Top Traits Of Successful Startup Owners Entrepreneurs should have a sharp mind with an even sharper eye for market insights, new developments, knowledge in the business realm

Becoming a small business owner is no small feat, and has its own set of challenges and opportunities that emerge with every business scenario/ circumstance.

Whether you are a bakery shop owner, or running a Subway Franchise, or have recently launched your own marketing communications agency – you definitely do have shared traits that make you a successful business owner (though, your sense of success can stem from your own individual/ business purpose).

That said, here are top 6 traits that fundamentally define you as a successful business owner.

You Are a Life-long Learner

You have a sharp mind with an even sharper eye for market insights, new developments, knowledge in your business realm – and of course, the quaint version of learning: reading business books (categorically), with a mix of books on creativity as well. (Being an entrepreneur does need you to have a creative outlook towards your business; principles of design thinking, agile mindset, etc. makes you take business decisions with the right mix of science and artistry.)

You are Focused

No upheavals can shake your staunch focus on growth. While "passion' sounds just-too-much-spoken, you are clear about your business purpose and only vision an uptick in your business growth, in the long-term, in terms of happy customers, your company's value system, culture, people, your business ecosystem – and of course, profits.

You Unsell, Yet Sell

Truth is, we all sell in some way. Even an accountant working for a Fortune 1000 company is "in a way' selling the company's financial statement – it all boils down to how well you sell, naturally (better yet, communicate). As sales leader, author and blogger, Anthony Iannarino rightly mentioned in his post, titled "More is not better, better is". And so, quite ironically, you are not commercial in selling; you are a human speaking to a human. It's a people affair and not a sales/ business-speak affair. You are a natural conversationalist, who sparks up a relation with your prospects with an innate understanding of your customers – their emotions, pain points, opportunities and their overall category benefits/ experience.

You Network Effortlessly

And yes, this takes a lot of time, paradoxically, to come up with your own 30-second elevator pitch – but you have mastered it via deliberate practice – with yourself and your network. You would instantly sense business undercurrents via connecting with new people in events, conferences, workshops, seminar, or tradeshows.

You are Patient and Persistent

You don't get dodged by failures; you have a bold vision with even bolder sense of patience and courage to withstand any bumps that come your way. You understand that your business will ramp up its stake, but with time, market context, great minds/ talent capabilities and relentless patience.

Your See Possibilities Everywhere

For you, even constraints – be it financial or personnel – can seem an avenue to creatively grow. From every networking event, to co-author a white paper, to speak at a business workshop, to partnering with people who share your sense of ambition and passion – you are always open to new horizons of growth and developing new business relations.

Rohit Prakash, Co-founder of iDream Education, said, "I believe one of the top traits that an entrepreneur should have is patience and an eternal hope. When you are running a business and are aiming for growth, there will be lot of days when things won't work out exactly as you had planned. Things may not move in the right direction. It is very easy in such moments to let frustration come in and then react negatively. In all such moments, strong patience is the key to calmly figure out the right solutions and act on them. And following it up from here, one key trait that can help an entrepreneur sail over anything is belief in himself/herself and what he/she is trying to achieve. I call it eternal hope. Come what may but as a business owner you can never lose hope for what all you can achieve. This will help you to push things forward no matter what the situation may be."

With that in mind, weave in your top traits in your core work and multiply them 100X until you are able to see your goals manifest into reality.

As how we encourage the football team of University of California, now it's your turn: Go Bears!