Being clear about what entrepreneurship is is the first step to having a successful business, which is why BBVA brings you the characteristics of an entrepreneur.
What is entrepreneurship?
Today more than ever, entrepreneurship is a global trend. But the undertaking is much more than creating a business: doing it is not easy, it involves risks and various obstacles. Entrepreneurship is being passionate, resourceful and knowing how to take advantage of opportunities. At BBVA we tell you what the characteristics of an entrepreneur are and what facilities you can access if you want to start a business.
What does it mean to be an entrepreneur?
In principle, being an entrepreneur is a lifestyle, and beyond its definition, it is a matter of attitude and aptitude.
Entrepreneurs are those who have been able to observe their environment well to find opportunities and innovative solutions to problems that others do not see or have not been able to address. Entrepreneur is someone who, based on an innovative idea, carries out by their own means a project in which they passionately believe, looks for a way to materialize it and assumes the risks and consequences that this means.
It is common to think that the entrepreneur is linked only to the creation of new businesses, but this is not the case. There are social, cultural, political entrepreneurs and more. Also, if you are an employee of a company, you can undertake within it, always looking for the most innovative solutions for your work.
The world is full of entrepreneurs who, after a long road of failures and new beginnings, have achieved success, such as: Bill Gates (Microsoft), Steve Jobs (Apple), Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook), Elon Musk (Tesla), Jeff Bezos (Amazon), Jack Ma (Alibaba) and Howard Schultz (Starbucks), among others. If these characters have anything in common, it is that their entire empire began with an idea.
- If you already have yours, ask yourself these 3 questions:
- Is it clever enough?
- Who is it addressed to?
- Will it be possible to market it?
- If you have all the answers, consider the following:
The role of the entrepreneur involves identifying a business opportunity, acquiring and deploying the resources required for its exploitation, designing and implementing a business plan, hiring the necessary human resources, assuming leadership and taking responsibility for the success or failure of their project. .
The entrepreneur is an innovation entrepreneur, and if we wanted to sum it up in one sentence, “an entrepreneur is the one who makes things happen”.
What characteristics does an entrepreneur have?
Do you consider yourself an entrepreneur?
These are the 12 qualities that every entrepreneur should have:
- Initiative : Without initiative, no idea sees the light. An entrepreneur does not wait for things to happen, but goes out to knock on doors, to seek financing, alliances and everything that is necessary to materialize his ideas.
- Passion: An entrepreneur remains constantly motivated and proactive as a result of that innate desire to do what he likes and meet his goals.
- Creativity: To innovate, the basis is to have the ability to observe, with a unique vision that allows you to think about every detail and offer added value that makes a difference.
- Ingenuity : An entrepreneur has the ability to know how to do the best with what he has and create networks that help stretch the limits of his resources.
- Eager to learn: Entrepreneurs absorb knowledge like a sponge, looking at every moment of their lives for a way to learn something new or to complement what they already know.
- Approach: You can generate a brainstorm, the important thing is to know how to rule out the vast majority and focus on the main thing, considering the context and the objectives. Focusing often means letting go (or saving for the future) ideas that are good, but that do not contribute to solving the specific need.
- Vision : A true entrepreneur sees beyond what everyone sees.
- Organization : Organization is critical to turning an idea into a relevant solution. Good organization helps maintain focus and productivity.
- Adaptability : Two of the main characteristics of entrepreneurs are their ability to adapt to changes and tolerance for frustration. Undertaking is full of risks and the scenario of a project can be altered a thousand times, that is why knowing how to adapt is so important.
- Perseverance : The path of the entrepreneur is long, before a “yes” they are faced with hundreds of “no’s” and many obstacles, which ultimately serve to achieve success. The important thing is to insist, maintain optimism and get back up after each fall.
- Leadership : The entrepreneur is not a boss, he is a leader: someone who inspires, who knows how to communicate his ideas, who encourages his team, recognizes the merits and enhances the talent of each person, and knows how to delegate when necessary.
- Networking and Teambuilding : Do you know these two concepts? The first is about forming external contact networks, for which knowing how to communicate and socialize is key. The second refers to internal networks, that is, to the formation of good work teams: The entrepreneur surrounds himself with people who think in the same direction, who take ownership of his idea with the same passion, who share a vision for the future and that can complement their knowledge.