3 Characteristics of Entrepreneur(s) | Starting Your Own Small Business

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Starting your own small business…

is not a walk in the park, but it can be the best thing you’ve ever done. Do you have what it takes?  Even if you haven’t brainstormed a product to sell or decided which niche your business would fit into.. you can spend 5 minutes and analyze if you really have the characteristics of an entrepreneur. Because if you possess these three characteristics, no matter how foggy your business plan is you will succeed at building your own little empire.


1. Being a bad employee. This sounds crazy, how can being a bad employee be a characteristics of enterpreneur(S) everywhere? Because if you hate your job, or are constantly thinking of “i could do this better” then you know your meant to be your own boss. If you are comfortable in the rat race and feel okay about being told things to do and then executing, for a steady paycheck (or not in these times) at the end of the month… more power to you. Often I wish I was like you, because if I was I wouldn’t have thrown myself into business and struggled through all the hardships, I’d have been content bartending or teaching or working for the man. There isn’t anything wrong with being a good employee, the world depends on them to run, but if you are an entrepreneur the seeds of rebellion & the bad employee M.O. runs deep in your viens.

2. Not being afraid to jump without a parachute. Metaphorically of course, because if you take this one literally you’ll just be a dead aspiring entrepreneur. Safety nets are for those who know they’ll fall… a wise person once told me. It sounds ridiculous but it isn’t. Many great companies & large fortunes have been made of the brink of disaster. Entrepreneurs, backed against a wall, with no other options but to succeed. Failure is not an option for the die hard entrepreneur. There is no safety net waiting for you if your small business doesn’t succeed. Putting yourself in this mindset is one of the most important suggestions I can give you. That and I can point you towards a book called The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur that is all about soaring because there is no option to fail. This characteristic of entrepreneurs everywhere is at the heart of the journey towards personal freedom.

3. Action Jackson. The last characteristic of entrepreneur(s) is the A word. Action, action, action. No matter how small or how large, the entrepreneur knows that action is the only thing to take them from point A (hating your job in the rat race) and point Z (financial freedom and living life on your own terms). Rome wasn’t built in a night, but neither was it built with all the workers sitting on their hands. If you want something, go for it, set yourself up to succeed by doing the simplest actions TOWARDS your goals. Problem is people often mistake planning, thinking or wishing for action.

When I started my first business, back when I was 19 selling antiques on eBay, I had to make a definitive choice. One day I was sitting in my apartment with my girlfriends and I thought “I wish I had money to go out to eat” but I didn’t and I’d spent the money the folks gave me for the month. So what did I do, I registered for eBay (ACTION), I looked around at what was selling (ACTION), I knew I had a few antiques that my Grandma gave me stored at home so I called and had them shipped to me (ACTION) and then when they arrived I took photos, created listings and a few days later sold them all.

These very first baby actions allowed me to make $60 online, then roll that $60 into $300 by using it to invest in more antiques to resell on eBay.What if I hadn’t done that action? I would never be here talking to you.. instead I’d probably be bartending at a swanky place in Vegas (oxy-moron) and hating life. I’d be making good money but knowing that the moments my figure & looks go I’m toast (which happens surprisingly fast in the LV nightlife scene), instead of building up several small businesses that I plan on one day selling and that for the time being are my full time income streams.

ACTION JACKSON, get off your duff & arm yourself with the 3 characteristics of entrepreneur(s)! Be a bad employee… think every day how you could do your job better then one day leave & do! Jump without a parachute… and leave no room for failure only for amazing, crazy success! Take Action everyday, even if they are small, towards your goals and towards your entrepreneurial future.

Let me know what actions you are taking, or plan to take towards starting your own small business. I’d love to hear any additional characteristics of entrepreneur(s) you think I may have left out!

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  • http://websimcoe.com/ kirk

    Hey nice read! I really like the part about being a bad employee.. before I left my job I was ALWAYS thinking that way.. I guess it's true

    I also checked out your other website and really liked the twip you gave about following the guru's

    And I really like the “SHARE AND ENJOY!” thing you have on this blog, is that a plugin for wordpress?

  • http://oraclelaunch.com Maren Kate

    Yes its actually called *Sharing is Sexy* plug in for WP. Thanks so much for the comment! I am glad that others were 'bad employees' too :)

  • http://www.bluepop13.com/ Eric

    Awesome post! When you really think about it your mind is the limit for making you money. Not your job, your business, your career or even your income? That may sound crazy but I believe, having not made a single cent (seriously) online yet that you can always think of ways to do more in life including making money.

    I'll gladly add that I did LOVE the statement about become a bad employee. That's honestly not something you hear every day. Then again, there are terms people use who are brilliant that you don't here every day simply because you haven't found out what it's like to be brilliant just yet.

    Again, awesome post!

  • http://www.bluepop13.com/ Eric

    Awesome post! When you really think about it your mind is the limit for making you money. Not your job, your business, your career or even your income? That may sound crazy but I believe, having not made a single cent (seriously) online yet that you can always think of ways to do more in life including making money.

    I'll gladly add that I did LOVE the statement about become a bad employee. That's honestly not something you hear every day. Then again, there are terms people use who are brilliant that you don't here every day simply because you haven't found out what it's like to be brilliant just yet.

    Again, awesome post!

  • Maren Kate

    Thank you! Its always a big compliment when people subscribe to my blog posts… gets me all misty eyed :) And you are right on about the whole plan thing, in life, in business, in blogging, it all goes smoother if you make plans ahead of time.

  • Pingback: Starting your Own Small Business « Characteristics of Entrepreneur

  • Jake

    Hey Maren.
    I am a bad employee(this and previous jobs), I don't care what will happen if I jump, and I have had it in mind how I want to live; having a job for family isn't where its at. My father started his business in the late 80's and hasn't progressed but has slipped backwards recently and he doesn't want to expand or market his business. He doesn't want to “get out there” and spread the word about his business when in the community. He doesn't hand out his card or call potential customers. He waits for the phone to ring. It is so contradictory to how I think it ought to be, spreading the good news that we have products/services that can benefit the public. Since he hasn't considered my suggesstions I have been thinking out of the box about launching my own venture in an easier business where I am familiar with our products/services, but there is 80% less labor and much more profit. It would be a piece of cake. I could do it on my own terms, whenever and I know I'd be early to arrival to appointments (rather than late like I always am). Its been great to find you on the internet and realize someone else thinks like me!! Thanks!!

  • Jake

    Hey Maren.
    I am a bad employee(this and previous jobs), I don't care what will happen if I jump, and I have had it in mind how I want to live; having a job for family isn't where its at. My father started his business in the late 80's and hasn't progressed but has slipped backwards recently and he doesn't want to expand or market his business. He doesn't want to “get out there” and spread the word about his business when in the community. He doesn't hand out his card or call potential customers. He waits for the phone to ring. It is so contradictory to how I think it ought to be, spreading the good news that we have products/services that can benefit the public. Since he hasn't considered my suggesstions I have been thinking out of the box about launching my own venture in an easier business where I am familiar with our products/services, but there is 80% less labor and much more profit. It would be a piece of cake. I could do it on my own terms, whenever and I know I'd be early to arrival to appointments (rather than late like I always am). Its been great to find you on the internet and realize someone else thinks like me!! Thanks!!

  • http://www.Escapingthe9to5.com/ Maren Kate

    Your mind really is the ONLY limit :) check out a book called 'New Pyscho-Cybernetics' it is amazing and totally up that alley!

  • http://www.Escapingthe9to5.com/ Maren Kate

    So glad you are making the jump Jake! Sorry for the late reply :) that is awesome let me know how it goes!

  • http://twitter.com/TarekDemiati Tarek Demiati

    Being a bad employee is over-rated, if you've been a slacker for years don't expect to become a rock star performer over night.

    Here are 8 qualities that you would need during the action process :

    http://www.richardstjohn.com/images/8ToBeGreat_…

  • http://www.smallbizbigdreams.com Chris Parsons

    I disagree with #1 that entrepreneurs are bad employees. Bad employees lack a skill (tact) that isn't as vital to Entrepreneurs. I'm a good employee and Entrepreneur, and here's an article about the difference:

    http://www.smallbizbigdreams.c…