7 Characteristics of an Effective Entrepreneur
by Spence Cater

Before a doctor diagnoses a specific disease, his patient must undergo a series of laboratory exams and assessments. He has to know the history of his patient and how lifestyle affected his present health problem. As results come in, that would be an indication of the time when a physician gives specific drugs and therapies for maintenance. This will eventually contribute to the level of optimum health for that individual. If all else fails, the process will be repeated again.

Similar to what the above mentioned situation has stated, an entrepreneur's responsibility would be pretty much the same. 
It's just that, he should see his customers as his patients and what they must have to survive a present predicament or a need. He must follow certain steps before doing anything irrational that could contribute to the downfall of his business. He should have certain characteristics innate in his personality, if he lacks one of these, he's most probably doomed to fail. 

Entrepreneurship is collectively defined as exhibiting one's vision, taking action, and pursuing that vision as a goal to be achieved in life.

Or another way of putting it: It's getting your arse out off the Sofa and doing something, rather than sitting there thinking about it.

Let's look at some of the main characteristics that you should have or at least start developing if you want to be a successful entrepreneur:

1. Optimism Seeing things in a positive way, despite setbacks and pitfalls will help you ride out any turbulence you experience, especially in the early days of getting your business off the ground . Winston Churchill said that 'A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.' So this is a crucial ingredient to the make-up of an entrepreneur

2. Creativity is thinking outside the box. Expanding one's mind of what is beyond the ordinary through fine research and collection of data. You must be able to think on your feet and consider options that are 'off the wall' if you want your business to stand out. Remember, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result!

3. Stability either physical, mental, social or emotional, as a leader you  must have a stable life so you can handle tough situations during tough times. Do you have a balanced life? a strong faith? a stable family life? You are going to need all the help you can get, so be sure you have support from your friends and family.

4. Charisma A good entrepreneur must have the ability to get peoples attention either, through sheer confidence or total belief in what they are doing or saying. A healthy does of authentic, genuine charm can go a long way in opening doors that stay shut for others

5.A Risk-taker You must be someone who has the guts to take the big leap of faith needed to get your idea moving. You should not be afraid of taking chances when opportunity strikes. Once you have enough information you and your 70 % sure, then it's time to take action.

6. Energetic  You must be willing to do whatever it takes to reach the finish line. Your drive must always be at its highest level for being an entrepreneur. This also means that you must take care of yourself physically and emotionally as you will often need to work long days, often without holidays, especially if you're bootstrapping and doing everything yourself to save on costs. Another famous quote from the Great Winston Churchill'Success is going from one failure to another without losing enthusiasm'

7. Switched-on An entrepreneur must be on the top of every innovation.You must be aware of new developments, current social situations and future trends. In business, life moves very fast and you need to see what's coming in order to avoid it or embrace it. Remember Woolworths?. Exactly.

One of the best recent examples of an Entrepreneur was the late Steve Jobs; he had all these qualities and then some.

So, Think big. Act. Make your business dreams come true.