We all know them, the Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerbergs of this world who have turned their ideas into great companies and empires. The big question is how they got there. How did it all start? What does it take? You don’t have to search long to find successful entrepreneurs. You don’t have to look so far. Every entrepreneur started at the beginning at some point. You may have considered founding a company. But what does it take to be successful in this respect? What defines smart entrepreneurs? Are there things and characteristics that successful entrepreneurs have in common? In fact, there seem to be some traits that entrepreneurs need to possess in order to be successful.

What characterizes successful entrepreneurs is that they are resilient. Pressure also plays a role here. If you want to be successful, you have to be able to give your best – even under pressure. It should not matter whether unexpected problems arise or whether there is simply a lot to do. It is important to be able to press the reset button in order to concentrate on the tasks at hand. Setbacks are also part of entrepreneurship. The art is not to let them slow you down, but to unhook them. If you mourn lost opportunities, you lose valuable time that you can use for further projects and tasks.

Of course, some characteristics are inevitably interrelated. Being able to work under pressure also means being able to play a full part and, at times, voluntarily take on tasks that are not so popular and pleasant and that no one else wants to do. It can also be helpful for your own career. If you want to stand out from the crowd and advance your career, then you also need to take on the tasks that others do not want to do. It doesn’t matter whether you want to start your own business, strive for a better position or want to increase your salary. Even if there are setbacks with these unpopular tasks, this is nothing that stops entrepreneurs. Setbacks are not perceived as something negative, they are rather a sign that you are doing your best. The following also applies: You learn from your mistakes.

The next point closely follows this. Successful people are constantly learning and improving their skills. It is a must and an opportunity to develop skills or networks in order to perhaps also secure a competitive advantage. Many also consciously take the time to learn no matter how busy they are with other tasks. As repeatedly reported, successful people read a lot. This distinguishes them from less successful people.

Naturally, the following also applies here: No pain, no gain. However, you also need the right motivation to start a company and lead it successfully. If you take a look at Silicon Valley, you will notice that the companies and start-ups were not founded out of greed for money. Nobody is primarily looking for good earnings. What drives the entrepreneurs there is their passion for what they do. They see a problem and want to solve it. They believe in their ideas and grow with their work.

What additionally distinguishes successful entrepreneurs from less successful entrepreneurs is their willingness to take risks. Mark Zuckerberg once said: “In a world that is changing as fast as ours, there is only one strategy: you have to take risks in order not to fail.” Good entrepreneurs take calculated risks. Terms such as “impossible” or “never” disappear from the vocabulary.

Do you see all these characteristics in you? Then this could be the first step towards entrepreneurship.

– This article was written by Arthur Ryschka, Account Manager at HBI