As Stephen Covey would say, always begin with the end in mind.   Step 1 to manifesting an idea for a business will always be knowing where you want to go before you get started.  Have you already mastered step 1? Fantastic!  If that is the case, the best advice I can give is to know yourself so well that you know what you need to get there.  I say that, but truly it’s not something that comes easily.  A great mentor will help, but first let’s determine if seeking out a mentor coach is really worth your while.

 

How do I know if I’m not an entrepreneur?

Innovators are the “idea” people in a business.  However, rarely do innovators know how to get people to buy their inventions.  That’s the primary differentiator.  Innovators don’t need a coach, they need great entrepreneurs to find markets to build a business and deliver their inventions to people who want to buy it.

Another differentiator of innovators is that they love sharing their ideas, but they seldom want to stay on any one project very long.  So filled with ideas, the next great idea is always top of mind.   This brings them energy and makes life more exciting to them.  Once an idea gains some enthusiasm from people around them, they move on in that direction, often leaving the last idea to its own demise.  After all, it is the creation of ideas that give them reason to get up and go every day.

 

So, what traits do entrepreneur’s identify with?

Maverick personalities can be secret weapons that make businesses successful. Entrepreneurs, like Mavericks, are risk-takers. Famous entrepreneur Steve Jobs is best known for the risks he was willing to take to make phones without a removable battery, and computers without a floppy disk drive. Risk-taking is just one way of identifying an Entrepreneur.

Another key identifier of a successful entrepreneur is the determination to see the project through to its full capacity.  They survive all of the setbacks that can occur along the journey of launching a successful business.  They see each setback as the opportunity to learn what the next step to success will be.  Thomas Edison, a determined entrepreneur, was once quoted saying, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” Great ideas deserve that kind of determination.

 

Wrapping Up

Thomas Edison did not actually invent the lightbulb, although most people know him as such.  This is because Thomas was a determined entrepreneur, he had the desire and know-how necessary to take inventions and bring them to market.  Nikola Tesla is a perfect example of an innovator.  Someone who had a brilliant idea (the lightbulb) but did not display the behavioral strengths an entrepreneur possesses to bring his idea to market.

The term “Entrepreneurship” as defined by Gallup is “the art of turning an idea into a customer.”

 

Now Its Your Turn
Are you interested in learning what behaviors entrepreneurs identify with?  You might have the entrepreneurial bug!  Ask me a question about entrepreneurship in the comments below, or reach out to me through the contact page on my website.  See you next time!