Posted by Shivali Anand
May 16, 2022 | 3-minute read (564 words)
As an entrepreneur, it is tremendously fulfilling to bring a business idea to life and steer it to success. But how does a startup business attain peak performance? Is it only plain hard work, or is there something more at play?
Research suggests the latter. Multiple studies find that successful business owners and entrepreneurs share core attributes that, in addition to hard work, help further their accomplishments. Let’s delve into these traits below.
Clients first
Every business has two sides. Workers, owners and stakeholders are represented in one group, while clients are represented in the other. But in the end, clients are what keeps the firm viable. In the absence of a customer- or client-first approach, the entire purpose of the business is brought into question. Successful business owners are keenly aware of this reality and act to ensure this approach is prioritized and shared, and they take immediate action to remedy the situation in the event the client-first approach has not been followed.
Risk-taking
To get an idea off the ground, every founder has to take a big risk. Entrepreneurs are distinguished by their willingness to make risky decisions in the face of skepticism and even private doubts. When confronting a setback or failure, they hunker down, learn from it and slog on.
USP
Every business needs a differentiating feature that distinguishes their product or service from that of their rivals. If you can effectively explain the value of your company's unique selling proposition to consumers or clients, you will have gained a competitive advantage.
Marketing with a specific audience in mind
This is a universal guideline applicable to every business worth its salt. Your business’s unique selling proposition must be adequately communicated through targeted marketing, and it must stand out in a competitive market to attract clients.
Persistence
When business owners and entrepreneurs get stuck in their ways, it can be difficult to move forward. But their solution is persistence, not throwing in the towel. Their determination and doggedness in the face of hardship sets them apart from firms that crumble and fall into oblivion.
Employees are held responsible
People who run their own businesses may come to believe that the company exists solely to serve their own needs. However, they are not long destined for success, because this is a backward view. Successful entrepreneurs recognize that there are many people who contribute to the business’s day-to-day operations. Placing part of the responsibility for the company's success on workers also goes a long way toward making them feel accountable and engaged.
Vision and leadership
An effective business owner or entrepreneur inspires others to follow them with their vision and leadership skills. Otherwise, the business is like a rudderless boat, drifting wherever the market takes it. Similarly, you must be a leader inside the organization to ensure employees have a role model in times of uncertainty. A solid leader in the team recognizes their place in the hierarchy and provides their 100% to improve the business, which motivates their colleagues.
Flexibility
No business entity can afford to be rigidly established in its ways. Successful business owners and entrepreneurs know the need to adapt and evolve is continual. Think of a plant that weathers all storms but finally bends over in weakness, in contrast to one with the flexibility to move with the wind instead of against it, and get stronger.
