Do You Have What It Takes To Be An Entrepreneur?

How many times have you heard a friend, family member or a co-worker say, "I want to start my own business?"  Often times more thought is placed on the creative aspect of owning a business rather than the "business" of being an entrepreneur.  After meeting with countless people over my 14 year career in Economic Development, it became clear to me rather quickly that entrepreneurs are risk takers, real entrepreneurs won't take "No" for an answer (but they take great advice) and successful entrepreneurs - eat, sleep and think about their business - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week – a day off is unheard of.

The key to any successful business is to understand your business plan (if done correctly) is your BLUEPRINT for success.  Strategic planning is a critical component to the success of any business and these are some of the questions you should ask yourself before taking the leap into entrepreneurship - are you bankable, does the numbers in your budget make sense, location, location, location - have you found your niche, did you check out the competition - what separates your business from everyone else in the game - where do you see your business in the next five years?

Entrepreneurship is a sink or swim venture and without the proper planning in place - running your own business can become your worst nightmare, or with commitment, insight, drive, determination  and the continued hunger for success - there's nothing better than being your own boss!