Entrepreneur Q&A: Why Become an Entrepreneur?

April 3rd, 2008

For this Thursday’s Entrepreneur Q&A I’m going to tackle two popular questions that many prospective Entrepreneurs ask. They are “Why become an Entrepreneur?”, and more specifically, “Why is being an Entrepreneur more satisfying than a regular job?”

What could be more appealing than working 12-hour days without making the first dime? Entrepreneurship is hard work. It means working long hours with little monetary reward (at least for most people starting out). So why would anyone want to become an entrepreneur? I can’t tell you what will fulfill your own goals, passions, and skills the best. All I can do is share the reasons I believe being an Entrepreneur is more satisfying than a regular job. In this article, I’ll share my own reasons for becoming an entrepreneur, and recommend a few great books for those considering entrepreneurship.

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Entrepreneur Motivation: How to overcome fear and self-doubt in your business

April 1st, 2008

If you’re like me, you know how difficult, and sometimes painful, it is to work on a struggling business. Whether you’re a new entrepreneur, or have had a business for years, it’s hard to work, day-in and day-out, without seeing results.

I love trying to make money online, but some days I find it extremely difficult to wake up motivated. I know it will be weeks, months, or maybe years before I start making a substantial income from blogging. Then today, I found an article by Yaro at Entrepreneurs-Journey about remaining productive when you feel like giving up.

I felt like this article spoke directly to me. So using Yaro’s article for inspiration, I decided to write my own post to motivate all my fellow entrepreneurs on how to overcome fear and self-doubt in your business.
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Top 10 Characteristics and Qualities of a Successful Entrepreneur

March 30th, 2008

Do you have a strong desire to become a successful entrepreneur? Would you like to know if you have what it takes to build a successful business? I’ll give you the good news upfront; almost anyone can develop the qualities necessary to succeed as an entrepreneur.

As I started to research the characteristics of entrepreneurs and their success, I started to realize just how relative the idea of a “successful entrepreneur” truly is. To illustrate my point, consider the following question.

Which of these is the MOST successful entrepreneur?

  1. The 60 year-old small business owner who has owned a local hardware store for 30 years, makes just enough to get by, but loves what he’s doing, and calls everyone in the town a friend.
  2. The 35 year-old CEO of a software firm who works 70 hours a week, stays stressed, never sees his family, but makes over one million dollars in revenue per year.
  3. The 40 year-old single mom who makes money online with several blogs, and gets to spend all the time she wants with her kids.
  4. The 23 year-old college dropout who created a few websites that he manages a few hours per week and now makes enough to travel the world, spend time with friends and family, and pursue his favorite hobbies.

Chances are, each person that reads this will have a different point of view of who is the most successful entrepreneur. It doesn’t really matter. What matters, is that you know what success means to you.

It doesn’t matter if you want to create a giant corporation or write for a blog that makes just enough to pay your monthly bills. If that’s what fulfills your vision of purpose and success, go for it.

I still wanted to know what characteristics and qualities link successful entrepreneurs. So I turned to the book The Millionaire Mind by Thomas Stanley . In his book, Stanley interviews and surveys hundreds of millionaires in order to understand their success. Most of the millionaires in his book are Entrepreneurs and other self-employed individuals. This post is inspired by the data in his section on Success Factors.

In this article, Top 10 Characteristics and Qualities of a Successful Entrepreneur, you’ll learn which factors influenced these millionaires the most. I’ll also share a couple of factors that, you’ll be shocked to learn, influenced them very little.
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Are You a Likable Blogger? 7 Tips to Have Better People Skills Online

March 27th, 2008

Do you consider yourself a likable blogger? Do you have people skills online?

It’s been proven that (in-person); non-verbal cues make up the majority of communication. The words you use only make up a small percentage of what people are hearing from you. Online it’s a different ballgame. All we have are our words.

People skills (online and in-person) are some of the greatest assets an entrepreneur can have. As a blogger and entrepreneur it’s vital for you to have good people skills, in order to, network with other bloggers, listen and respond to comments and feedback, and convey your mission in a clear way.

If you want to become a more likable blogger, keep reading. I’m going to show you seven ways to have better people skills online. By practicing these tips, you’ll enjoy the benefits of increased friendships, subscribers, traffic, and profits.
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Top 10 Movies for Internet Business Entrepreneurs

March 25th, 2008

As someone who works from home, I often feel the need for some background noise. It’s great to put on a movie that inspires me (without consuming all my attention of course). I also like these movies because they remind me what I want (and don’t want) in life and business. Hopefully, you’ll find some value in these movies as well. So without further ado, here are my picks for the Top 10 Movies for Internet Business Entrepreneurs.

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