If you are thinking about starting a business you must possess certain characteristics and qualities in order to succeed. Let’s take at look at those characteristics and decide if you have what it takes to success as business owner.

An important characteristic of business owners is the ability to motivate yourself. Will you be able to motivate yourself to complete a project when you don’t feel like working would much rather be in mall? Will you be able to motivate yourself to start a project when all your girlfriends are out to lunch at the latest hotspot and your client is demanding a completion date? These are important questions to ask yourself because you before you began your quest to business ownership because no one will be in cubicle next to you cheering you on when you don’t feel like working. If you aren’t able to motivate yourself when you don’t feel working, or things aren’t going the way you aren’t envisioned you run the risk of being one of those statistics that go out of business within the first three years.

Another significant characteristic you should possess if you plan to start a business is the ability to manage your time and resources. Are you able to prioritize tasks based on their importance and deadline? Are able to keep to your schedule no matter what? Are able to schedule need resources and people to reach your deadlines? It’s critical that you are able to schedule your tasks, people and everything else you need to get your projects completed by their deadlines. You don’t have to be everything or even do everything to succeed as a business owner but you do need to be aware of what you can do within the time frame you to get it done and with what resources.

Another characteristic that is vital to possess as a business owner is professionalism. Even if you are operating your business from your home in your pajamas you still have to be professional. When the business line rings you will have to answer the phone in professional manner or you let go to voice mail. When you turn on your webcam or flip video recorder you want the parts of you hat are seen to be viewed as the CEO you are. When you are meeting with prospective clients you have to dress and speak the part of CEO. If you don’t present the image of professional business owner then it can be hard to be taken serious.

Communication is also a crucial skill for business owners. You have to communicate face-to-face, over the phone, via the internet and in print. You have to be able state what you do and who you help in marketing, you have to be able to make a prospective client see that they should work with you and you have to be clearly state what you expect from vendors and contractors. Being able to clearly communicate your message is important in every aspect of business especially since there are so many ways to communicate.

It’s also imperative that you are a people person. After all its people who will buy what you are selling, people who will tell other people about your business and the vendors and contractors you work with are people. Even if you businesses are clients, businesses are made up of people. People buy from people they know, like and trust so, being a people person is a must.

Instead of complicating your business startup efforts by just jumping into business and not taking into consideration your characteristics and personality start by making a list of 10-15 adjectives that describe your personality. Then have someone who knows you really well make the same list. Comparing the two list should give you are clear picture of your characteristics so you know whether or not you have what takes to succeed as a business owner.