5 Habits Of Successful Entrepreneurs

Modern entrepreneurs are just as unique as any other demographic. Some might argue that they’re even more unique due to the creative freedom enjoyed in their careers and their highly proactive, innovative mindsets.

Despite notable differences in personalities, ethnic and cultural backgrounds, day-to-day lifestyles, and more, there are a handful of habits and tendencies that are commonly shared amongst entrepreneurs of the 21st century.

Day-To-Day Drive And Motivation

One of the most readily apparent traits of modern entrepreneurs is also the most important: their day-to-day drive and motivation. It’s something that’s seen in every successful businessperson, celebrity or public figure since the dawn of time. While their methodologies, actions and intentions might vary, they all share an unending drive for success.

Entrepreneurs also use their personal drive and inspiration to influence others – either intentionally or not. Have you ever been in the same room with a successful motivational speaker or spoken with an iconic celebrity figure? You’ll almost always leave the encounter with a renewed sense of self-esteem and enthusiasm of your own.

Many entrepreneurs have used their power to inspire others, including:

• Elon Musk – Born in South Africa, Elon Musk has made recent news as the CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and Solar City. Not only is he influencing other entrepreneurs, business leaders and consumers to embrace solar energy, including solar-powered vehicles, but his recent attempts are aiming all the way to outer space. He is also a known philanthropist and has launched several initiatives of his own.
• Henry Ford – Coming from a rather modest upbringing in a farming family, Ford went on to create several different businesses, including Cadillac Automobile, before changing the name to Ford Motor Company. It’s a brand that has inspired countless others – from automakers to consumers – around the globe.

Lifelong Commitment To Learning

Many of today’s entrepreneurs are also active learners. They realize that it’s impossible to know and understand everything about day-to-day operations, finance and logistics. Instead of focusing on the things they cannot change, they take advantage of the available resources to learn as much as possible.

It’s this natural curiosity that often leads to entrepreneurism in the first place. Today’s entrepreneurs wouldn’t have attained success without the inquisitiveness to think outside the box and strive for something greater – and some of them didn’t even have access to the internet or next-gen technology.

For those who have access to online resources and are tech-savvy enough to utilize them, there are plenty of internet-based learning communities to consider, including:

• Academia.edu – A popular site for browsing recent research papers and other scholarly content. It’s a worldwide community that offers something for nearly every academic discipline.
• Connexions – Founded by the team at Rice University, Connexions gives academic professionals the chance to share and study learning modules that cover a myriad of subjects.
• Change.org – A popular site for online petitions, Change.org is used by many professionals in academia to create awareness and inform other members of current trends, recent events, late-breaking news and more.

Professional Flexibility

It also takes a strong sense of professional flexibility and versatility to overcome the challenges faced by most entrepreneurs in the 21st century. For most, this means evolving with time and adapting your approach, refining your business model and embracing change.

While the previous generations of entrepreneurs were originally hesitant to embrace things like laptop computers, smartphones and even the internet in general, it’s hard to imagine doing business without such luxuries.

A few leaders and innovators who have successfully adapted to new demographics, current trends or other events include:

• Oprah Winfrey – Her transition from a daytime talk show hostess to one of the most prolific media moguls in the United States is nothing short of remarkable.
• Donald Trump – Whether you love him or hate him, there’s no denying the fact that he’s worn many different hats over the years. From his original career in real estate to becoming a reality TV star and, most recently, securing the U.S. presidency, he’s certainly shown his ability to adapt and evolve over time.

Willingness And Ability To Work As A Team

Only a small number of entrepreneurs achieve success completely on their own. In most cases, it involves a small team – or at least a couple partners – to realize and fulfill the goals of the most proactive and business-oriented minds.

Working with others has several benefits. Not only does it relieve some of the responsibility from your own shoulders, but it helps you reach benchmarks and milestones even quicker and more consistently than a solo effort.

Some notable entrepreneurial teams include:

• Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak – While Steve Jobs was the marketing genius and instantly recognizable face behind the Apple brand, it was his original partner and Apple co-founder, Steve Wozniak, who created the earliest technological systems and platforms for the company. To say they worked successfully as a team would be an understatement – they absolutely relied on one another in the earliest days of Apple.
• Reid Hoffman and LinkedIn – Although Reid Hoffman receives most of the credit for the success of LinkedIn, it was the collaborative effort of several business leaders and engineers, including Allen Blue, Jean-Luc Vaillant, Eric Ly and Konstantin Guericke, that ultimately made the site into one of the most popular social media hubs today.

Proper Work-Life Balance

Some hourly workers are under the false impression that entrepreneurs have it easy. In reality, most entrepreneurs had to put in countless hours and take tremendous risks to achieve success. Whereas their college peers were spending their time partying and pursuing part-time jobs, those who were born with the entrepreneurial spirit invest the bulk of their time into their professional dreams and goals.

But it’s critical that you avoid overworking yourself as an entrepreneur. Unfortunately, it’s an easy trap to fall into. There are several tricks you can use to better manage your time as an entrepreneur, including:

• Schedule breaks throughout the day – Make sure to take regular breaks on a day-to-day basis. If you spend the majority of your time sitting behind a desk, try to spend some time standing on your feet. Even a few minutes a day can improve circulation and help you stay awake during those long days and nights.
• Maintain a regular schedule – Some entrepreneurs don’t maintain a set schedule on a daily basis – it’s part of what attracts us to start our own businesses in the first place. Without a supervisor or manager looming over you, and without a timecard to punch on a daily basis, it’s easy to make it up as you go along. Instead, try creating a specific schedule for each day. Not only will this help you cope with some of the challenges you’ll face as an entrepreneur, but you’ll often find that you’re able to get more accomplished on a day-to-day basis, too.

Achieving success with HJR Global

If you’re having trouble getting your business off the ground, or if you just want to reinvigorate your entrepreneurial spirit, contact the professionals at HJR Global today! We have a team of experts standing by who are ready to help you achieve success in the highly competitive industries and markets of the 21st century!

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