Entrepreneurship

Ranked #7,176 in Business & Work, #195,378 overall

What Special Qualities Does it Take to Become an Entrepreneur?

Why can't anyone become an entrepreneur? What does it take? How often do we look at someone who has their own business and say--I could do that. But can you? It is a lot harder than it looks.

Entrepreneurs who make it, work extremely hard and long in order to do so. Here are some tips to help make you successful.

Do You Have a Vision for Your Business?



What is your vision? Without a vision, you cannot be an entrepreneur. In order for an entrepreneur to succeed, they must know what they are working to achieve.

Is your vision concrete? Is it finite? Is it achievable?

Is it clear in your mind?

Take the time to clearly define your vision. This is vital when starting your own business.

Deby Cowdin at her booth at a show 

One Method of Focusing on Your Business Vision

What Deby Cowdin Does

My friend, Deby Cowdin, runs a successful small business out of her home called From The Blue Bag. She sells recycled alcohol bottles that have been flattened and turned into functional dishware.

Deby has a big white board up in her office with pictures of all of the things in her vision. The most notable is an appearance on the Oprah show.

Every day Deby can see her board as she sits at her desk doing her work. That is how she keeps her vision foremost in her mind.

Finding Your Vision Through Journaling

True Vision: Authentic Art Journaling

Amazon Price: $12.34 (as of 02/17/2012)Buy Now
List Price: $24.99
Used Price: $6.42

Release Date: 12/31/1969

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

What is Your Goal for Your Business?



Okay, you have a vision. It is clear in your mind. You have written it down. You know what you are going to achieve.

Now, let's break it down into goals that you can strive for.

What is your goal? Where do you want to be in 1 month? In 6 months? In one year?

Consider your resources--time, money and whatever else you would need to reach your goal.

Think hard because this is what you are going to be spending your time on.

Now double check, does your goal help you reach your vision?

An Entrepreneur's Guide

This is a great introduction to becoming an entrepreneur.

How to Make Millions with Your Ideas: An Entrepreneur's Guide

Amazon Price: $6.85 (as of 02/17/2012)Buy Now
List Price: $16.00
Used Price: $5.46

Release Date: 01/01/1996

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

What Personality Traits are Common in Entrepreneurs?


Entrepreneurs may look very different on the outside, but inside they have many traits in common.

They are goal oriented.

They do not take no for an answer.

They are problem solvers.

They are risk takers.

They are leaders.

They know their own minds.

They are opinionated.

They are forward looking.

Do You Have What it Takes to Own Your Own Business?

Loading poll. Please Wait...

How to Run Your Own Business

A Start to Your Startup

Entrepreneur's Notebook: Practical Advice for Starting a New Business Venture by Steven K. Gold

Entrepreneur's Notebook: Practical Advice for Starting a New Business Venture by Steven K. Gold

Entrepreneur's Notebook propels you on a whirlwind more...0 points

Ladies Who Launch: Embracing Entrepreneurship & Creativity as a Lifestyle by Victoria Colligan, Beth Schoenfeldt, Amy Swift

Ladies Who Launch: Embracing Entrepreneurship & Creativity as a Lifestyle by Victoria Colligan, Beth Schoenfeldt, Amy Swift

Ladies Who Launch is the first company to define t more...0 points

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Starting Your Own Business, 5th Edition (Complete Idiot's Guide to) by Edward Paulson

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Starting Your Own Business, 5th Edition (Complete Idiot's Guide to) by Edward Paulson

Added value CD-ROM included! Newly revised for the more...0 points

What No One Ever Tells You about Starting Your Own Business: Real-Life Start-Up Advice from 101 Successful Entrepreneurs (What No One Ever Tells You About Starting Your Own Business) by Jan Norman

What No One Ever Tells You about Starting Your Own Business: Real-Life Start-Up Advice from 101 Successful Entrepreneurs (What No One Ever Tells You About Starting Your Own Business) by Jan Norman

An updated picture of the trials and triumphs of today's more...0 points

Legal Forms for Starting & Running a Small Business by Fred S. Steingold

Legal Forms for Starting & Running a Small Business by Fred S. Steingold

The legal documents you need on any given day! Like more...0 points

The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It by Michael E. Gerber

The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It by Michael E. Gerber

In this first new and totally revised edition of the more...0 points

Start Your Own Business (Start Your Own) by Rieva Lesonsky

Start Your Own Business (Start Your Own) by Rieva Lesonsky

YOUR ROAD MAP to BUSINESS SUCCESS From the editors more...0 points

Planning a Business Strategy


This is the next step. How will you reach your goal?

You need to plan a step by step strategy to get there.

Realize that your strategy may not work exactly as planned and look for areas that you may need contingencies.

This is your plan of action. What baby steps will get you to your goal?

Making Money Has Never Been Easier! Order Google Gold Mine Today and Work From Home!

Writing a Business Plan

Critical to Any Business

Writing a business plan for your business is critical. It will help you organize your plans and is required for any loan or grant applications. It also forces you to think through your plans in a businesslike, strategic fashion.

Writing a business plan takes some time, and research. The first time will probably be a bear, so don't do it by yourself. Get help from your accountant, and a mentor. There are also some great sites to help online, and many are free or almost free.

The best place to start is the Small Business Administration. They have lots of resources for small businesses including an outline for the business plan. This is a U.S. Government site but anyone can use the information.

If you like to use a book, the Dummies Series has a Business Plan for Dummies that is easy to follow and only costs about $20.

Business Plan for Dummies

A Good Guide for Beginners

Business Plans For Dummies

Amazon Price: $9.99 (as of 02/17/2012)Buy Now
List Price: $21.99
Used Price: $7.47

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

Other Lenses About Entrepreneurship

Loading

The Story of One Start Up Business

St. Aubyn's Pride Gourmet Sauces

In Cleveland, Ohio, a high school Spanish teacher, Susan St. Aubyn loved to cook, so she decided to turn her love of cooking into a business. She started a business with one sauce that she was always asked to make by her family and friends.

Now, less than a year later, her business has expanded to six gourmet sauces. She is selling to one large local grocery chain, and several smaller stores, as well as stores in other states as well.

Susan believes that this will be her last year as a teacher, and she will be able to make a full time living selling her sauces.

Susan St. Aubyn with her parents 

My Experience as an Entrepreneur

Running a Gallery

I have been an entrepreneur now for three years. I am the owner of a small local art gallery, Lake Erie Artists Gallery, in Cleveland, Ohio. Being an entrepreneur is completely different than working for someone else.

As a small business owner, I am responsible for everything. And I have so many hats that I can't possibly count them all. I am the owner, the sales manager, the bookkeeper, the maintenance person, etc. I can only rely on myself, there is no one else above me. However, it is freeing to be able to make your own decisions, and mistakes. It is exciting, scary, and a wild ride.

Businesses go up and down because of many factors that are often out of your control, and you have to learn not to take things personally. You should know yourself well, admit your weak areas, and as much as possible, delegate those tasks to others.

If you want to start a business, choose something that you love and have a passion for. That passion may be the only thing that keeps you going at times.

Follow My Blog--Day to Day Operations for One Entrepreneur

Loading Fetching RSS feed... please stand by

About lakeerieartists

Loading

Have You Started Your Own Business or Do You Know Someone Who Has?

submit

Other Lenses About Entrepreneurs by Paula Atwell

Loading
Entrepreneur hunts for distressed wineries
The latest news and information for entrepreneurs from across the web universe, brought to you by the Report on Small Business team. Follow us on Twitter @GlobeSmallBiz Annual sales of California-made wine have flatlined at about $18 billion (US) in ...
Report: Entrepreneurs more worried about sales than borrowing
The study found that entrepreneurs are worried more about boosting sales than borrowing. For those who do seek loans, getting funding remains tough. And in a finding with especially nettlesome implications for Las Vegas, markets with hard-hit real ...
TeXchange Houston Announces 2012 Curriculum for Technology Entrepreneurs ...
TeXchange Houston has today announced its upcoming 2012 schedule of dinner seminar events focused Economic Trends & The Playbook for Success in 2012 and Beyond for Houston technology entrepreneurs that are looking to network and actively contribute to ...
It's a Big Step from Engineer to an Entrepreneur
Every engineer who has invented some new technology, or is adept at creating solutions, believes that is the hard part, and it should be a short step to take that solution to market as an entrepreneur. In reality, that short business step embodies far ...

by

lakeerieartists



I am an artist, writer, and owner of Lake Erie Artists Gallery at Shaker Square in Cleveland, Ohio.

You can also find my writing on these sites:
more »

Feeling creative? Create a Lens!