Entrepreneur: have you got what it takes?

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Sir Anthony O’Reilly, Dermot Desmond, John Magnier, JP McManus, Dennis O’Brien, Sean Quinn, Michael O’Leary… they are very different people from an eclectic mix of backgrounds and businesses – but they all have one thing in common: they are among the very best known and most successful of Ireland’s entrepreneurs.

But being an entrepreneur doesn’t necessarily mean aspiring to the dizzy heights of the super rich. According to the Collins English Dictionary an entrepreneur is “the owner or manager of a business enterprise who, by risk and initiative, attempts to make profits”. That definition encapsulates pretty much every start-up venture in the country. So what about you? Is there an entrepreneur inside you waiting to be unleashed?

Sahar Hashemi, successful entrepreneur an co-founder of Coffee Republic believes that there is. “I don’t believe that entrepreneurs are born. I believe that every person has entrepreneurial qualities within them and the problem is that these qualities just remain dormant,” she says. “The question you always ask yourself is am I entrepreneurial, but the question should be how can I unlock more of the entrepreneur in me”.

Entrepreneurs come in all shapes and sizes, but there are some traits that successful entrepreneurs tend to share. Here are a few ways to recognise the entrepreneur in you:

• Passion: to be successful in any venture you need to be passionate about it. As an entrepreneur your passion is what will drive you to overcome the inevitable obstacles.
• Belief: belief in yourself and in your product. Coupled with your passion, belief is one of the strongest weapons in your entrepreneurial arsenal.
• Recognise opportunity: entrepreneurs are always seeking the next opportunity. Everything in life presents potential opportunity – even failure.
• “I can do better than that”: if you find yourself walking into a shop or restaurant, and sub-consciously listing ways things could be improved, that’s your inner entrepreneur at work. You just can’t help feeling that there has to be a better way.
• A dreamer with focus: you have big ideas, but realise that it’s little steps that will ultimately lead you where you want to go. While part of your mind is planning well ahead, you work diligently on today’s tasks because they’re moving you steadily towards your ultimate destination.
• You realise that you don’t know everything: but will find answers when you need them. Your typical response to the unknown is to dive in head first, learn what you need, ask for help when necessary, and move quickly to unearth some answers.
• Think ahead… : you’re not just thinking about tomorrow – you’re thinking much further ahead than that. You’re a strategist with clear goals and a vision for the future. You dare to dream, and you believe in your ability to realise those dreams.
• You like being in control: not because you’re a megalomaniac and like telling people what to do – but because you’re frustrated by the way things are done, and genuinely believe you could get them done more effectively.