352-516-1787

It is time to bust the myths people often say about entrepreneurs!  Listen up for 6 common myths about entrepreneurs and why they are not 100% true…

Myth 1: Entrepreneurs are born that way.

Some people believe that there is an entrepreneurial gene.

Most people have the capacity to become successful entrepreneurs—it takes a strong willingness to learn, teachability, and a burning desire.  Once you have decided that you want to be successful, there definitely are some skills that can help you.  Find a mentor that can point you in the right direction.  But as far as genes, they’ve yet to find one with an entrepreneurial link.

Myth 2: Entrepreneurs work alone.

Entrepreneurs don’t work alone.  They put together powerful teams.  To be successful you don’t have to possess all of the talents to be super successful, but you do need to know what talents are necessary and then go out and find the perfect people to put into place.  Put together a “dream team” that combines the talents you need for your new company to grow and thrive.  Create a plan for success; decide what your greatest skills are, the skills that cannot be duplicated, and you take care of those tasks.  Then find people who excel at the other parts of your business.

Myth 3: Entrepreneurs are super-smart.

Entrepreneurs are rarely the valedictorians of their high school classes.  As Robert Kiyosaki says, “The ‘A’ Students work for the ‘C’ Students…”  I have found over and over in my business (although there are some exceptions) that ‘A’ students are so used to getting everything correct that they are too afraid to make mistakes.  What if they make a plan and fail, that isn’t an option for them.  What if someone tells them ‘no’, that would be like getting an answer wrong on the test, a test that they prepared for.  There can be too many variables.  They tend to like to follow a proven path and set of tasks.  However, the ‘C’ students are ok with trying different things, ok with getting some no’s, ok with thinking outside of the box, because they know in the end it will all work out even if the process hasn’t all been perfect.

Focus and dedication make for successful entrepreneurs, not grades.

Myth 4: Entrepreneurs need charisma to succeed.

It is true that many entrepreneurs have a great amount of charisma.  However, this isn’t necessary, and isn’t always how the entrepreneurs begin their careers.  You can look at entrepreneurs with big personalities like Mark Cuban, Richard Branson, and Mark Zuckerberg.  Although they may be very charismatic, there are more important things that let to their success.  Traits like vision, systematic thinking, analytic skills, and a blend of humility and ambition.  Especially with so much business growth occurring on the internet, the need for charisma for success is lessening and more business skills are taking its place.

Myth 5: Entrepreneurs are undisciplined.

Think of some of the entrepreneurs you know.  Do they always seem to be out having fun, at events, out getting coffee, hanging out at the gym?  They tout strong work ethics, but it seems like they are always on “off” mode.  When do they ever get anything accomplished?

The answer is, all of the time.  An entrepreneur is so focused on the goal, knowing that there are so few hours available, that someone else is always right around the corner ready to take their place that they are always in “go” mode, their minds are always churning out new ideas.

Although entrepreneurs rarely have fixed office hours, they don’t need office hours.  They don’t need someone saying, “It is now 8:00am and you need to be focused on your task for the next 4-hours, then you can take a 1-hour break, and then it is time to focus again.  And then for the rest of the day/night and weekend you can forget all about work.”  For the entrepreneur, the clock is never off.  Depending on the type of business he/she runs, work can be accomplished at the gym or at the coffee shop.  You will also frequently find the entrepreneur working late into the night, early in the morning, or throughout the weekend.  It is all self-discipline.

In fact, self-discipline is an absolute requirement for an entrepreneur. “Entrepreneurs are the attackers against the ‘defenders’–established companies. They have to have the spirit of a pirate with the execution skills of a Navy SEAL.”

Myth 6:  Entrepreneurs are in love with risk.

So you think you can’t be an entrepreneur because you are not the risk taking type?  You like more of a sure bet?

Well, entrepreneurs aren’t usually into being super risky either.  They may appear to take more risks than the average person, but they are all calculated risks.  They usually don’t like taking risks just for the fun of it, or for the thrill of it.  Great entrepreneurs prefer intelligent risk taking.  They maneuver to remove as much risk as possible and only take calculated risks where they feel they have an advantage and can influence the outcome.  You don’t have to enjoy risk. You have to understand how to manage risk, and know when to take a chance, and when not to.

I hope this has helped to rid some of the myths you have have about being an entrepreneur.  Keep up the work, it is worth it.

I look forward to seeing you at the top of your business!

~Thomas

PS: To help you brand yourself as an entrepreneur CLICK HERE for my 8 tips!


Did you get value from this information?  Please like and share with your network!