20 Signs You Were Born to Be an Entrepreneur

Entrepreneur is such a vague word. What is an entrepreneur? The Oxford Dictionary of Current English tells us it’s “a person who makes money by starting new businesses.” It also says close to nothing about the nature of entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship. Our go-to Google dictionary defines an entrepreneur as “a person who sets up a business or businesses, taking on financial risks in the hope of profit.” A slightly generic answer. 

The reason why standard definitions are inadequate is because being an entrepreneur (and entrepreneurship) is not so much about what you do, it’s about what you think. It’s time to get creative.

In light of this, let’s ask a different question that will hit home. What makes you an entrepreneur? There has to be a set of unique qualities that distinguishes you from the rest. Not everyone is cut out to be an entrepreneur. 

20 Signs You’re Destined to be an Entrepreneur

Lets take a look at your early childhood; young entrepreneurs are born, not made.

1. You were one clever kid.

Early childhood memory – selling stuff. Not because you were hungry for money, but because you made good use of your time selling goods and services to the public instead of playing in the sandbox. 

You had an innate understanding of the basic principle of economics: society has unlimited wants and needs but limited resources. So you took full advantage of it!

2. You got creative with your allowances.

You didn’t buy yourself candy! You allocated your resources wisely, making long term investments because you knew (subconsciously) that this would be you in a few years:

3. You excelled at group projects.

As you got older, you likely caught on to the power hierarchies around you. As a natural born leader, you noted the merits of your team members and delegated tasks like you knew what you were doing.  

If you’ve taken the time to reflect and recognized these signs from your early childhood days, keep reading. 

Perhaps you identify with the following qualities…

4. Always hungry for knowledge.

Everyday is an opportunity to learn something new. It is your curiosity that will inevitably lead you to new heights.

5. Sometimes unrealistic, but always determined.

Do you think Thomas Edison would have invented the light bulb if he was realistic? No! Entrepreneurs make things happen because they’re determined. Sometimes they fail, sometimes they succeed; when they do, the world will know about it.

6. You think creatively.

Although sometimes unrealistic, entrepreneurs are inventors and innovators. They are creative individuals by nature.

7. You’re a great problem solver.

You don’t just complain about problems, you brainstorm until you’ve come up with all the possible solutions. 

8. You’re a risk taker.

The word fear is simply not a part of your dictionary. You evaluate your risks, and act accordingly. It’s the quality that makes entrepreneurs fearless leaders and successful business owners. 

9. You’ve been labeled a rebel.

This could have led you to question the education system. You have an understanding that education is important but more notably that it’s a system that creates good employees, not successful and rich individuals. Your solution? Take charge of your own education, nobody is going to stop you from reaching your goals.

You want a real life example?

10. Hustling is second nature. 

11. You act like you’re your own boss.

Authority? What’s that?

Rules don’t apply to you (careful with this one). You believe in efficiency and you’re willing to break the rules to get the job done.

12. You exude confidence.

You have that charisma and an irresistible charm that draws people to you. This also comes with the unfortunate trait of not being able to admit you’re wrong (even when you know you’re wrong).

13. For you, negotiation is an art.

You simply won’t take ‘no’ for an answer. An entrepreneur never gives up - ever. Which brings us to your key weapon – the ability to negotiate. 

14. You’re obsessed with efficiency.

You’re a smart worker. You also know that there’s a right way of doing things, and the wrong way of doing things.

15. A 9-5 job is not good enough.

You might have a 9-5, but you don’t stop there.

16. You see opportunities everywhere.

You also never hesitate to go that extra mile. 

17. You’re a night owl.

All those ideas! They don’t leave you even when half the world is asleep.

18. You dream big, because you’re visionary.

You know you’re trying to reach for the stars, and you don’t settle for anything less.

19. You’re living your passion.

You don’t particularly care what others think about your plans. Everyone else is living their life, while you’re living your passion.

20. You have a vision, and that makes you invincible.

At the end of the day, what distinguishes entrepreneurs is that they all have their vision for the future. They don’t sit around and wait for things to happen to them. They plan, act and execute. They pave their own road to success. 

There you have it – a better definition. Many qualities about your character have to align in order for you to possess that entrepreneurial nature and spirit. So are you an entrepreneur? Perhaps you’ve never thought of yourself as an entrepreneur before this article granted you the title of one 🙂

“Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do, so throw off the bowlines, sail away from safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore, Dream, Discover.”

- Mark Twain