Having your own business as a young person in this country liberates you, you are your own boss and you set your own rules. On the other hand a business person has to work extra hard, to make sure the business stay afloat. the following are 7 traits young people who wish to engage in business can adopt.
- Be confident, but not too much. It’s a balancing act between being confident–optimistic and sure-footed–and overconfident, which comes off as pure arrogance. Overconfidence also keeps you from recognizing obvious problems or tempting you to stretch beyond your capacity.
- Keep your focus. Yes, you have hundreds of exciting ideas, and you’re certain each one is a winner. But successful entrepreneurs stick with a single super idea. Develop the best search engine. Make technology intuitive. Help people connect.
- Just do it, really. No “analysis paralysis.” You’re going to make mistakes, but you know what needs to be accomplished. Entrepreneurs make fast decisions and move forward knowing that at best most of their decisions are going to be right.Go for it, and adjust along the way.
- Hire well and fire quickly. You can’t afford to wait for someone to blossom. Nor can you afford to keep an employee who doesn’t support your mission. There are plenty of fish in the sea. Take time to find the right people, but cut your losses if you made a mistake.
- Learn to delegate. News flash: you can’t do this alone. And forget about micro-managing. Once you have a good team, hand off responsibilities. Your staff will gain experience and you can continue to grow the company.
- Network. You’ve heard this a thousand times. Join groups, volunteer, use social media, ask everyone for referrals, never turn down a meeting. No matter how long you’ve been in business, this never goes away. Ever.
- Dress the part. You may feel most comfortable in your jeans and a t-shirt, but you can’t assume that your clients, real or potential will understand. A universal rule in business is to wear the clothes for your ideal position. You don’t need to rush to an Italian tailor, but please invest in professional clothing, from business casual to the suit you’ll need when you ask a banker for a loan.
