The 7 Traits of an Exceptional & Successful Entrepreneur

The 7 Traits of an Exceptional & Successful Entrepreneur Copyright © 2005 Robert Moment http://www.sellintegrity.com







How often have you either referred to or considered the

expression, "Success is a journey and not a Destination?"

Probably many times, yet often being in a hurry to get there, we

forget that success is not an end unto itself, but is instead an

ongoing process.



Though some people seem to have the Midas touch and easily turn

everything to gold, most of us have to give our endeavors lots of

time, effort and the sweat of our brow before seeing things come

to fruition. The simple truth is that the majority of us are

simply not born leaders, but become leaders by who we are and the

actions we take. Consequently, whether or not you're an

established entrepreneur or just starting out on your journey,

there are particular traits you'll usually find operating within

the exceptional entrepreneur. In fact there are 7 particular

traits you'll generally discover deeply embedded within the

exceptional and successful businessperson.



If you've already taken the plunge as an entrepreneur, you know

that it takes a great deal of planning, development and strategic

marketing to succeed. At any given time, there are changes to be

considered and new directions to examine. In which case, whether

you're the CEO, CFO, Chief Marketer or Chief Solutions Officer of

your company, your journey to success is probably full of trials

and tribulations.



To support you in your journey to success, be willing to open

your mind and sense of reasoning as you consider whether these

traits are part of your driving force. If they are not yet

ingrained within you, I recommend that you give them some

thought.





THE 7 TRAITS TO SUCCESS



1) Successful Entrepreneurs Gain the Respect of their Peers



One of the first and most obvious characteristics you'll see

operating in an exceptional entrepreneur is an equitable and

unbiased disposition . Plain and simple the successful

entrepreneur recognizes that no one is above or below. With an

attitude of respect for others, the successful entrepreneur

gains the respect from everyone they encounter. Strategies,

attitudes and methods filter down to each person and reflect on

all actions and activities. A successful entrepreneur gives

everyone the space to be great. No matter how effective or

beneficial your expertise, becoming a successful entrepreneur

requires building up of your character muscles, traits and

habits, which correspondingly make your dreams a reality.





2) Successful Entrepreneurs Believe and Trust in Themselves



The savvy entrepreneur is good at trusting his or her own ideas

and instincts. Starting out as an entrepreneur requires

persistence, determination and a high level of self-discipline.

Continuing as a successful entrepreneur requires even more

persistence, determination and self-discipline. The wise and

successful entrepreneur knows this and works hard at developing

their level of confidence. If you have a strong code of ethics

and believe in yourself, then your ideas can work. Having the

desire and passion are the first steps on your journey; getting

there requires believing in yourself.





3) Successful Entrepreneurs Follow a Plan



The successful entrepreneur follows a plan. Haphazard or trial

and error have no place for the triumphant entrepreneur, for no

one gets to his or her destination without a map or a guide to

follow. That doesn't mean you won't go off course if another

road seems better, but it's still more effective to have a plan

in place. Most successful entrepreneurs start out by writing a

basic business plan that acts as the impetus and guide for their

endeavors. It doesn't have to be fancy or lengthy but it should

include marketing strategies, goals, intentions, ideas and why

you can do better than your competition. A business plan should

be reviewed and updated periodically for each new idea stirs and

inspires other ideas.





4) Successful Entrepreneurs Think Creatively



Successful entrepreneurs are not afraid of thinking creatively.

Whether a business idea has already been tried makes no

difference to the exceptional entrepreneur. He or she sees

better ways of doing things and knows that every idea can be

expanded upon, made better, enhanced or broadened . The

successful entrepreneur is willing to think outside or the

proverbial box, which means using imagination, trying new things

and expanding on a vision. The savvy entrepreneur pays careful

attention as to whether a particular strategy is working. If

after giving it his or her best shot the entrepreneur realizes

the particular strategy isn't working, they know there's no point

in continuing to invest energy, time and effort in the strategy.

They move on to another approach and idea.





5)Successful Entrepreneurs Explore Their Exceptional Skills



Successful entrepreneurs realize that we each have our strengths

and weaknesses as well as a multitude of skills and talents.

Successful people ask themselves often what skills they have that

no one shares in quite the same way. An exceptional and

successful entrepreneur explores their particular skills until

they find the ones that match most closely with their ideal.

They don't try to be and do everything. If the successful

entrepreneur needs help, they're willing to find someone who can

do it better, and allows in the support. The successful

entrepreneur stays open to change for they recognize that as they

move forward, doors open in unexpected places that carry them to

their next level of success.





6) Successful Entrepreneurs Envision Their Success



The successful entrepreneur gives time to envisioning how they

want their business to look and how they want it to be.

Intention is a powerful and dynamic tool. For those who are not

inclined towards intention and visualization, talk to a

successful athlete and you'll discover that before each sporting

event, the successful athlete envisions exactly how he or she

wants things to turn out. Imagine what it will feel like when

you've reached a particular set of goals. Get in touch with the

feelings, you'd have as a successful entrepreneur. Practice and

conceive of the sense of empowerment and the joy of having

succeeded. The successful entrepreneur knows they have the power

to live life the way they want, but to make it a reality, they

know it has to be seen first.





7) Successful Entrepreneurs Never Give Up



Giving up is never in the vocabulary of the successful

entrepreneur. Of course there may be days when a successful

entrepreneur feels discouraged or disappointed, but giving up is

not an option. Having faith, trust, confidence and determination

are the qualities needed for the successful entrepreneur. To

keep their focus on track, they seek out the support of those

that know them, encourage them and bring out their natural

enthusiasm. The smart and successful entrepreneur realizes that

there will be good days and not so good days. Being a successful

entrepreneur requires accepting the ebbs and flows of business

for it is in fact what separates the exceptional and successful

entrepreneur from the one who gives up far too soon.







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Robert Moment, Business & Success Strategist and Author

of "It Only Takes a Moment to Score" found on Amazon.com

and Barnes & Noble. Robert show entrepreneurs how to

avoid becoming a statistic and turn their ideas into

wealth and have FUN! Visit http://www.sellintegrity.com

and Grab a FREE Special Report , "17 Profitable Ways to

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