Be Inspired by an Entrepreneur
The very best thing about entrepreneurs is that they show the rest of us that anything is possible. Take Richard Branson, for instance, who started out producing a small paper, went on to start an Airline, nearly lost it and went on to start up the same airline in Australia. First with two aircraft and now with a fleet. Inspiring. So one way to tap into that inspiration is to find out more about who the entrepreneurs are, how they found success and apply those lessons to your own life.
Some of the things that I have discovered about entrepreneurs is that they have the following traits:-
- they are operating new business ventures
- take responsibility for the risks that they take
- have deep belief in the product or service
- have a burning desire to succeed
- are prepared to work hard and do whatever it takes
- are optimistic
- hold a realistic view
- show leadership, especially during adversity.
Entrepreneurs can see a great reward, they set their sights in it and will take great risks in order to achieve the reward. Incidentally, entrepreneurs come in all shapes and sizes, ages, nationalities and both genders. Oh, and while no one said so, I just bet that entrepreneurs associate with other entrepreneurs and successful people. And I also just bet that they seek out optimistic and positive people to be around. There is no doubt that the people that you associate with can either help or hinder your progress.
For example, if you are associating with people who are not entrepreneurs but who work long hours for little reward, then chances are that is what you will do. On the other hand, if you associate with millionaires then you will know what it is that they do to earn money and achieve success. Now I hear the arguments that success is not always about money and that is true, however money gives you a degree of freedom to achieve other things in life and often that is what people are looking for. The freedom to make their own decisions and do their own thing when they want to.
In the words of Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop and entrepreneur, “success to me is not about money or status or fame, its about finding a livelihood that brings me joy and self-sufficiency and a sense of contributing to the world”. I’ll let the entrepreneur have the last word.
Looking For An Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is described as a person who is willing to take on a venture and all of the responsibility that goes with it. This French word means “to undertake”; and in today’s world that undertaking is a business one, often with substantial risk attached. So an entrepreneur is one who takes action. This reminds me of the words of Theodore Roosevelt in Chicken Soup for the Soul; “Credit belongs to the man who is in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly…..who at best knows in the end the high achievement of triumph”. I am sure that Roosevelt was speaking of an entrepreneur. Read some great blogs for entrepreneurs.
The world of an entrepreneur is an exciting one with new possibilities on the table every day. While this is not the world for everyone, currently more and more people are moving towards their own business as a life of employment becomes less attractive and high paying jobs harder to find. People are investigating, via the Internet, the endless stream of business opportunities that are presented. So how do you decide to become an entrepreneur and what does it take to succeed.
For many people, redundancy has made the decision for them and set them on the path to be an entrepreneur. For others, life in a job has long held little charm and they simply come to the “fork in the road” and are not prepared to work like that forever. Some people have a burning desire to earn a lot more than paid employment will ever allow and still others are drawn to the pure pleasure of being their own boss!
So if you are thinking of becoming an entrepreneur think about the following:-
- Can you set your mind to something and see it through?
- Are you prepared to do the hard yards that the first few years might take?
- What will you do if you have a setback – do you have perseverance?
- Can you work alone and remain motivated?
- Can you focus on solutions and not the problem?
- Do you take control of your own destiny and all of the responsibility that goes with that?
If you answer yes to those questions then you might just be an entrepreneur and the person who I am looking for. Contact me.
Bundanoon Makes a Difference
Seemingly small actions can make an enormous difference as the current decision by the small town of Bundanoon shows. The people of Bundanoon have become outraged by a proposal to tap a water source in that community, truck it to Sydney, bottle the water and sell it back in Bundanoon. Last night they voted in favour of banning bottled water from being sold in their town. Brave move and possibly a world first. Go Bundanoon!
The domino effect is now in action with the NSW Government making a decision to stop buying bottled water. What is the next effect?
Someone must have set this ball rolling, maybe after a discussion with like minded people, the thought energy started to flow and more like minded people became involved. This action serves as a timely reminder that anyone can start a great idea, especially if there is a bit of public outrage around at the time. Hopefully more and more people will see this as an opportunity and do what they can to support this action and also to see that one person or one community can make a difference. Fantastic leadership that the townsfolk of Bundanoon are showing and their decision has hit the networks all over the world.
The Value of Trust in Personal Development
Stephen Covey, well known author of several acclaimed books, including The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People and The Nature of Leadership is the winner of The Lifetime Achievement Award for Entrepreneurial Leadership and has made teaching Principle-Centred Leadership his life work. Covey writes the following about the Emotional Bank Account; a personal development concept well worth getting to know:-
” The Emotional Bank Account is a metaphor for the amount of trust in a relationship. Like a financial bank account, it’s something we make deposits into and withdrawals from. Actions such as seeking first to understand, being kind, making and keeping promises, and being loyal to the absent increase the balance of trust. Being unkind, breaking promises, and gossiping about someone who is absent decrease or even bankrupt the trust in a relationship.”
So, what kind of leader are you and what is your Emotional Bank balance? Since relationships are everything, it is well worth asking yourself this question on a regular basis and taking corrective action early to protect trust and achieve success.
Overcoming Adversity – A Personal Development Challenge
Recently, while inspiring myself to push through a particular obstacle, I was drawn to my well leafed copy of Chicken Soup for the Soul and found the following inspiration.
“We who lived in the concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken away from a man but the one thing; the last of his freedoms – to choose one’s own attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” (Chicken Soup For The Soul, Jack Canfield and MV Hansen, Health Communications Inc.)
Marvellous inspiration and it definitely rekindled my spirit.
