Are You An Entrepreneur?

“Entrepreneurs average 3.8 failures before final success. What sets the successful ones apart is their amazing persistence” – Lisa M. Amos

Are you one of those people teetering on the edge of leaving Corporate America and following your bliss–or has Corporate America left you in the lurch? Today, more than ever we live in a “gig” culture where people are finally coming home to the idea that the next great idea may be their own.
Listen these stories on a segment of the Today Show and ask yourself why not me? Maybe I am the next great entrepreneur.

Pretty much anyone without a job can call themselves an entrepreneur, so if you want to find out if you have the chops for it, take this test. What should be apparent is that even the best ideas are risky and any entrepreneur will tell you that being able to fail and fail often is a key to starting any entrepreneurial endeavor. So knowing this here is a list of keys that I have gathered from the entrepreneurial community.

1. Persistence. Expect opposition, and hard work.
2. Be a giver. If you aren’t willing to give your time, your expertise and your support away, you aren’t passionate enough about your service or product.
3. Invest in education. Research, education and a great mentor is paramount to building an authentic expertise. Desire is not enough.
4. Build a team. We all need support around us, develop relationships with people who share your expertise or a simular market.
5. Be clear about your definition of success. Make sure it is reasonable and your expectations can be met.
6. Become familiar with the Small Business Association in your area. Take advantage of classes, loans, business plans, mentorship and round tables.
7. Develop a 5 year business plan.
8. Start small. One of the biggest mistakes entrepreneurs make is biting off too much too soon
9. Investigate affiliate income. Most entrepreneurs make money from various streams of income that all converge around a single product or service. For instance, an author makes money from book sales, public speaking, tele-seminars, etc.
10. Stay inspired. Attend conferences, network associations etc.

If you are reading this and want to know more facets of your entrepreneurial profile, let me know and I can set up an additional assessment using DiSC.

Kathy Vick C.L.C.
503 886 9642

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