When some people think of the word entrepreneur, they immediately think of Branson, Gates or even Trump. But of course not all entrepreneurs are billionaires. Entrepreneurs come in all shapes and sizes. Each with their own unique background and story.
Entrepreneurs are for the most part like the rest the ‘normal’ working folk out there. They tie their shoelaces the same way, they go on holiday to the same places and they eat the same food.
That said, it does take a little something extra to go it alone and try and make it in the cutthroat world of business.
Below are just a few of the many things entrepreneurs do that most normal people don’t…
They are tireless self-promoters
One thing all entrepreneurs have in common is self-belief.
While they may not always believe 100% in the product or idea they are selling they will always back their own ability to sell it. If they didn’t, then they wouldn’t have trusted themselves in the first place to make it on their own. Instead they would still be working away in that office cubicle counting down the minutes until home time with the rest of the working world.
With self belief comes self promotion. And any entrepreneur worth his weight will never miss an opportunity to big up themselves or their business. This doesn’t mean they are being cocky or showing off. Well it does a little. No, it just means entrepreneurs are realists and know that if they aren’t out there advertising themselves, then nobody else is going to do it for them.
Whereas many normal people like to keep there heads down and remain anonymous, for entrepreneurs to survive they have to be a walking billboard for success.
They do their homework
Being an entrepreneur means you can never stop learning. Just to keep up with the competition, entrepreneurs have to remain committed to being students throughout their working lives.
When you work for a company, you may be able to get away ‘pretending’ you read that latest report, you may be able to get a colleague to cover for you, or you might be able to bluff your way through a meeting or two. Not so when you work for yourself. The only person you are cheating then is yourself.
So when the guys from the office down the road are out for after work drinks, entrepreneurs are often found head buried in a book, reading the latest research or transfixed by the latest TED talk.
They have no choice but to consistently do their homework and keep up to date with the latest developments in their chosen sector. They have to be able to spot waves and be prepared to ride them. If they don’t their profits will sink and their business drown.
They are well rested
Entrepreneurs work hard, there is no doubt about that. And as they work for themselves, entrepreneurs often work odd hours. However, there is a popular myth that needs to be put to bed – pun intended – that entrepreneurs thrive on virtually no sleep.
In my experience this is far from the truth. Most of the successful entrepreneurs I know take getting enough sleep very seriously.
Good sleep is essential for everyone and especially for entrepreneurs whose enterprises stand and fall on the decisions they make each day.
Sleep-deprivation leads to impaired cognitive performance. In plain english, poor sleep leads to poor decisions being made, a drop in attention to detail, a reduction in reaction time, an increase in memory lapses, an inability to concentrate.
Now does that sound like an of the entrepreneurs you know? No, I didn’t think so.
Some top tips that entrepreneurs are known to follow to ensure quality sleep include getting into a regular sleep routine, banning screens from the bedroom, ensuring their sleeping surface is the correct temperature and banning caffeine after midday.
They support each other
While being an entrepreneur is certainly a competitive business, it is not a zero-sum game.
Entrepreneurs are smart enough to know there is plenty money out there in the pot for everyone. And whilst they are unlikely to give trade secrets away to direct competitors they are always willing to give a helping hand, advice or mentorship to others getting started.
Why? Well it is because there is one thing entrepreneurs love more than making money, and that is other entrepreneurs.
Call it solidarity, call it whatever, but one thing is for certain – entrepreneurs love to see other self-made people being successful. Seeing others succeed and being inspired is after all why they became entrepreneurs in the first place.
There you have it – four ways that entrepreneurs differ just a little from the rest of the normal working people out there.
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