3 Critical Skills for Entrepreneurial Success by @artistsedge

by Debra Russell | Featured Contributor

In my 13+ years of business coaching, I’ve worked with entrepreneurs and small business owners from many industries, though my specialty is in the Arts & Entertainment industry.

As a result, I’ve come to 2 conclusions:

Not all people are cut out to be entrepreneurs / business owners
Talent and passion are not enough

Are You Cut Out to Be an Entrepreneur?

There’s a lot of hype and romance around being a business owner, thanks to folks like Robert Kiyosaki, who make it almost embarrassing to be happy as an employee.

I’m the first to say – if being an employee suits your personality and your lifestyle – DO THAT! There is no shame in loving your job and being happy in that role. I couldn’t do it, myself. And I envy that a little. I’ve never had a paid vacation in my life – and there are times when I would kill to be paid to take 2 weeks off!

Knowing yourself, what you want, and what you’re willing to do in order to be successful should precede any decision to start your own business.

Is this you?

You thrive in a highly structured environment where others make the key decisions
When you see a situation with a clear risk of failure, you walk in the other direction
You know what you’re good at, and don’t really want to spend time doing anything else
You prefer to climb a clearly laid out path toward advancement and success

If this sounds like you, you will be better served finding a well-paying job doing tasks that suit your skills and interests.

If, however you are more like this:

You want to be the decision maker and prefer setting up your own schedule and structure
You lean in to fear and risk, not in a self-destructive way, but because you relish the challenge
You enjoy the variability of wearing different hats, you savor the way different activities make you think and feel
You prefer to blaze your own trail, if it’s too simple, easy and direct, you’re bored

If this second set of bullet points sound more like you – you may already have the makings of a successful entrepreneur. However, there are skills that you will need to learn in order to create real, lasting and sustainable success.

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