50 Signs You Might Be an Entrepreneur

Entrepreneurship is one word that has been bandied about for quite a while now that it is easy to lose track of its meaning.

In its most basic form, entrepreneurship is the process of creating a business, or a series of businesses and scaling them up for revenue. An entrepreneur gets an idea and develops this idea or ideas until they become a full-blown business that has the potential for profit.

Now that you know the meaning of the word, how do you know if you have what it takes to be one? The differences between an entrepreneur and a regular employee can be glaring, but they are not so hard to figure out once you know what you’re looking for.

Most of these signs show as early as your childhood, but some of them only show up after a certain age. If you notice at least half of these signs, you just might be a born entrepreneur.

Source: Makersladder

1. You’re Fine with Being on Your Own

Entrepreneurs tend to spend long hours and days working on their business plans long after everyone has closed, and they usually don’t need any help.

So, your ability to think independently without a company can be a sign that you are a born entrepreneur.

2. You Always See the Big Picture

If you’re always able to think ahead and see the big picture in any situation, you may be suited for an entrepreneurial role. Entrepreneurs practically see into the future and can decide on the most beneficial way to handle a situation.

3. You Treat Small Tasks as Important

No task is too small for a true entrepreneur. They treat every task as important, and they always tie up loose ends. If you care about the little things, you just might be an entrepreneur.

4. You Have a Driving Desire to Create Something

Entrepreneurship isn’t all about running your own business. It is about creating something in your mind and building it into a profitable venture. Do you have a burning need to create something valuable? Then you might be an entrepreneur.

5. You Read a Lot

The saying “leaders are readers” applies more to entrepreneurs than many other classes of people. Entrepreneurs are always ready to read and learn something from every book. If you value not just reading, but gaining value from every book, you’re probably an entrepreneur.

6. You’re Always Willing to Learn from Others

As an entrepreneur, any opportunity to learn something new and valuable from other successful people is not rejected. Most successful people document their practices and principles that got them to their level of success. If you have successful role models, you will always want to learn more about them and how they got to their level of success.

7. You Prioritize Education

Nowadays, the line between education and entertainment has been blurred, but this doesn’t stop you from picking out the educative elements in most situations.

Entrepreneurs are less interested in entertaining content than they are in educative and enlightening content that adds value to them.

8. You Don’t Fear Uncomfortable Situations

As an entrepreneur, one of the things you’d hear often is how uncomfortable entrepreneurship is.

The difference between you and others is that you welcome those situations as opportunities to challenge yourself and build a backbone. Entrepreneurs always have to make the hard decisions no one wants to make, and that doesn’t put you off one bit.

9. You Know the Importance of Hard Work

Hard work is one of the core principles of entrepreneurship, and every entrepreneur knows that.

You don’t mind doing the unappealing heavy lifting that other people run from, and you do it without complaining. You’re willing to put in more work than anyone in your organization.

10. But You Don’t Discount Smart Work

As much as you acknowledge that hard work is important, you know that working smart gets things done faster and more efficiently.

Entrepreneurs know that hard work and smart work go hand in hand, and they make a great team when combined.

11. You Ooze Confidence

Confidence is synonymous with entrepreneurship because that is what makes people believe in you.

If you don’t ooze confidence in your daily life, people will be reluctant to put their trust in you and your work. Of course, confidence also means that you know the value of your work, and you deliver every time.

12. You’re Not Afraid of Your Insecurity

Normal people have insecurities and try to hide them, but that’s not you. You wear your insecurities boldly, and they only motivate you to put in extra work. Unlike people that are crippled by their insecurities, yours drive you to be better.

13. You Have High Energy

Entrepreneurs are always active, and they seem to do a hundred things at the same time. It is easy to assume they have ADHD or extremely high energy levels. After all, you need all that energy to develop all your ideas and accomplish all your plans.

14. You’re a Passionate Problem Solver

Do you see a problem and instantly come up with several possible solutions? Do you obsess over the said problem until you find a way to solve it? Then you might be an entrepreneur.

15. You’re not Afraid of Failure

As driven as entrepreneurs are, they know that failure doesn’t mean the end. They are willing to stand up and try again for as many times they need to accomplish their dreams. If you see this trait in yourself, you just might be one.

16. You Don’t Care About Being Liked

Humans are social creatures that constantly seek validation from their peers, but not the entrepreneur. The entrepreneur only cares for their work and is not afraid to step on several toes to get there.

They always have to make hard decisions that will offend a few people along the way.

17. You See Everywhere as an Office

The absence of a regular office can stop a normal person from working, but not the entrepreneur. An entrepreneur can work anywhere. From the toilet to a busy café, an entrepreneur doesn’t let the environment affect their work.

18. You Don’t Like Being a Subordinate

So many people hate their bosses, but an entrepreneur bristles when under authority. If you feel this way when under supervision, you may be an entrepreneur.

19. You Value Growth

Growth is something that entrepreneurs hold dear, both in business and in personal life. An entrepreneur searches out new avenues for growth and learning, especially through reading educative and informative material.

20. You Have a Hustling Spirit

The entrepreneur is the ultimate hustler. They are never scared of taking bold steps to further their mission, and they can go to great lengths to accomplish their goals. No phone call or meeting is too daunting for the entrepreneur with a hustle mindset.

21. You Love a Good Debate

Debates are great opportunities to learn from others and see things from a different point of view. You love debates, and they don’t necessarily have to be passionate. Sometimes you have quiet and informative debates with your colleagues about general topics.

22. You Don’t Act Like Everyone

Many entrepreneurs have been called weird or odd at least once in their lifetime because they don’t think like others. Being seen as different is not necessarily bad because it means you can achieve certain things others cannot.

23. You Love to Observe People

Every entrepreneur knows the importance of studying human behavior. Knowing how to observe people and identify their strengths and weaknesses gives you the upper hand in business relationships and transactions. If you have that innate ability, you were probably born to be an entrepreneur.

24. You Prefer Being in More Intelligent Circles

While this is true for several people, entrepreneurs particularly enjoy hanging out with people who are significantly more intelligent than them. Do you find yourself seeking out older, more accomplished, and more experienced colleagues? Chances are that you can be an entrepreneur.

25. You are Never Too Shy to Ask for Advice

Some people may think that being an entrepreneur means that you know everything, or you should know everything, but that cannot be more wrong. A mark of entrepreneurs is how eager and unashamed to look for help or guidance from their superiors or even colleagues. Many entrepreneurs have mentors for that purpose.

Source: The Asian Entrepreneur

26. You Have the Best Life Hacks

Do you have simple yet smart tools and tricks that help you save time and make your life easier? No entrepreneur wants to waste time or do things inefficiently so that you might be one.

27. You Follow a Strict Schedule

Discipline is an important trait to have as an entrepreneur, and nothing shows how disciplined you are than following the same schedule every day. Following the same routine every day builds up entrepreneurs’ character, and it reflects in other areas of their lives.

28. You Make Your Own Decisions

Do you find yourself making decisions, no matter how hard for yourself? Entrepreneurs don’t wait for others to take charge of making decisions for them. They are in charge of their lives, and they take responsibility for their actions.

29. You Manage Your Time

Entrepreneurs know how valuable time is, and they don’t hesitate to abandon activities that threaten to consume their time. Time management is an essential skill for entrepreneurs to have, so if you have that, you’re one step closer to being an entrepreneur.

30. You Know How to Unwind

Entrepreneurs work hard, but they also understand the importance of letting loose and unwinding to avoid burnouts.

31. You See the Opportunity in Everything

Entrepreneurs embody the idiom that says every cloud has a silver lining because they always see an opportunity in every problem. If you’ve confused people by identifying a way to create value out of a bad situation, you’re most likely an entrepreneur at heart.

32. You Value the Truth

The truth remains the truth regardless of anybody’s opinions, so the entrepreneur is always on a quest to uncover the truth of any situation. If you find yourself digging deep and doing research just to get the facts, you just might be a good entrepreneur.

33. You Research in Your Free Time

The learning never stops with an entrepreneur, so if research is one of your hobbies, then you have some entrepreneurial tendencies.

34. You’re a Risk-Taker

Owning a personal business comes with risks that you place on somebody else, so you don’t turn away from them. You take risks every day, and this can help you in growing your business.

35. You Love Undertaking New Challenges

Challenges to you are nothing more than a way to hone your skills. You don’t run away from them; you face them head-on.

36. You’re Not Afraid of Change

Change does not scare you. On the contrary, you seek out new methods of doing things and new ways to optimize your work. Change is inevitable, and it comes with growth, which is something entrepreneurs thrive in.

37. Your Hustling Spirit Started as a Child

Did you sell lemonade, candy, or baked goods as a child? Did you find ways to make money even when you didn’t need it? Little did you know that you were showing an early entrepreneurial spirit.

38. You Hate the Idea of 9-5’s

9-5’s are an entrepreneur’s worst nightmare, and they cannot imagine being stuck in one. You shiver at the thought of putting on a tie to go to work, and you hate the one you’re currently stuck in.

39. You Randomly Come Up with New Ideas

Your ideas come in the weirdest places like the bathroom, or maybe during a party. They come in sharp flashes that you need to document before you forget them.

40. You Don’t Fit in Well With the Standard Educational Model

It’s no secret that entrepreneurs find it difficult to align with traditional methods of education and practice. Did you find yourself struggling and pulling away from school as a young child? Or did you drop out from school?

41. You Enjoy Traveling

Traveling is a way to see the world and learn about new customs, so the willingness to learn as an entrepreneur usually translates into a love for traveling. You also love adventure, so you don’t run away from opportunities to see new things and meet new people with new ideas.

42. You Automatically Take Charge in Groups

If you find yourself always gravitating towards a leadership position or getting it conferred to you by the group, you’re a born leader, and you will make a great entrepreneur. Entrepreneurs are leaders in their fields, and this trait always comes up early on.

43. You are Driven to Help Others

Your reason for doing things is to make life easy for everyone and make old ways of doing things better. Indirectly, this shows that you have the intention of helping people. An entrepreneur’s priority is their customer base.

44. You Always See a Way to Improve

Your life is a constant desire to optimize and improve everything you see. It doesn’t have to be something you created, but if you see a service or product and your first thoughts are ways to make it better, you may be an entrepreneur.

45. You Look for Variety

Variety is the spice of life, so you never want to stay stuck to one method, person, or job. You always search for something new to shake things up and occupy your time.

46. You’re Always on the Move

Staying in place is one trait that entrepreneurs can’t afford to have because they lead busy and challenging lives. You are always restless when you have too much time on your hands, and you’re always looking for something to do.

47. You Value Teamwork

Teamwork makes the dream work is a favorite quote of many entrepreneurs as it represents their work methods. If you’re reluctant to work with a team or delegate tasks, then you don’t have entrepreneurial tendencies.

48. You Love Freedom and Spontaneity

Many aspects of entrepreneurship involve thinking on your feet, so if you have a love for freedom and spontaneous action, that’s a sign that you could be an entrepreneur.

49. You’re not Afraid of the Future

With the many goals and objectives entrepreneurs hope to accomplish in their lifetime, they cannot afford to worry about the future. When you know what you want to do with your life, the future is something you look forward to with anticipation rather than fear.

50. You Want to Leave Your Mark on the World

An entrepreneur knows how valuable their gifts are, and they are eager to share them with the world. If you have a hidden passion and an eagerness to let the word know, maybe you’re an entrepreneur.

CONCLUSION

Not everyone was born to be an entrepreneur, and that’s okay. But, if you have a majority of these signs, you are probably one, and you should consider branching out.

Having an idea and not working on it can make you feel unaccomplished and unsuccessful. Entrepreneurship isn’t such a difficult move to go into, especially if you already have a lot of the signs of an entrepreneur.