10 Characteristics of a Smart and Successful Business Owner
Business owners are either solely in control of a business or they share that control in a partnership, still having a significant amount of decision-making power and monetary control. Starting, maintaining, and running a business are all risky in their own right, so it is important for business owners to have certain characteristics in order to ensure that they will see some level of success. Here are 10 traits that successful business owners possess.
#1: Bravery
As mentioned above, every aspect of being a business owner comes with some type of risk, so it only makes sense for a business owner to be brave. This doesn’t mean that they take every risk that comes their way, but it does mean that they aren’t too afraid to let a good opportunity pass them by. After all, it takes money to make money, and a business owner can’t be afraid to invest in their business.
#2: Creativity
Even though business is not usually thought of as a creative field, creativity is an important characteristic as a business owner. In order to achieve the results they desire, a business owner must come up with new, creative ideas to drive sales.
#3: Curiosity
A creative mind is often a curious mind, so curiosity and creativity tend to go hand-in-hand. If you’re a business owner and you feel like you’re not creative, just be curious! Curiosity leads you to want to know more, driving you to talk to different people, research different ideas, and allows you to learn how businesses can benefit from different tools, strategies, and perspectives.
#4: Humility
This characteristic may not affect the business directly, but it does do it indirectly. Humble people tend to be easier to get along with, and this is especially important when it comes to working with other people and networking with other business professionals.
#5: Open-Mindedness
This is definitely one of the most important traits of a successful business owner. Open-minded entrepreneurs are willing to listen to and execute new ideas that may be beneficial to their business. This can be anything from a new product/service to promote, outsourcing a particular part of the business, or even consulting another business to help supply certain services, such as renting work vehicles to carry equipment, staff, or to deliver products.
#6: Persuasiveness
A successful business owner should definitely have the ability to convince others to agree with them on certain business matters. This could be persuading an investor to donate money, persuading a candidate to work for the business, or persuading customers to purchase a product or service.
#7: Punctuality
This is a trait that shows that an entrepreneur values others’ time. A business owner who is always late is not likely to be successful, as they can appear selfish or uncaring. In the business world, there’s a saying that “time is money”, and other professionals are not fond of wasting time.
#8: Self-Motivated
Self-motivation is a trait that comes with several other traits, such as determination, discipline, passion, and perseverance. It’s important to understand that there will be tough business days, but an entrepreneur can’t get too disheartened over a bad week, month, or quarter. Instead, he or she must stay motivated to be able to get through the tough times.
#9: Team-Oriented
Whether you have 3 employees, 30, or 300, it’s important for any business owner to be team-oriented. This characteristic shows that you know how to be an effective leader and that you prioritize communicating with others.
#10: Tech-Savvy
In a digital world, it’s necessary for a business owner to be up to date with the latest technology. This includes anything from business software to social media. Social media, especially, is playing a major role in the success of several businesses.
There are several other traits that a successful business owner may possess. These 10 are just some of the most important traits to have as an entrepreneur. It’s also essential for a business owner to be honest, hardworking, confident, focused, and resilient.
