Entrepreneurs: Born or Bred? March 1, 2017My CareerOff

Many people dream of becoming an entrepreneur and running their own business – do you? If so, forget about what you have heard about needing to be a born entrepreneur to become a success. Yes, some innate qualities can help, but ultimately, there is also an enormous range of skills and ways of working that you can learn quite quickly. And we’re going to take a look at some of the ways you can teach yourself the skills you need to successfully make the transition from employee to entrepreneur and business owner.

Start in the workplace. There are plenty of traits and characteristics shared by entrepreneurs, of course. Passion, determination, and vision are obvious ones, and there are plenty more besides. But these traits aren’t restricted to the entrepreneurial world — they do you a lot of favors as an employee, too. Similarly, there are skills you have as a great employee can also serve you well if you want to start a business. Ability to get on with people, for example, or a focus on accuracy and perfecting the job that is asked of you. Working with or running teams to prove your abilities to collaborate and lead. You can learn all these skills — and much more — in your current workplace, and all of them will stand you in good stead for becoming an entrepreneur.

Utilize a business coach. Having a mentor can ensure that you fill any of your weakest knowledge gaps. However, you do need to be careful when seeking out a business coach, as there are many cowboys out there who will charge you a fortune for little in return. That said, if you find a reputable business coach, they will give you the tools you need to develop your skills, confidence, and ways to generate ideas. Even the best-known entrepreneurs in the world access business coaches or have regular mentor meetings from time to time — and there is no reason why they won’t work for you.

Go back to school. An education can’t teach you how to be passionate, driven, and successful. But it can give you the nuts and bolts that every business owner needs to ensure their startup idea thrives. Something like an MBA online course can help you gain confidence, develop a thorough understanding of the business world, and learn the critical skills needed to become a success in your industry. You don’t have to go down the formal education route, either. There are plenty of private courses you can access to help you learn the basics of running a business and provide you with the tools you need for success.

Learn as you go. Ultimately, you will learn more during the experience of running a business than you will anywhere else. Every scenario is different, and you will find that your new company experiences things in a different way to the situations you read about in a textbook. And the best way to develop your entrepreneurial skills is to get out there, take action, learn from your mistakes and build your business.

Photo by Bikerider London | Shutterstock

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