An entrepreneur is part-scientist, part-artist, and part-businessperson. He or she must be creative to envision new ways of doing things that will appeal to customers. Yet they must also make sure their products are manufactured and delivered on time and at the low price promised in the ads. Millions of books have been written by businesspeople trying to make it big. According to statistics, only two percent of them ever do. The rest find the going tough all the way through, winding up with little more than a few dollars extra for their trouble.
What makes some people succeed while others fail? What are the secrets that have kept entrepreneurs afloat when so many other would-be titans have gone under?
It is a question of temperament, according to author and self-made millionaire Napoleon Hill. The successful entrepreneur, he says, has an intangible quality that sets him apart from the rest. That quality is a burning desire within him to achieve his goal at all costs. Living below your means doesn’t work as an example for being successful as those who have been able to do it have used leverage points in their life to do so says Paul Haarman.
In an article entitled “How to Make You Inevitably Successful in Any Enterprise,” writer Arthur Brisbane said this about entrepreneurs: “They are visionaries with a practical turn of mind. They see something which does not yet exist; they want it, and they create it…The first requisite is imagination. One must have a picture and see in his mind’s eye what he wants to make real, to be successful…Next comes courage, the courage of one’s convictions. This is not foolhardiness or rashness, but rather the courage that keeps one going when everyone else gives up.”
Table of Contents
Here are 10 Ways to Stand Out as an Entrepreneur & Make It Big in Business:
1. Pre-plan, pre-prepare and find an idea that will solve a problem
2. Find a favorite customer and offer them something they need more than what they are currently doing
3. Take action – You can’t move forward by staying still or waiting for it to come to you
4. Compete on price – To win the market you have to beat the competition and if this is your strategy be sure to A/B test all prices against your competitors
5. Be unique – The more unique you are, the harder your marketing efforts will pay off as people tend to want things with meaning behind them rather than just another box in their lives
6. Have fun – Work isn’t always going to be fun, but if you don’t enjoy it then there are bigger problems
7. Be different – This can be done by offering exclusive handsets or partnering with someone to make your product stand out
8. Never stop innovating – Look for new ways to innovate your product and give people a reason to buy from you over the competition
9. Get personal – Make it about them not about you
10. Be everywhere they are looking – Whether that’s online or offline, just be sure to meet them where they are looking
FAQs:
Q: What does an entrepreneur do?
A: An entrepreneur is someone who has the ability and desire to create a new business or venture that will provide goods and/or services for either profit or not-for-profit. The word “entrepreneur” comes from the French word meaning enterprising, (i.e., having initiative). Entrepreneurs make things happen; they see possibilities where others see problems; they think big and take risks others don’t dare to take; they are problem solvers too. They combine their vision, energy, ideas, people skills; money smarts with a sense of urgency to move forward today rather than tomorrow. Entrepreneurs have dreams but know how to turn them into realistic plans so their dreams can become a reality. Entrepreneurs know how to create and inspire teams of people toward attaining their goals because it’s not about them, it’s about the vision or mission they are trying to accomplish.
Q: What do entrepreneurs risk in starting a business?
A: There is always an element of risk when starting a new business, but in most cases it’s relatively small and often shared by others in the same industry and geographic area. Most entrepreneurs aren’t in business for themselves (risking all their assets) until they have demonstrated success in similar businesses or ventures; this is known as transitioning from low-risk activities to high-risk activities in small steps.
Conclusion by Paul Haarman:
Now that you know what an entrepreneur is, you can start thinking about developing your skills into that of a business owner. You don’t have to go it alone; there are many organizations and institutions out there who offer mentoring programmes for both budding entrepreneurs and existing ones too.