What holds back entrepreneurs from succeeding | Marketing Eye | Mellissah Smith

Entrepreneurs have different psychological profiles. There have been thousands of studies on what makes a successful entrepreneur, and why many fail particularly in their first five years. 

There are five distinctive traits that many successful entrepreneurs hold, and some are agreeable with those around them and others, not so much.

The open-book to experiences

Entrepreneurs are most likely to succeed if they are prepared to experience things that they may not have every come across before. This also lends itself to the risk profile of entrepreneurs. You have to experience something you never have before and perhaps have little or no knowledge of, in hope (or through prediction) that it may succeed. If you are a closed off person, then success is hard to achieve. When an opportunity crosses your path, you are more likely to hold back, hesitate and perhaps miss the opportunity all together. Entrepreneurs who are successful never say no to an experience.

Self-confidence that often mirrors an extroverted personality type

Most entrepreneurs fake it until they make it. They have to project a sense of self-confidence telling the world that what they are doing is going to be successful even if it is not quite at that stage in the equation. Even if they are an introvert, they project an extraverts personality type in the business world and where it counts. If they didn't, success would not be in their future. People have to believe in you and what you are doing, and they don't  believe in those who cannot communicate that they believe in themselves.

Radical and transformative thought process 

Willing to challenge not only someone else's thought process but that of your own is a winning formula for entrepreneurs who are on the fast-track to success. They come up with ideas and their willingness to challenge them and have other's do the same, gives them the ability to build the dream. There is also another factor that is important to consider and that is the fact that most successful entrepreneurs are neurotic. They become anxious, sad, nervous and intense with the many highs and lows of business. 

They are more conscientious than a manager or employee

They are betting the farm on their business, and they have everything to lose, as well as everything to gain. They work harder than everyone else and the energy levels required to keep this momentum never subsides because they know that this dream is only alive as long as they role up their sleeves and do the hard yards.

Propensity to plan, organise and be responsible

The butt stops with the entrepreneur. If the business fails - it is them who has failed. If it succeeds, it's the entire team that succeeded. To be successful, you have to have a plan. Not one just for the overall business, but one for marketing, human resources, product and service development, finances and sales. While many businesses can get by with a few pages in a business plan, they cannot do the same with marketing. A marketing strategy must be detailed with key actions telling your brand story over and over again. A marketing strategy is NOT a list of action items on your to do list, it is so much more than that, and if you truly are serious about being successful then check out Robotic Marketer. A plan from this platform will change your business overnight and set it on the path of great success.

Entrepreneurs are often seen as jack-of-all-trades, social butterflies, nerds or that overly confident person in the room, but that same person is going to show the world that through being innovative, taking risks, believing in themselves and constantly challenging their own capabilities and that of those around them, that they are here to be counted as an entrepreneur of record.

There is a rise o fpublic and intellectual fascination with startup culture and entrepreneurs in general for a reason, and that is only going to further entice people that risks are a good thing and entrepreneurship can mean that you get to live the dream. I can personally attest to the latter.