Trading Traits:
What You Need to be a Successful Entrepreneur

Contributed by Jay Schroyer

If I knew exactly what the successful traits are of an exceptional entrepreneur, I wouldn’t be writing this article. I would have already made my millions of dollars and be sitting on a beach somewhere far, far away sipping on an ice-cold Corona. The reality is that an entrepreneur needs more than just good traits. There needs to be ambition, drive, clarity, and a creative vision. But if these things don’t live in tandem with highly advanced personality traits, the entrepreneur’s success will be short-lived. By no means view the following as a concise how-to on becoming a successful entrepreneur, but do use it as a way to improve your own day-to-day life and perhaps guide you down the road of entrepreneurial success.

Organization
A successful entrepreneur is organized. You need to know what’s going on all the time. If you have a meeting scheduled with someone, make sure you call the day before to confirm. If you have to cancel it, always give as much notice as you possibly can. If you don’t have the answer for a question right away, know exactly where you need to look to research it. Keep your records organized and easy to search through. Organization even comes down to your personal appearance and living habits. Keep everything neat and clean; a place for everything and everything in its place. You’ll find that this trait will rub off on others.

Personable
No matter how successful you become, you would have never made it there without help and you will never stay that way without help. Your coworkers, friends, family, business partners and associates all aid in your success. Whether it’s sound financial advice from a trusted colleague or a friend who leads you in the right direction when it comes to accounting services for your fledgling company, the more personable and agreeable you make yourself to those around you, the better off you’ll be. It also allows your reputation to precede you. Not only will you be known as a successful entrepreneur, but also as one of the nicest, most gracious, most friendly people to work with. People talk and the way you are perceived goes a long, long way.

Forethought
You don’t have to be clairvoyant to be successful, but it helps. A successful entrepreneur is always thinking ahead. You just figured out how to get over a huge hurdle standing in the way of your advancement. You should already be thinking about the next one coming up. Think outside of the box, imagine the unimaginable, listen to advice from those who have been there or who are far enough back to be able to see the things that you can’t. Some problems you can predict, others will come out of nowhere. But if you’ve taken the time to put some forethought into what might happen, you will be able to deal with problems faster and more effectively when they suddenly occur.

Persistence
Even after the worst day of your life, you have to be able to get up the next day and get back on that horse. Successful entrepreneurs are persistent, sometimes to the point of absurdity. Things will almost never go the way you planned them, but because of your forethought, you can persistently attempt to make a success of whatever you choose to do. It’s easier to give up and call it quits, but if you are a true entrepreneur, all you will see is a brief period of downtime as you find a solution to any problem that block your way.

Knowledge
The age-old saying is that knowledge is power and it is. Knowledge can take the form of a well-researched product launch or the skillful handling of a communication breakdown. Knowledge for the entrepreneur can be used as both a sword and a shield. Use your knowledge of the world, of business, and of people to move forward with your success. When the time comes, you may also have to use that same knowledge to shield yourself from an angry client or upset employee. Never stop learning and improving yourself. Research what you think you already know and don’t be surprised when you learn even more.

You might find it interesting that these same five traits are also the building blocks of successful human beings in general. You don’t have to create the next clothing craze or build a Trump-like empire from the ground up to be considered successful. Be organized, be kind, think ahead, never stop thinking, and never stop learning, and I think you will find yourself successful in every aspect of your life.

About the Author:
Jay Schroyer has worked in the client and customer service end of business for over five years in retail, advertising, and printing. He holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in English writing and communication.

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