Success can be a relative term meaning different things to different people. For entrepreneurs and business owners the “carrot” that they are chasing is always that carrot. While it is easy to become obsessed with the goal, it is usually in the process where the “magic” truly happens. We asked some entrepreneurs and business owners what is one word that anyone needed to be successful.
1) Love
I know love might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of business, but it should be. Successful Leaders Love what they do/have/offer. But this is only the first step. Consider how your business might change is you spread your Love and passion for your product, service, or industry with everyone you come in contact with. It's like creating a win/win situation but only better! Love your business, your customers, your staff/team, your vendors, and have a part of your profits designated to do something more than just make money. spread Love out into your communities and the world. Successful Enlightened business owners know that LOVE can not only make a financially prosperous business, but also a business that makes the world a better place to be.
Thanks to Jennifer Martin, Zest Business Consulting!
2) Enterprising
There's one word that motivates me whenever I sense that I'm losing ambition or sinking into the sandpit of mediocrity. It's “enterprising”. It's not “enterprise” on its own, but specifically the continuous adjective form that really gets me thinking about opportunities. It's a word that inspires hope and the desire to grow an endeavor beyond what's ever been done before. It's amazing to me that a single word can contain so much history, but when I remember it, my mind thinks of the timeline of human cultural, scientific and business development. I think of the Renaissance and the industrial revolution. I think of business titans of the past like Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller as well as those of modern time, like Steve Jobs and Elon Musk. It may be one word, but it's one word that motivates me to illicit change for the better and up my game.
Thanks to Orun Bhuiyan, SEOcial!
3) Empathy
The company that truly understands its customers' needs, challenges and business objectives will be the one that succeeds. In my industry (SaaS), there's heated competition that only gets tougher every day and the switching costs are minimal, so you must be obsessed with your customer. If that sounds too extreme for you, don't be surprised when you lose to someone who is obsessed with their customers' needs.
Thanks to Don MacLennan, Bluenose.com!
4) Care
Don't just care about making money, don't just care about creating new products or finding your niche in the industry. Care about your customer in every and all ways. This will make your customer care about you and the rest is easy. Honestly caring makes all the difference in the world and not just for your business, but for your life too.
Thanks to Idan Shpizear, 911 Restoration!
5) Patience
Patience will help you be successful in business because sometimes you will feel like giving up when business isn't going so good and you will have to continue to work hard and be patient and know that in the end success will come to those who work hard and don't give up. You always need patience when dealing with customers. Some customers can be rude or could be a problem in others ways and you will need patience to deal with them and stay professional.
Thanks to Ileaa Swift, Swift Travel Deals!
6) Focus
A wise man once told me that confused people will not buy from you. So my one word is FOCUS. It's important to have a clear picture of what you do and who you serve. It's also important to know your why. As your business changes and technology advances, the how will change so the goal here is to remain fluid. I remember getting sidetracked early on because I kept looking at other businesses around me. Big mistake. I didn't stay true to my what and I dishonored my who in doing so and that cost me. It's perfectly OK to learn from others but if you're focused, you're not trying to duplicate every aspect of someone else's business model. Staying focused is the key to success.
Thanks to Lisa N. Alexander, The Marketing Stylist™!
7) Persistence
Persistence is what it takes to say a business idea is possible when everyone tells you it isn't. Persistence is going through 7 years of college and 4 years of R&D to “fine tune” your operations and run on minimal sleep. To be successful there are many traits one must have or acquire, but, I feel that persistence is key to driving sales and branding any business. Hard work builds character, and persistence separates the champions from the weak. I would love to speak with you more or do anything I need to do to help you
out.
Thanks to Brian Hays, Patriot Food Delivery & Marketing Services!
8) Routine
Bar none, the one word that helped GreaseBook achieve success was ‘routine'. Creative minds are highly susceptible to distraction. And, truly great creative achievements require hundreds (actually thousands) of hours of work. Every single day you must make time to put in those hours. By setting expectations about your availability, aligning your workflow with your energy levels, and getting your mind into a regular rhythm of creating, it's only through ‘routine' that we are able to succeed. Trust me, eventually your daily schedule starts to feel less a mundane routine and more a creative ritual. That's when you know you're on the right track!
Thanks to Greg Archbald, GreaseBook!
9) Optimism
When you own a business, there are so many highs and so many lows throughout the course of the entrepreneurial journey. Being optimistic is a great way to enjoy the good times and battle through the rough times. By continuously being optimistic, you can enjoy the entrepreneurial journey to a greater extent.
Thanks to Christian Denmon, Denmon & Denmon!
10) Curiosity
There are a number of traits that a person must have to be a successful entrepreneur. You've heard them all many times before. The one word that you, probably, haven't heard before, in this context, is curiosity. Curious people ask questions to find out how things work, why things are done in a certain manner, what would happen if one were to try a new way of doing something, what are the trends in the economy, business, marketing, SEO, technology, customer service, etc. After getting answers to their questions, curious people apply their knowledge to their business. They also ask others about themselves and, by being interested in others, make connections with people who can either help them with their business or introduce them to others who can. Showing interest in others also leads to clients. In other words, curious people gather a tremendous amount of information, most of which is useful to them, at some point or other, in helping them succeed in their business.
Thanks to Laura Lieff, Accentuating Service!
11) Relax
Too often do I see business owners and professionals become burnt out, working 80 hour weeks and never taking the time to step back and relax. I've been there too, having my mentor take me aside and give me the same advice I now give my employees. Say yes to cocktail hours, afternoons in your garden, and Sunday brunch. The time spent away from your computer will ultimately help your creativity bloom.
Thank you to Julie, Casa Couture Furniture Designs!
12) Grit
Grit is having the right Goals to keep you and your business moving forward. You must always be Relentless in pursuing your goals and dreams. Then you need to be Inventive. Inventive on how you bring your product or service to market. Inventive to overcome barriers that will appear on your journey. Lastly you must have Tenacity to keep going. When you start doubting your goals,product and services and the voice of the doom merchants is getting louder. That is when having the tenacity to continue being relentless and inventive in pursuit of your goal, will lead to the breakthrough. Rather than hanging your head and giving up, it is tenacity that will carry you over the finishing line.
Thanks to Colin Myles!