27 BIG Characteristics That Make Entrepreneurs Unstoppable

8/8/2019 27 BIG Characteristics That Make Entrepreneurs Unstoppable

1/21

27 BIG characteristicsthat make Entrepreneurs

unstoppable!Toney Fitzgerald


2/21

While all attempts and effort has been made to verify information provided and to ensure theaccuracy of information contained in this book, neither the Author nor the Publisher assumesany responsibility for errors, omissions, or contrary interpretation of the subject matter herein. This publication is not intended for use as a source of legal, business, career or psychologicaladvice. The Author and the Publisher assumes no responsibility for any injuries suffered ordamages or losses incurred during or as a result of following this information. All informationshould be carefully studied, researched independently, and clearly understood before takingany action based on the information or advice in this book. All users are advised to retaincompetent counsel to determine if the information contained herein is appropriate for them. The Author and Publisher assume no responsibility or liability whatsoever on the behalf of anyPurchaser or Reader of these materials. The Purchaser or Reader of this publication assumesfull responsibility for the use of these materials and information.

Network with Me...

Mobile contact: 0438 450 643

Copyright Toney Fitzgerald and The BIG Business 2010www.thebigbusiness.com.au

First Published May 2010 Printed in Australia

All rights reserved. Except under the conditions described in the Copyright ACT 1968 of Australia and subsequent amendments, no part of this publication may be produced, storedin retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical,photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission or the copyright owner.
http://www.facebook.com/http://www.linkedin.com/http://twitter.com/toneyfitzgerald


3/21

Dear Entrepreneur or Business Owner,

Thank you for subscribing to my free e-book to nd out what makes successful Entrepreneursunstoppable.

No matter what level or stage you are at in your business, this e-book is for you. If you arestill at the start up stage, consider it to be insightful and something that will give you a newawareness of business. If you are a seasoned entrepreneur or business owner, consider it tobe a reminder or a refresher to con rm and validate the core characteristics that will make yousuccessful. The bottom line is this: no matter at what stage you are at, its a must to revisitthese characteristics every once in a while.

Let me say at this point, that all successful entrepreneurs and business owners have thesefundamental characteristics. They are what I consider to be the de ning characteristics thatseparate the best from the rest. They form the very foundations of their success.

There may be other key attributes; however, my research into successful entrepreneursthroughout the world shows them to be what they all have in common.

Key ingredients of success that I list below are not in any particular order.

Carry this around with you and read it frequently or jot down the main points on a businesscard size piece of paper and keep it with you at all times.

As we cover each topic, I want you to rate yourself between 0 10, with O being you haveabsolutely no clue and 10 being you are clued up you understand it, know it, get it and it ispart of who you are! Why am I asking you to do this? Well, whatever the gap is between thenumber you wrote down and 10, that is the gap for improvement. You must get to 10 thatsyour goal.

Lets look now at the key characteristics that separate the elite from the rest.

Toney Fitzgerald


4/21

27 BIG characteristics that make Entrepreneurs unstoppable! 1

Think BiG1.I you are going to be unstoppable in business, you have to make sure that you think BIG. You must visualise your business as an anything possible business. Look at allthe success ul entrepreneurs who names are up in lights: there will no doubt be manywho come to mind. Donald Trump said, I you are going to think anyway, think BIG!

BIG action step: Take time out to think about your business.Get a pen and workbook and stretch your mind. What isthe BIG picture? Keep the BIG picture evolving.

Rate yourself: 1 10: where are you?

Failure2.Failure is your riend, embrace ailure as your teacher. The act is that most success ulentrepreneurs ail three or our times be ore they get it right. As an entrepreneur,do not anticipate things to occur as you always expect. The path or journey thatyou are on will have its success and it will have its ailures. Theres a saying that itdoes matter what happens to you, its what you do about it that counts. The keycharacteristic with most success ul entrepreneurs is that ailure is not an option.

This doesnt mean that youre not going to ail. What I mean is that you should notallow a ailure to stop you. Every time you experience a ailure, ask yoursel thequestion, What did I learn rom that? Fail orward and you will be unstoppable.

BIG action step: I want you to study failure. What does it really mean?There is a great book called Failing Forward by John Maxwell. Its the beststrategic guide I have ever read. Also, see if you can talk to successfulentrepreneurs about their failures and what they did to turn it around!



5/21


Do whaTever iT Takes, no maTTer whaT3.Regardless o the obstacles in their way, success ul entrepreneurs willgo to any lengths to overcome them. There are many who give up easily- and or many reasons - however, the success ul ones orge on. Theyhave a dont tell me how it cant be done, tell me how it can be doneattitude. They are totally committed to doing whatever it takes.

BIG action step: I want you to underline NO MATTER WHAT and make this

your mantra. If you really, really want your business venture to be a BIG success,you have to pull out all the stops to make it happen. Keep this in the forefrontof your mind: Dont tell me how it cant be done, tell me how it can be done!


CommiTmenT4.

This has been called the essence o our growth. There can only be personal andcareer development i there is commitment. There are many di erent degrees o commitment. Deciding to pursue a goal is a orm o commitment, but being preparedto do whatever it takes to achieve it is clearly a more intense orm o commitment.

Your businesses wont become success ul i you are not 100% behindit and your vision. Deciding to pursue a goal is a orm o commitment,but being prepared to do whatever it takes to achieve it is clearly a moreintense commitment. To sustain a success ul business relationship - just as

it is to be outstanding in your chosen sport - you have to be committed,you have to action your plans and you have to ollow through.

What time do you get up in the morning? Mostsuccess ul entrepreneurs get up at 5am.

BIG action step: How committed are you to your business ventures success?Remember, the more intense you make it, the better the results you will have.



6/21


FoCus5.Whatever you ocus on expands, there ore stay absolutely

ocused on what matters most or you to succeed.

The important point is to stay on track and to have the ability to concentrate on onething to the exclusion o all others. Focusing equates to prioritising. It means puttingthe bulk o your e orts into things that really make the di erence. I there is toomuch stu on your radar screen, you will not be ocused. When you are ocused make

sure you execute your intentions. This is the key to moving your idea on beyond thetalking stage. Organise your thoughts and align yoursel with pinpoint accuracy.

FOCUS can be an acronym or Follow One Course Until Success ul. Success ulentrepreneurs never lose sight o the dream to build a big venture.

The late billionaire Richard Pratt said part o hissuccess came rom being totally ocused.

BIG action step: I suggest you strive to understand the power of focus and thepower behind it. Do not get distracted and be taken off your course of success.



7/21


sellinG skills6.I you look at most entrepreneurs who are success ul, you can pretty muchguarantee that somewhere in their past they started out in selling or theylearnt the art o selling at a young age. Selling skills are paramount i youregoing to sell yoursel , your company, your products, and your services.I you dont get their signature on a cheque in return or your services orgoods, you will be out o business in no time. I you are going to raise capital

or your business venture, you have to be an outstanding sales person toconvince investors or venture capitalist to invest in you and your team.

BIG action step: Nothing happens without a sale. If you thinkyou can sell ice to Eskimos, thats great, however if you feel youare lacking in this area, then I suggest you get some sales trainingor read 20 books on selling. Become a sales champion.


risk TakinG7.How much risk are you willing to take? Entrepreneurs are risk takers and theyare willing to put everything on the line in their pursuit o success. However,they take calculated risks and look at both the up side and the down side.

BIG action step: If you want to succeed, chances are you are going tohave to take some risks. Remember the saying: no pain, no gain. Well,this applies to the business world as well. If you are not comfortableabout taking any risks, then you should seriously reconsider whetheryou are cut out to be an entrepreneur. Remember though, that you aremost probably taking some form of risk each and every day. Just gettingout of bed in the morning brings with it a certain amount of risk.



8/21


Drive8.How much drive does it take to build a business? Success ul entrepreneursare very driven people, they have to be to reach their goals. Many are drivenwholeheartedly with determination or many di erent reasons. Ask any success ulentrepreneur what drives them and they may tell you purpose, passion, thepower o the dollar, nancial reedom, wanting to make a di erence, creating and

leaving a legacy ... the list goes on. On the other hand, some may be driven byear the ear o poverty, scarcity, o not being seen as success ul, or adversity.

Imagine the drive needed to win a rugby scrum and to push over the line.It requires e ort and orce to move orward, sometime vigorously.

BIG action step: So what really drives you? Do you know or are youstill guessing? I suggest you drill down on this and really get to know whatyour motivating factors are. Whats driving you to be successful?Rate yourself: 1 10: where are you?

Passion9.What subject inspires is the most power ul or compelling emotion thatyou have or your business? Is it music, sport, ood, environment, charities,wine or beer, lms, technology, shing, cars or motorbikes?

What do you love or hate? The ounders o Lonely Planet Travel Guide are passionateabout their love o travel and have built a global publishing business based on it.

Al Gore hates the environment being damaged by greenhouse emissions so it hasbecome his passion to save the world. Bill Gates is passionate about innovationand technology, whereas Donald Trump is passionate about real estate. I havenever come across an entrepreneur who was not passionate about something.

Once you get connected to the power o passion, you become unstoppable.


9/21


Passion...

BIG action step: Know your passion and get very clear on what thatit is. People can pick up on passionate people. Sometime you may loseyour passion but if you do, you can always get it back; you just have tolook for it again. Its seeds will be deep down inside you somewhere.


selF BelieF10.Belie is state o certainty and to achieve any goal in li e, you must believeyou are going to be success ul. I you do not, you are likely to ail. You haveto set out and continuously have sel belie that you can do it. I am sure therewill be some days that the negative internal chatter will be your hardest

critic, however, having the belie that you can climb Mount Everest de nitelyhelps. No matter what happens and how many setbacks you experiencealong the way, you have to back yoursel . You have to believe that you willbe success ul. You have to see yoursel as a success ul entrepreneur.

BIG action step: Do you work towards new goals with a conviction that youwill succeed? Do you have a BIG picture of success in your mind and a feelingthat this is as it is meant to be? The fact is you will go through times when youwill have total self belief and other times when you will have a limiting self belief.



10/21


DeTerminaTion11.Are you determined to succeed? Most people would answer, "yes". Sowhy is it that some succeed while others dont? Determined people havea rmness o purpose and a xed intention to get want they want in li eas well as in business. They have a dogged determination to surmount allobstacles and in so doing, to make sure they succeed. Nothing in the world

can take the place o persistence and determination its omnipotent.

Dale Carnegie once said that most o the important things in theworld have been accomplished by people who have kept on tryingwhen there seemed to be no hope at all. How true that is.

BIG action step: There is nothing more powerful than the determination tosucceed in anything you do. Write down why you are determined to success.


CouraGe12.It is o ten misunderstood by most people just how courageous one has to be to gointo business or onesel . It takes a great deal o courage to quit your day job andbecome sel employed. And it also takes courage to remain in business by yoursel .

Being sel employed is one thing; being an entrepreneur is quite another.It usually takes copious amounts o courage to tread this path.

BIG action step: How courageous are you? Would you describeyourself as courageous? Do you understand just what it means to becourageous? What is the difference between courage and risk taking?Jot down your answer and then think where you stand on this.



11/21


vision13.One o the most striking characteristics o an entrepreneur is that they allhave a very clear vision o what they are striving to achieve. They can see, veryclearly, what their business will look like when they have nished building it.This is important because i you dont know exactly what the business you arebuilding will look like when nished, how will you know what elements to putin place to get it there? This is much like building a house without a plan. I your idea is just to build a house, your builder wont know whether to lay the

oundations deeper so that he can build a double storey house, or whetherhe must lay a oundation or a single storey house. How many rooms must ithave? One garage or two? Can you see why having a clear vision is vital?

BIG action step: Turn something into concrete from an idea. Never waiverfrom your vision and have utter belief and commitment to your vision.


harD work14.How many hours are you going to put into your business? Success ulentrepreneurs work long hours, however, the hard work they put intoa business is not really hard work; they work smarter, not harder.

I recall one entrepreneur who used to sleep on her couch to be able to put

more hours in. O course, when you become very success ul and are a multimillionaire (or even a billionaire) you might be able to back o a wee bit.

BIG action step: How many hours are you putting in right now? Are you doing whatever it takes to succeed? Or do you still have theemployee mentality, you know, working 9 to 5. Are you prepared to workthrough the night or over the weekend (every weekend if necessary)?Start working with an eye on your To Do list and not the clock.



12/21


PerseveranCe15.No matter how hard it will seem, you must persevere and have the determination togo on to make your business dream come alive. There will be some days you will wantto throw in the towel and give up the ght. Things wont happen as ast as you wouldlike and the daily challenges and complexities may build up and overwhelm you.

Li e or the entrepreneur and those around him or her can be an emotionalroller-coaster ride. You will eel stressed, you will eel anxious, you will eel

challenged, but the key thing is to never let go o your vision and what youwant to accomplish. Continually strive and have a determined spirit. Haveaith in everything you do and push steadily orward with courage. Have

the willingness to press on regardless o the barriers that are thrown inyour way, and have the energy and persistence to conquer all things.

BIG action step: What are you doing on a daily basis to ensure you remaindetermined to succeed in business? What are you doing to ensure you persevere?Some successful entrepreneurs make a dream sheet that includes words,photographs, diagrams or anything else that reminds them of their ultimate goalsand vision. This is displayed in a prominent place where they can see it daily.


wisDom16.This is the ability to discern or judge what is true, right, or lasting. Think o it as insight.

It could also be described as common sense or good judgment. "It is acharacteristic o wisdom not to do desperate things" (Henry David Thoreau).

Are there any wise sayings or teachings that you ollow? Theseare commonly called precepts. Learn rom those who have gonebe ore you. There really is no need to reinvent the wheel.

It is also important to realise that wisdom comes with age or experience. So learnrom what you have done be ore. Nothing is wasted in business (and li e).


13/21


wisDom...

BIG action step: Most successful entrepreneurs will tell you that it is wiseto plan for success. So how wise are you as a business person? Have youheard the saying, Walk with the wise? Well, make sure you do. Start hangingout with entrepreneurs you respect and admire. Find out where they associateand hang out there too. This will help you to take a leaf out of their book.


selF DisCiPline17.You are accountable or your results, no one else is. To build a success ulbusiness venture you have to have sel discipline. The discipline totrain yoursel or improvement is a must. I suggest you make a list o the di erent areas you can exercise your sel -discipline skills in.

Learn how to build sel discipline and nd better ways to be sel disciplined. Do youthink Donald Trump is disciplined? you bet he is. Discipline is one o his core traits.

BIG action step: Are you able to control your very thoughts? Can you workyour way through what needs to be done in your business on a daily basis?Do you find yourself being easily distracted? Are you able to work effectivelyfrom a home-office, or do you prefer reporting to a boss? The biggest enemy

of any entrepreneur is procrastination, and this, I believe, is a good indicatorof poor self discipline. What can you do to improve your self-discipline?



14/21


Common sense18.This is another characteristic o the success ul entrepreneur. Call it a sixthsense or gut eel i you like, but common sense is something everyone inbusiness or themselves needs. The world o business can be a cruel place,especially or those who are naive. Research suggests you dont need to behighly intelligent to succeed in business. You dont need a high IQ, rather youneed a high level o emotional intelligence (EQ). All this really means is thatyou need to be able to listen to your instincts. I call this common sense.

BIG action step: Go to the library or your favourite book shop andget a book on emotional intelligence. Read all you can on this topic.It may turn out to be one of the smartest things youll ever do.


TenaCiTy19.

The ability to never give up is another characteristic o the success ulentrepreneur. They keep on keeping on, even when things may seemimpossible. But understand that tenacity is not the same thing as stupidity.Knowing when enough is enough doesnt mean you arent tenacious.

One o the important things to remember about business is that it o ten takestime or momentum to kick in. This means that there is a period during which youwill be putting all the things in place as you build and grow your business, andduring this period, little will happen in terms o cash ow, turnover or a growth o

market share. But once everything is in place and the market knows, trusts, andunderstands your business, it reaches critical mass and things start humming. Ittakes a tenacious approach on the part o the entrepreneur to reach critical mass.

BIG action step: View business as a marathon, not a sprint.Stick to it and keep going after your dream. What are you doingto remind yourself of this? Do you review your business planson a regular basis? When last did you review your goals?



15/21


oPTimism20.Entrepreneurs are by nature optimistic people. I they werent, theywouldnt be in business. Always believing that tomorrow will be betterthan today is the hallmark o an entrepreneur. And this is true or allaspects o their lives. They tend to view business as a game, and their jobis to better yesterdays score. Entrepreneurs dont give up easily. They stick with their business because they believe in it and its eventual aim.

Entrepreneurs also generally keep an optimistic view about the economy andbusiness environment. Have you ever noticed how some o them always seem to beable to make a ortune in times o severe economic downturn? They know that thereis always money to be made regardless o the circumstances because the world mustgo on, no matter what. People still need to eat, drink and go about their daily lives.

BIG action step: Establish a score board that ranks your performance.This could be in terms of turnover, sales, market penetration or any othermeasure that is meaningful and motivating for you and your business.


JuDGemenT21.Being able to quickly and easily pass judgement on potential opportunities isanother hallmark o a success ul entrepreneur. I say quickly because doing soenables them to act quickly. It is one thing to decide an opportunity is a good onebut its another thing entirely to do something about it. You need there ore to trustyour own judgement. Success ul entrepreneurs are able to achieve this becausethey tend to be experts in their elds. This means they know their marketplace,their markets and their products. This allows them to judge quickly and well.

BIG action step: When was the last time you had to makean important business decision? What transpired?



16/21


PeoPle skills22.Building relationships is the key to business success and to achieve that you musthave good people skills. As the business owner, everyone will want to talk toyou. I want you now to just stop and think or a moment. How many people willyou come in contact with on your entrepreneurial journey? How many peoplewill be part o the success o your business? The answer is hundreds, perhapsthousands, and i you dont have good people skills you wont establish greatrelationships. Now having said this, not all entrepreneurs are great at buildingrapport and they never will be. The act is entrepreneurs are a di erent breedand sometimes they nd it hard to relate to people. However, those with greatpeople skills capitalise on it and thats what makes them so success ul.

BIG action step: Businesses are built of people. I suggest if youare not a great people person then its time you did somethingabout it. There are many organisations that can help you improvein this regard, why not consider a course in public speaking?



17/21


CommuniCaTion skills23.Communication is the li eblood o business, its what acilitates business transactions.I your target market doesnt know your business exists, how can you expectthem to do business with you? Similarly, you might have the best product in theworld at an unbelievable price, but i nobody knows about it, whats the point?

Communication in business is more than just letting people know aboutyou and your products or services. It is also an important part o selling.True communication is a two-way process, which means it is a vitaltool or you to have in order to really understand your market.

BIG action step: Are you a good listener? Or do you have the gift of thegab? When last did you let your team know what your goals and aspirationsare? When last did you share your vision with them? If they dont knowwhat your BIG picture is, how do you expect them to work towards it?



18/21


Fun24.Take a look around the entrepreneurial landscape, which entrepreneurcomes to mind as having un in his or her business? Well, or me, RichardBranson comes to mind he exhibits the essence o un. His value in businessis un! Even in negotiation and competition, he injects un into the process.Business does not have to be serious, lighten up and enjoy the journey.

Most entrepreneurs say they dont work, they just have un. They

o ten say they have never worked a day in their lives. It is commonto hear them say they are enjoying what they are doing.

BIG action step: If you are not having fun, start to today.Brain storm with yourself or your staff and create a list offun things to do in all areas of your business.



19/21


honesTy25.Honesty is a must and lets ace it, in the big business world there hasntbeen too much o that going on lately. The recent nancial crisis exposeda lot o untruths, lies and deceit rom various business leaders, however,on saying that, most entrepreneurs do display integrity and honesty.

People recognise honesty and will reward you with their custom andloyalty i they perceive you to be an honest entrepreneur. Its one o the intangibles in business that many overlook, to their peril.

Success ul entrepreneurs are also honest with themselves. They donttake on projects they know they are poorly equipped to tackle. They alsolisten to their instincts and know when to push harder, when to slackeno , and when enough is enough. They also keep to their word.

BIG action step: Do you have an integrity and honesty policy in your

business? What would you do if you discovered a key team memberhadnt been doing the right thing? Do you reward honesty?



20/21


CeleBraTe26.It is important to celebrate your successes as you grow your business. This isbecause o the tremendous bene ts positive rein orcement has on us as humans.Think about it or a moment. How do they train dogs to do tricks? They rewardthem with something to eat when they have success ully done the trick, dontthey? And conversely, what do they do when the dog gets it wrong? Nothing.

Its important to celebrate all your achievements, no matter how smalland insigni cant they may be. And that goes or the achievements o your team too. Nothing is better or team building than this.

BIG action step: Set up a system to celebrate all your significantmilestones as you work your way towards entrepreneurial success.Include your team, if you have one. Include, too, your family because thatwill ensure they are with you as you progress towards your goals.



21/21

CollaBoraTion27.Success in business is seldom a solo e ort. There is invariably somesort o team e ort going on, whether it be in the orm o sta or justcontractors, bookkeepers, suppliers or loyal customers. This is the realityo li e and it is especially so in the entrepreneurial ast-lane.

Most success ul entrepreneurs are also excellent networkers. They are able to

promote themselves and their businesses and in this way, gather momentum realast. They say that this is also a most cost-e ective and efcient way o growing their

businesses. Word o mouth is, a ter all, the most e ective orm o advertising there is.I those you deal with believe in you and what you are doing, they willsupport you. This is because everyone likes to be on the winning side.

BIG action step: Who is on your team? Who are you collaborating with in yourattempt to build a super business? Do you consider your suppliers to be teammembers? I want you now to sit down and think about your extended team.Do they deserve to be on your team? If not, who will you replace them with?

Mix with like-minded business people those who have similargoals or ideas about business as you do. One of the most effectiveand rewarding ways to do this is by joining the BIG BusinessMembership web site www.thebigbusiness.com.au


Documents

27 BIG Characteristics That Make Entrepreneurs Unstoppable