Have you ever thought, "I wonder if I have what it takes to be an entrepreneur"? I believe that everyone who has thought about starting a business needs to consider that question before making a decision to go into business. It has to be more than just thinking that you might want to do it, you also have to figure out the "why" you're going to start and then build a plan for success.
But what makes a good entrepreneur?
In my book, Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months, 2nd edition, I say that entrepreneurs are motivated by one or more of the following:
- Control
- Freedom
- Money
- Problem solving
- Creativity
If these spark something in you, read on to find out if you have the right entrepreneurial mindset to succeed.
You Think Your Boss is Generally Clueless
You often scratch your head, wondering how he got where he is. You know so much more than he does, so why aren't you on top?
You Always Think There's a Better Way to Do Things
As a kid, you were the one dumping out the Legos and remaking the buildings the "right" way. Now, you constantly think that your boss wastes way too much time doing things, and you come up with tips to be more productive.
You Prefer to Be in Charge
Some might call you bossy, but you consider yourself a take-charge kind of person. There's nothing wrong with being a natural leader!
You Feel Dissatisfied with Your Job
You know you could do so much more, if only your boss would give you free rein. As a result, you rather detest your job. You spend every day hatching your exit plan from corporate America.
You Calculate How Much You Make, and Know You Be Better Compensated.
You'll only ever get so far, getting your pittance of a raise each year. You know if you worked for yourself, you could double or triple what you currently make.
You are Convinced You Could Do a Better Job Than the Folks Above You
It seems unfair that companies thrive under incompetent people. How well you could do if you were a competitor? What market share would you'd take?
You Know You Would Do Things Differently if it Were Your Company
How many times have you said to yourself, "if I were in charge, I'd..."? You long to have the opportunity to be the one who calls the shots.
Did any of this resonate with you? It should. The only thing holding you back from becoming your own boss is just one idea. Of course, it takes consistent, hard work to build a successful business, but the payoff is being able to do things your own way. If you've thought of a better way to succeed where your boss hasn't, you've already got what it takes. Begin by taking action toward starting your dream business and make the decision now and get started with your 12 month plan today.
This article was originally published under the title 7 Signs You've Got the Right Entrepreneurial Mindset to Start a Business at www.succeedasyourownboss.com
Melinda F. Emerson, SmallBizLady is America's #1 small business expert. She is an author, speaker and small business coach whose areas of expertise include small business start-up, business development and social media marketing. She writes a weekly column for the New York Times, publishes a resource blog, www.succeedasyourownboss.com which is syndicated through the Huffington Post. She also hosts a weekly talk show on Twitter called #SmallBizChat for small business owners. As a brand, she reaches 1.5 million entrepreneurs a week on the internet. As CEO of Quintessence Multimedia, Melinda develops audio, video and written content to fulfill her mission to end small business failure. Forbes Magazine named Melinda Emerson one of the #1 Woman for Entrepreneurs to follow on Twitter. Melinda has been featured on MSNBC, Fox News, NBC Nightly News, and in Fortune, The Washington Post, USA Today, Wall Street Journal and Black Enterprise. She is the bestselling author of "Become Your Own Boss in 12 months; A Month-by-Month Guide to a Business That Works," and the ebook How to Become a Social Media Ninja; 101 Ways to Dominate Your Competition Online.