▼

been trained.

and skill development. Others

. When people feel commit-

they are doing than how

earn often is secondary to achieving their goals.

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If I Think I Can . . . I Can!
Another key quality of the successful
entrepreneur is self-confidence. If you
are thinking that you would like to be an
entrepreneur, do you have confidence in
your ability to succeed? Every
entrepreneur encounters problems, and
you have to believe you can overcome
them.

If you feel you lack self-confidence, perhaps you’re not fully

appreciative of your past accomplishments. Think about all the
things you’ve done.
Have you participated in activities at school like music, art and sports?
Entrepreneurs are Have you held part-time jobs? Do you do chores regularly at home?
self-reliant, When you think about all of the things you have accomplished, you will
opportunityfocused, find that you have every right to be self-confident. Successful
willing to take risks entrepreneurs believe not only that they are capable of success but also
and thrive on believe that they are worthy of success.
competition.

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Entrepreneurs are self-reliant. They do not wait for others to tell them
what to do. They are self-starters and feel confident making decisions.

Entrepreneurs have other qualities as well. To accomplish their goals

and make their vision a reality,
successful entrepreneurs must
have drive, persistence, the ability to
complete tasks, and be willing to
work hard. Additionally, they are
opportunity-focused and forward-
looking. They are able to set both
short- and long-term goals. They
create a vision of what they want
their future to be, and then they
work to achieve it. These are
some of the qualities that help
them see problems as
opportunities.

As we discussed earlier,
entrepreneurs are willing to take a risk. While most people try to avoid
risk, entrepreneurs understand that risk is a natural part of trying to
achieve goals. Their self-confidence helps them accept the challenges
of the risks they take.

Entrepreneurs tend to
thrive on competition. While
they may actively compete
with others, they are
more likely to
compete against
themselves. In
other words, they
are constantly

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trying to improve their own performance regardless
of what others may be doing.

Although they may not realize it, most

entrepreneurs are creative. This does not mean they
paint pictures or write poetry (though it can); rather,
it means they find innovative ways to problem solve.
They always look for new and better
ways to do things—ways that have not occurred to others. Believe in your ability to be creative.
Experts tell us that the biggest block to creativity is thinking you are not creative.
Entrepreneurs who
Finally, entrepreneurs are willing to learn. They are information seekers. They may
are not open to
already know a great deal, yet they recognize that no one knows everything, and
learning often
that they can learn valuable information from others. Entrepreneurs who are not
compromise the
open to learning often compromise the degree of success they will be able to
degree of success they
achieve.
will be able to achieve.

Entrepreneurship Is Not for Everybody—Or Is It?

Not everyone has the qualities it takes to be an entrepreneur or even
wants to be an entrepreneur. Even people who possess the necessary
qualities are not necessarily made happy by being entrepreneurs. People
who have entrepreneurial characteristics are often happier working for
someone else. They use their entrepreneurial skills to advance their own
careers without taking the risks associated with being an entrepreneur. If
you recognize that you have some of the characteristics discussed here
but do not feel drawn to becoming an entrepreneur, you can find ways to
further your goals or your chosen career by putting your entrepreneurial
characteristics to work for you. It may surprise you how much recognition
you’ll get for the good work you do.
Activity: In your Personal Journal, turn to page 4
and complete the activity entitled “Are You a
Potential Entrepreneur? Part 1: Entrepreneurial
Characteristics—A Personal Review and
Assessment.”

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 ▼
Some Entrepreneurial Skills You Must
Have for Success
As with any sport, having the right attitudes
and characteristics can carry you only so far.
You also need the skills that will help you
succeed. However, unlike personal
characteristics and attitudes—which can often
be hard or impossible to change—
entrepreneurscan
acquireskills if they are willing to learn them.
Additionally, they can hire people to work for
them who have the needed skills. Either way,
the following skills are important if the
entrepreneur’s business is to succeed.

Ability to Plan: The ability to plan is a key skill for

entrepreneurs. They must be able to develop
plans to meet goals in a variety of areas,
including finance, marketing, production, sales
and personnel (hiring and maintaining
productive and satisfied employees).

Communication Skills: Entrepreneurs should be

able to explain, discuss, sell and market their
good or service. It is important to be able
to interact effectively with your business team.
Additionally, entrepreneurs need to be able to
express themselves clearly both verbally and in
writing. They also should have strong reading
comprehension skills to understand contracts
and other forms of written business
communication.

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A business’s success or failure is very dependent on
Marketing Skills:
whether the business reaches the market (its potential customers),
interests the market and results in those in the market deciding to buy.
Many entrepreneurs who failed started with an innovative good or service
that with proper marketing could have been very successful. Good
marketing skills—that result in people wanting to buy your good or
service—are critical for entrepreneurial success.

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including customers and clients, employees, financial lenders, investors,
lawyers and accountants, to name a few. The ability to
maintain positive relationships

“Yeah?” versus saying, ”Computer Support Services, this is Alex. How

being aware of their own strengths and weaknesses.

rather be led than managed” applies especially

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Think about the skills necessary for
successful entrepreneurship. What are
your personal areas of strength? In
what areas would you be most likely
to need assistance from

Chapter 3

You may also want to find out if

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________ people who really know you well

______________________________________________________________

What do you think would be an area for growth/improvement that would

benefit me the MOST? Ask the person to explain why.__________________
(special friend, family member,
______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________
teacher) agree with you on what you
______________________________________________________________

believe are your major strengths and

areas for improvement.
who knows you very well?

Activity: In your Personal Journal, turn

▲ to page 6 and complete the activity

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 ▼
entitled “Are You a Potential Entrepreneur? Part
3: Another Point of View.”

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