When you are thinking about starting a business it’s natural to ask yourself if you have what it takes to succeed. You see other successful business people and think “how did they get to where they are?”. Then you start comparing yourself against them, and your perceptions of what it takes to make it.
What Does it Take to Succeed as an Entrepreneur?
So what are the main factors in order to make it in business, or as an entrepreneur? Maybe you’ve thought that to hit the big time you need one, or all, of the following:
*MBA from an Ivy League School
*A great idea that nobody has thought of before
*Luck
*A “secret” weapon that guarantees success?
*Good looks
*All the above
There must be something right…I mean they are successful people, and if you haven’t even begun it can be pretty easy to assume they have something that you don’t. Keep reading.
The Real Drivers to Entrepreneurial Success
In a recent survey conducted by SurePayroll of small business owners and entrepreneurs, when asked “What are the drivers of entrepreneurial success?” they answered:.
1. Person's drive and ambition 27.2%
2. Person's passion for a specific business venture 14.9%
3. Hands-on experience in the industry 13.5%
4. Easy access to capital to start a business 13.1%
5. Personal connections 11.5%
6. Family members who are entrepreneurs 10.0%
7. Formal education 9.9%
If you’ve been sitting on that great business idea because you were second guessing whether or not you have what it takes to succeed, this survey should give you reason to rejoice.
I don’t doubt for a second that anyone who reads this blog on a regular basis doesn’t have drive, ambition, and passion.
If you're thinking about starting a business – those top three should come naturally. And look how important they are in the minds of all those “successful” people that you have been comparing yourself too.
Does that change your outlook at all on what it takes to make it?
Let's hear from you. Do you think the survey responses reflect the true drivers to entrepreneurial success?
If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the RSS feed (or by email) , and have future posts delivered to you.
Similar Posts:
- 8 Patterns Of Highly Effective Entrepreneurs
- 5 Quick Reminders for Running a Successful Business
- Passion Isn’t Static, Neither is Your Business
- Twitter Fest Friday – December 12, 2008
- The Joy of Self Employment!
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
That is so true! I would say success comes from a mixture of passion and hard work.
Education can only go so far. The drive and passion to start and run a successful business trumps everything.
@Nick
You can’t teach passion…that’s the bottom line.
Matt
@Tom
Yep, passion and hard work. What you get from those two is persistence, which is the magic ingredient to success. But without passion, you just can’t be persistent, doesn’t work that way over the long run.
Matt
Passion is truly the best driver to identify.
Also, we should be more specific about education, because people think it is just school and that is not the case. There is education on the internet, books, courses, etc.
School is not really focused on one area, it is a minimal generalized system to educate the masses.