Taglines! Catchy. Memorable. And much more. I’m gonna draw on timeless wisdom from some of the most iconic taglines ever to show you what makes a successful entrepreneur.
So let’s begin. Also, see if you can catch the brands behind these taglines. You might know quite a few of them, but let’s see if you can get ‘em all.
1. Just do it
Apart from being visionaries, entrepreneurs are doers. This is one of the essential traits of successful entrepreneurs. They jump in, if they need to, and get things done. A common mistake that you could make is spending an awful lot of time strategising, planning, and endlessly debating on decisions such as the colour of your logo, all while failing to make any significant progress.
As a rule of thumb, always focus more on tasks that will directly bring in money, such as calling up your leads, writing good sales copy, following up with clients, and so on.
2. Think different
Innovation and problem-solving, two things you’d spend a lot of time on as an entrepreneur, requires you to think creatively. These skills can be learned, though. And with consistent practice and growing experience, you’ll become better at solving them.
When faced with a challenging problem, your first step should be to define the problem. This helps you gain a deeper understanding of the challenge at hand. Your next step should be to shift focus from the problem to finding solutions. It will trip a mental switch in your brain, and you’re more likely to find solutions this way.
3. Impossible is nothing
Everything is impossible until someone comes along and shows the world how it’s done. Time and again, entrepreneurs have risen to this challenge. Thomas Edison is one among many who comes to mind. He invented the electric bulb and founded General Electric (GE), a company that is still around to this day.
There will be days when you’ll get stuck on a problem. The best thing you can do when you find yourself in such a situation is to step away from the problem. Take a walk. Work on a less demanding task. And then come back to it with a fresh mind.
4. When you care enough to send the very best
Steve Jobs was notorious for not mincing his words during Apple’s internal product reviews. They dreaded him. Why! Because quality is something, he would never compromise on.
Quality isn’t limited to your product alone but also extends to the overall customer experience. When you focus on quality, you focus on your customers, putting them first. So spare no effort in enforcing high-quality standards in every area of your business.
5. Think small
There are times when thinking big is counter-productive. And in such situations thinking small is the way to go. This is especially true when entrepreneurs take on a big project. You don’t want to be intimated by everything that’s screaming for your attention, do you?
The simplest thing you can do is break the project into chunks, break those chunks into smaller bits, and then some more until you reach a point where doing a task becomes effortless.
6. I’m Lovin’ It
The President of the United States has one of the most stressful jobs globally. I could give you a no better example to look at than Obama. A journalist once asked Obama how he manages the rigors and demands of the job. To which he replied, “You take it one day at a time.” That’s all there is to it, folks. Just focus on today.
Entrepreneurs love what they do. They thrive on it. As such, they’ve learned to view every problem as an opportunity.
7. Good things come to those who wait
All great entrepreneurs are patient, they hang in there through highs and lows. They are aware that nurturing relationships, increasing sales, and creating value take time. It definitely won’t happen overnight and sometimes can take years.
Be patient, especially when things aren’t going well. That’s when you’re most likely to cut corners or make unwise decisions that could derail your business.
8. Imagination at Work
Here’s how Wikipedia defines the vision, “Vision is foresight- the capacity to envisage future market trends and plan accordingly.” Good entrepreneurs have a clear vision, a strong long-term plan, and a success list of to-dos to check off.
Your vision marks the beginning of your journey as an entrepreneur. It will serve as your guide, help you make tough decisions, and keep you going when you’re down on motivation.
9. Challenge Everything
I’ll just let this iconic Apple commercial drive home the point.
“Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes… the ones who see things differently — they’re not fond of rules… You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can’t do is ignore them because they change things… they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.”
You got this!
10. You’re in good hands
Trust. An entrepreneur’s most valuable asset. People do business with whom they trust. And so it is with customers who buy your product, the people you network with, and the team helping you build your vision.
Harvard Professor Frances X. Frei, and entrepreneur Anne Morriss in their HBR article titled- Begin with Trust, wrote about the three core drivers of trust: authenticity, logic, and empathy. Essentially, people tend to trust you when
a. They feel you’re yourself,
b. They believe in your abilities
c. They feel you care about them.
Takeaway
Now that you know what makes a good entrepreneur, your next step should be to identify which characteristics you need to work towards.
Personality tests are great tools for entrepreneurs who want to identify their dominant traits and understand their distinct characteristics. You can take our entrepreneur profiling test yourself to learn more about your distinct personality characteristics and how you can impact them.
