“Chase the vision, not the money, the money will end up following you.” —Tony Hsieh, Zappos CEO
There are many entrepreneurs in the market today. But only a few succeed and fewer achieve enormous success. Every successful entrepreneur is different. However, they all share some important traits which contribute in great measures to their eventual success. We look at some of these innate or self cultivated traits.
Adept at Time Management
You have the same amount of time as everyone. You need to get more done in less time than others. Learn to say ‘No’ firmly and politely when required. Delegate responsibilities to employees capable of doing what they do best.
The Art of Effective Leadership
The truth is no one can achieve greatness on their own. Only a team of highly motivated people can deliver success. As a leader, you have to set an example by being highly efficient and adhering to ethical conduct. You should be good at swift decision making. You have to shoulder the important responsibility to motivate your team and effectively resolve workplace related issues and conflicts.
The Importance of Hard Work
It is just not possible to succeed in business without hard work. A successful business person will readily testify that sheer hard work played a substitutable part for consistent and long term success. Also, your employees will feel motivated to work harder if they see their employers working hard.
Extraordinary Desire
The difference between the successful and not so successful entrepreneur is the level of desire. You should have an insatiable appetite for success and visualize it in all its dimensions. You do not believe in resting on your laurels and are hungry for success even when you have reached the pinnacle of business success. You dream big and desire even bigger.
Superior Planning
Planning is an art and science both. You need to implement and leverage your unique business ideas at the right time and right place. Successful entrepreneurs have both a ‘Plan B’ and ‘Plan C.’ Their planning has scope for all kinds of contingencies and they leave nothing to chance.
Innovative Marketing
You cannot succeed by conventional marketing strategies alone. You need to think out of the box as well as leverage your imagination and reservoir of latent creative skills. You strive to be not just different, but better than the competition in each and every way. Your innovative marketing plans must catch the customer’s eye and generate customer retention and repeat business.
Superior Money Management
The bottom line of any successful venture is smart money management. You need to know where to invest and where not to. You need to be money savvy in terms of paying your employees on time and reinvesting in your business operations.
Great Customer Service
You succeed in business only because of your customers. Treat them like kings and they will be endeared to you. Make your service as easy and convenient as possible to your valued customers. Ask yourself, would you like to be a customer of your company? Are there any steps to be taken or things to improve to deliver a truly world class and enjoyable customer experience?
Cultivate High Business Expertise
Just like you hire an expert for your business, most clients want an expert for their requirements. Keep improving your knowledge and skills on a daily basis to achieve a high degree of business expertise and a great reputation for quality and consistent service.
The definition of business success is not just monetary gain, but also other equally important criteria such as trustworthiness, high quality, superior customer service, impeccable integrity and more. The ultimate goal is to achieve holistic business success.
