Do you have what it takes?

Running a business is tough, you are generally by yourself, making all the decisions and until you get large enough to outsource so you have to do everything.  The question is do you have the characteristics needed to run your own business?

You need to be resilient

This one above all others is the most important, you must be resilient.  And most of us are we just don’t know it.  Starting and maintaining a business of any kind is incredibly tough and there are plenty of emotional up and downs.  You need to be able to manage this and resilience is the key.  The ability to pick yourself up and push forward is so important.  Accept the fact that things did not go your way and find the strength to brush yourself off and carry on.  Things rarely run smoothly in life but if you get over the hard stuff the good stuff is just around the corner.

Do you have tenacity?

Sometimes it will feel like nothing is going in your favour and that success is never going to arrive.  This is where being tenacious helps, that simple determination to keep going when a lot of others would give in.  With persistence and determination, you will eventually achieve what you want to, whether that is finally getting that loan that 10 banks rejected you for, winning a piece of work that you know will make a difference to your business growth, finding a collaboration that will benefit you and your business.  Whatever it is, be tenacious and see things through.

Have a positive mindset

I am a firm believer in a positive mindset, if you think you can, you will.  Negativity is not helpful and has no place in your thought process when you are running a business.  Get rid of the negative thinking and those people around you that are telling you that you will fail.  Pick up some motivational reading material, there is plenty out there from many wonderful entrepreneurs who have succeeded simply because they believed that they could.  One of my favourites is The Success Principles by Jack Canfield.  It includes many inspirational stories about those that have been able to motivate themselves to achieve plus gives some great tips on how to help yourself and keep that positivity when you most need it.

Be brave

It takes guts to start up on your own, leaving the security of a salaried job to become self employed.  But no one achieves anything by doing nothing! You need to be brave.  Taking a risk can be one of the most frightening and at the same time fulfilling things that you can do, so are you brave enough?

The ability to be flexible

Things change and never go quite as you planned in life, let alone in business.  The need to be flexible and adapt your schedule around client demands, unexpected costs, family emergencies and general day to day upheavals is essential.  Whilst planning is important, plans do change and the way in which you handle this will influence your business success and your stress levels.  Accept that sometimes even the best laid plans need to be changed.

If you have these characteristics as a business owner there is no reason why you cannot achieve any goal you set out for yourself.  Resilience, tenacity, positivity, bravery and flexibility are the five key traits that you need.  So, do you have what it takes?

If you would like some support with your business, please visit www.theumbrellatree.co.uk or email emma@theumbrellatree.co.uk.