Five Must-Have Entrepreneurial Skills
Kogan Page Publishing
Independent publisher of award-winning books by leading business experts and academics.
Are you an entrepreneur looking to step up your game? Or a soon-to-be entrepreneur ready to start your business?
Our experts walk you through the entrepreneurial journey, answering the most asked questions with advice and tips on how to become the best founder you could possibly be.
1. How can I be a successful entrepreneur?
First things first.
What makes a successful entrepreneur? If you go on the internet and look up "how to be a successful entrepreneur" you will probably come across a lot of formulas for success. But will they work for you?
Marianne Cantwell believes that the fundamental problem with these formulas is that they are created for people with similar personalities to the person who made them. If you have different attitudes, you will not only struggle to follow them but also end up having to hide your greatest superpowers and all the things about yourself that would make you thrive.
Reject one-size-fits-all solutions by clicking here
2. Do I need a personal brand?
Before starting your entrepreneurial process, you might want to think about creating your personal brand. Why? Because personal branding sets the intention and strategy of how you want to be perceived.
Do you want others to believe you’re collaborative, thoughtful and helpful? Or that you are innovative, creative and possess strong values of integrity and honesty? Do you want your clients to trust you and refer you? All these goals are made possible through personal branding.
Lida Citro?n walks you through the what, who and how of personal branding, explaining exactly why you should control your narrative.
Start working on your personal brand
3. What’s my entrepreneurial style?
What kind of entrepreneur are you or will you be?
Establishing this at an early stage of your journey is the key to keeping your business innovative and avoiding the risk of losing your passion, drive, and style.
Sonya Barlow walks you through the five styles of entrepreneurship you should consider: innovative, hustler, social, imitator and intrapreneur.
Find your style by clicking here
4. How can I manage founder fatigue?
Being a founder comes with many more challenges than a conventional 9–5 office job. It might be another email that needs answering, worrying about when your next payment is coming or feeling the need to constantly check social media. It can be incredibly hard to get off the hamster wheel of constantly being ‘on’.
Angelica Malin discusses founder fatigue and shares a few tips to feel more in control.
5. Why do I feel like an imposter?
Insecurity is almost part of the job when you start a company.
Imposter syndrome is not a single, monolithic thing. It may show up as the worry “who am I to make this a reality?” or it may be the feeling that you don’t know what you’re doing and will sooner or later be exposed as a fraud. Alisa Cohn discusses how to work through it, give yourself a break and enjoy your journey. After all, founders are pretty impressive people!
Kiss your imposter syndrome goodbye
It is true that the journey to entrepreneurship often includes ups and downs, a new type of work-life balance and some sleepless nights. However, it can be incredibly rewarding. Follow our experts’ tips to make it easier and become the best founder you could possibly be.
And now, all that’s left to do is start!