An entrepreneur in simple words is a person who undertakes or controls a business or

enterprise and bears the risk of profit or loss. (Phillipson, 1995, p: 12)

Starting a business is tough and it is very important that you decide early if you have the

"right characteristics" better you find out now what qualities you may need to build up

rather than finding out after it is too late.

It is very important to be educated, since a business life can be that much easier if you do

have a good education behind you and then you can convince others that you know what

you are doing. It’s not enough to be only educated, you need to be clever too. Since you

are clever, you may achieve your business aims successfully. You need to have brilliant

ideas in order to compete easily with your competitors. (Phillipson, 1995)

Good manager qualities and entrepreneur qualities are almost similar; it’s only that the

entrepreneur has some extra qualities then the manager. In the coming lines I will be

testing myself whether I have or I have not the entrepreneur qualities in myself.

1. Opportunistic: Don’t wait for the time to get a chance. I take the opportunity of

everything. Last year after finishing my classes at college I use to work at the

Standard Chartered Bank, even on Thursday I use to go only to gain experience. I

took the opportunity of gaining the knowledge and the experience.

2. Innovation: You will need creativity, not just to think up new business ideas, but

to adapt the old once to take advantage of changes to your existing circumstances.

I like designing and colors; am good at both. I attract my friends any family

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 members with my creative on designing the baskets and flowers. This is because I

draw new ideas and materials all the time.

3. Self confident: You won’t be very successful if you think you can’t do things

very well, therefore you will need to have confidence in your own abilities and in

your decision making. Before I enroll at the college I was studying at an institute

and at the same time I went for some interviews, I had an interview at Bank

Muscat, it was the first time in my life where I was interviewed but I was really

confident about the answers I gave but unfortunately I was not selected.

4. Willing to take even great risk: Running your own firm is risky. To succeed,

you need to take measured risks. Often the successful entrepreneur exhibits an

incremental approach to risk taking at each stage exposing him self to only a

limited measured amount of personal risk and moving from one stage to another

as each decision is proved. (Dewhurst & Burns, 1993, p: 12) I simply don’t like

taking risk, but it happened that I have taken some small risks. When I was in my

school I use to write the important answers on my trousers; but thank god no

teacher saw me cheating.

5. Emotional stability: every business man should be stable, that mean not to get

excited when gains profit and not to cry when get losses. I am very emotional I

can’t hide my feeling in my heart; my feelings are shown on my face

immediately. Four years ago I was in my third secondary (my final year at school)

when I got my results at the school I started crying once I saw my results in front

of all my teachers and friends, then they come to know that my grades are low.

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6. Self control: I can’t control my self. I can’t control my anger. Recently because

my monde was bad I broke my GSM.

7. Self motivated and restless: Ideally, an entrepreneur should set him self a very

high standard in all that he dose, the higher the aim, the more likely you are to

succeed. (Phillipson, 1995) Sometimes I feel that there is no need of studying I

should get married and sit home since all the girls in my family do the same; but

then I motivate my self to complete my studies and work too.

8. Vision and flair: Being able to look into the future and see what are the up and

coming opportunities which helps you in working out your long term plans.

(Phillipson, 1995) I have made my vision for the coming five years. I want to

complete my studies. I want to do my Masters then get a good job.

9. High energy and Good Health: You will have more energy if you are fit and

healthy, and you will need it especially if you are going into a physically

demanding type of business. (Phillipson, 1995, p: 23) Some of us are “morning

people” and some are “night people”. If it comes on studies I just can’t study after

7 o’clock in the evening, but on the other hand I wake up at 5 o’clock in the

morning for studying. And since I don’t smoke, I am having a good health.

10. Organized: If you can’t organize the day to day running of a business it will be

soon run into trouble. Organizing your time, making sure things are done when

they are meant to be and handling paperwork are all part of being an entrepreneur.

I can say about my self organized. (Phillipson, 1995, p: 24) Couple of weeks ago

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 my brother in law was addament in the hospital and the kids were at my place.

The same day my best friend was traveling to Australia to continue her studies

and at the same day I was suppose to make some changes of my final report, I

went to see my brother in law, I went to say good bye to my friend, and I made

the changes that was required to my final report. If I was not organized, I would

never finish all the things on time.

11. Competitive: From day one on, you and your business will be in competition. If

you are a fighter; your chances for success are improved. An entrepreneur should be

ready for all kinds of competition which he can face in his industry. (www.japan-
guide.com/penfriend/ local_e.html?1+b+1+120+off+off+off+off+mt+0+0 - 58k)

Last semester I was taking a module called Auditing, I was confident about getting

at lest a B, but when I saw my results of the first assessment I was really shocked, my

results were very bad, but when I saw that my friends grade is higher than mine I

decided to work hard and get good grade. I really worked hard and finally I got a B-

which was really excellent comparing with my first assessment result. I competed

with my friend to get higher then her grades.

12. Prepared to work for long hours: The hard work can bring rewards and feeling

of success like nothing else can. If I liked the work yes I can work for long hours. In

last summer I had training at Standard Chartered Bank, I was working from 8 in the

morning till 4 in the afternoon which is almost 8 hours and it is not little as a trainee.

13. Good communicator: To have the ability to communicate with others, both in

spoken and written words. Good writing skills are often underestimated, but are

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 essential in the business world. (Phillipson, 1995, p: 22) Since I know more

than one language I am a good communicator. I can deal with different

nationalities both in the spoken and written words.

Conclusion:

Starting a business is not simple and to become an entrepreneur you need to have some

characteristics and qualities which we have seen above. In the above paragraphs with

have tested that who can become an entrepreneur and can’t become an entrepreneur, we

have tested these qualities in our selves to see till where we can reach in the future.

Bibliography:

 Dewhurst, J. & Burns, P. (1993), “Small Business Management”. 3rd edition, The

Macmillan Press, London

 Phillipson, I. (1995), “How To Be An Entrepreneur”. Kogan Page Limited,

London

 Sullivan, R. (1996),”Are You An Entrepreneur?”, The Small Business Start Up Guide.

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