, Copywriter, and Author of "Internet Marketing Secrets." Many companies nationwide have used his marketing techniques to dramatically expand their businesses without spending a fortune. If you would like a Free Business Check-Up for your business, a seminar schedule, or would like to order a copy his book, contact Mr. Imbriale's office toll-free at 1-888-226-8109 or via e-mail at probizcoach@juno.com.

 

Return to list of archive articles