When running your own business, you need to have a particular mindset to make it work. Without it, you will lack the drive to keep going, especially during those difficult days, weeks and months. If you are thinking about setting yourself up for business or are already doing so, these are the qualities you need to possess to make your business succeed.
A visionary is somebody who has a dream, a plan, an idea for the future. This is the beginning of any journey, and without a vision, a business is guaranteed to fall flat. There needs to be a mission plan, a reason for moving forward and a hope for the future. The vision may be to make as much money as possible or to create a better tomorrow for yourself or the world.
Not having an employer looking over your shoulder means you are liable to procrastinate, have lazy days and put less effort into the work you do. Big mistake. Working for yourself is not easy, and there are a lot of things you need to do to be a success. You may have the greatest idea in the world, but without effort, that idea is never going to come to fruition.
Sabri Suby entrepreneur and millionaire, advocates hard work above all else. From making a business plan, organizing your finances and marketing your business online and off, you need to put the time and effort in to be a success.
When things go wrong and they invariably will, you need to have the discipline to keep going, overcoming those thoughts of giving up. You need to get up early in the morning to start your working day and go to bed at a reasonable time to get the rest you need. There will be many demands on your time, and discipline will help you to focus on the tasks you need to accomplish while saying no to tempting offers, such as going for a coffee with a friend when you know you need to work on your accounts, for example.
You are not the only business owner in the world, and there will be many people pushing similar products to yours. You must have the will and determination to be better than them if you are going to succeed. Research the competition and consider what they are doing well. Follow suit and then go one better, such as spending more time improving your website, increased advertising of your product and undercut their prices. Do whatever you can to be better, because you can guarantee they will be keeping an eye on you, as well.
Whatever challenges you face, if you have a genuine love for what you are doing you are going to be willing to stick with it. You will put in extra hours because of the joy your business brings you. Whether it’s the thrill of making money or knowing people are using your product, having a passion for what you are doing will give you a reason to get out of bed in the morning.
Black and Latinx Founders featured in 'Founding in Color'