The entrepreneurs’ Secret Top 10 Tips

What are the secrets of successful entrepreneurs?

Starting, owning or running your own company can bring personal and financial freedom as well as a profound sense of accomplishment. In his book The 10 Secrets of Entrepreneurs: How to stop being just an employee, entrepreneur and inspirational speaker Keith Cameron Smith shares ten crucial principles to help you make the leap from ordinary follower to extraordinary leader and entrepreneur.

The extract below will give you a taste of the secrets that will help you to take control of your career and your life, once and for all!

Secret 10

ENTREPRENEURS EDUCATE THEMSELVES MORE THAN THEY ENTERTAIN THEMSELVES . . .

. . . Employees entertain themselves more than they educate themselves. In the school of experience, entrepreneurs choose what they want to learn about and they can ask any question they choose to without fear of being reprimanded or disciplined. Successful entrepreneurs ask themselves what they would really like to do with their lives, and then ask others the questions that give them the answers to how to be successful at their chosen field of interest.

Secret 9

ENTREPRENEURS HAVE AN EMPOWERING PERSPECTIVE OF FAILURE . . .

. . . Employees see failure as bad. Successful entrepreneurs believe failure is inevitable and educational. Failure is the way we learn and grow. It shows us where there needs to be correction. Never take failure personally. See failure as just something you do – not something you are. We have all failed many times and we will fail again. It’s part of life. Failure is the opportunity to begin again in a new and better way.

Secret 8

ENTREPRENEURS ARE SOLUTION FINDERS . . .

. . . Employees are problem solvers. When a problem arises that wasn’t covered in their training, they don’t believe it’s their responsibility to fix it. Entrepreneurs , on the other hand, know that when a problem arises it’s their responsibility to find a solution so that they don’t have to waste time and money with it in the future. Successful entrepreneurs always seek to solve a problem permanently, or to find a long-term solution.

Secret 7

ENTREPRENEURS KNOW A LITTLE ABOUT A LOT . . .

. . . Employees know a lot about a little. It you want to remain an employee for the rest of your life then just stick to your job description and don’t worry about learning anything else. On the other hand, if you want to become an entrepreneur, then you must develop an interest in the big picture, and how things work together. It is wise to learn a little about a lot.

Secret 6

ENTREPRENEURS GIVE AND RECEIVE PRAISE AND CORRECTION . . .

. . . Employees don’t praise and to avoid correction. Have you ever heard the old saying that a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down? Praise is like sugar, correction is like medicine. Adults enjoy being praised just as much as children do, and praising people is a key secret of success. Successful entrepreneurs have learned to praise before they correct, and then praise again when they see improvement.

Secret 5

ENTREPRENEURS SAY ‘THE BUCK STOPS HERE’ . . .

. . . Employees say ‘It’s not my fault’. The path to becoming a great entrepreneur begins with first learning to take responsibility for your personal life. As you learn how to take responsibility for your own life, you will also be learning how to take responsibility for a company. Every day you’re given a choice: you can either take responsibility, or you can blame, complain and justify. Blaming, complaining and justifying are simply excuses for why you can’t be, do, or have what you want. It is impossible to take responsibility for your life while you are blaming, complaining and justifying.

Secret 4

ENTREPRENEURS BUILD WEALTH . . .

. . . Employees make money. Building wealth is the key to financial freedom, and the small shift in thinking toward ‘building wealth’ instead of just ‘making money’ can make a huge difference in your actions and the results you produce. Put and keep your focus on building wealth more than making money.

Secret 3

ENTREPRENEURS FLY WITH EAGLES . . .

. . . Employees peck around with chickens. You may not see an immediate effect from the people you spend time with, but over time they absolutely influence your life for the positive or the negative. The people you spend time with can make you, or they can break you. By choosing to invest your time with wise people who are living a life of success and significance, you learn to do the same.

Secret 2

ENTREPRENEURS LOOK INTO THE FUTURE . . .

. . . Employees look into the past. Few people understand the power of vision, and that’s why most people are employees, not entrepreneurs. Vision makes things happen. All great entrepreneurs have vision. Vision is power. It’s what attracts wisdom. It guides your life, and taking daily action towards your vision is the surest and fastest way to make it happen. You must create a vision of the future you desire if you are to experience success and fulfilment.

Secret 1

ENTREPRENEURS TAKE RISKS BECAUSE OF FAITH . . .

. . . Employees play it safe because of fear. When you take risk out of life, you take opportunity out of life. Many employees have taken opportunity out of their lives because they have more fear than faith. Successful entrepreneurs have strong faith, which allows them to find opportunities and take risks. Most people have little faith in themselves and that’s why they remain employees. Many employees say they would like to own their own business, but their fears keep them from taking the necessary risks.