17 Ways Entrepreneurs Think Differently

Entrepreneurs are a unique breed of people. While some people sit and fantasize about the glamor of being their own boss and creating their own business, those in the thick of business ownership understand that even considering all its rewards, entrepreneurship is a difficult and complicated path.

The world's most successful entrepreneurs aren’t the ones who impulsively quit their jobs to chase a get-rich-quick idea. They are the ones with an entrepreneurial mindset -- a set of perspectives and values that allow them to achieve greatness.

These 17 perspectives are differentiators you’ll need to have or develop if you’re going to be a successful business owner.

1. Challenges are opportunities.

Setbacks, obstacles and challenges are painfully common elements of entrepreneurship. Most people react to these hurdles with stress and pessimism, with an attitude that obstacles are negative experiences that only hinder progress. As an entrepreneur, you encounter so many challenges you simply can’t afford to react this way.

Instead, successful entrepreneurs view challenges as opportunities. Each challenge or setback reveals a key opportunity to grow -- either to improve upon an existing weakness or take measures to avoid experiencing a similar setback in the future.

2. Competitors are research subjects.

Rather than viewing competitors as a threat, like most people would, entrepreneurs see competitors as enriching opportunities to learn more about their industry and target market. By looking at your competitors’ business models, you can learn what makes yours unique and embellish that uniqueness in your branding and marketing efforts. Studying your competitors’ emphasis on customer experience can teach you how to make yours better.

Your competitors are doing you a favor -- they’ve already gathered tons of valuable information. Entrepreneurs realize that it’s up to them to take advantage of it.

3. Everything requires effort.

Entrepreneurship is multifaceted and constantly demanding, and there’s no shortage of pitfalls that could disrupt or destroy your business. Successful entrepreneurs are aware of this, and they’re aware that everything -- from product development, sales and marketing -- requires significant effort to achieve success. Instead of looking for shortcuts, they’re pouring effort into their business at every opportunity, and when they reach one goal, they’re already busy planning another.

4. Perfection is the enemy of progress.

It’s a familiar aphorism that nobody understands better than entrepreneurs. Young or inexperienced entrepreneurs might get caught up in chasing their original vision, because original visions are almost invariably “perfect.” But perfection isn’t necessary to run a successful, profitable business.

In fact, perfection is often what stalls progress. The time you spend trying to hammer down those last few details is likely going to end up as time wasted. Instead, spend your efforts on the big picture, and make sure it’s solid.

5. Big things are made from small components.

This works for problems as well as solutions. For example, instead of seeing a content-marketing campaign as a quick way to get traffic and new business, entrepreneurs see content marketing in terms of its individual components (blogging, social-media marketing, link building, etc.), each of which has its own advantages and disadvantages. Successful entrepreneurs can break down massive projects, problems and campaigns into smaller, more manageable pieces.

6. Mistakes are healthy.

The popular vision of massively successful entrepreneurs such as Steve Jobs or Jeff Bezos illustrates them as infallible leaders. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Successful entrepreneurs, even the rock stars among them, make mistakes often. Furthermore, they aren’t afraid to make mistakes, and they know how to learn from them.

Making mistakes is healthy and normal, and the sooner entrepreneurs realize that, the better. Don’t waste time doing everything you can to avoid mistakes or beat yourself up after making one. Acknowledge your mistakes, figure out what you can do to make up for them, and move on.

7. There is no magic.

The super-rich entrepreneurs you read about in the news usually didn’t get there because they randomly stumbled upon a great idea. They got there because they poured years of effort and passion into a good idea, and eventually their efforts paid off.

You can’t become an entrepreneur expecting there to be a miracle, or some kind of instant, magical rise to the top because your idea was revolutionary. Even the best ideas in the world require patience, skill and endless effort to earn that level of success. The world's best entrepreneurs realize this. Waiting for your idea to do the work on its own, or waiting for some unseen element to carry you to success can only result in disaster.

8. Outside perspective is invaluable.

Entrepreneurs need to be good communicators, and that means actively listening to those with different ideas and opinions. It’s easy for us to get trapped in one mode of thinking.

Many business owners keep their business models and directives too rigid, ultimately restricting their ability to grow and leading to failure. Successful entrepreneurs, on the other hand, are constantly searching for individuals and experiences that will challenge their way of thinking and lead them to see things from a new perspective.

9. Discipline is a prerequisite.

To most people, discipline is something extra. It takes extra thought and effort to exercise, wake up on time or do anything other than spend leisure time. To successful entrepreneurs, discipline is normal. It’s a prerequisite that carries into all aspects of their lives.

You don’t have to be a regimented military-style leader to be disciplined, but you do have to know what you want and be prepared to do whatever it takes to get it.

10. Entrepreneurship is a lifestyle.

Entrepreneurs wake up as entrepreneurs, go to work as entrepreneurs, come home as entrepreneurs and go to bed as entrepreneurs. There is no nine to five. There is no “work life” and “home life.”

The advantage of this is that you have total control over your business and your professional choices, including what you do for it. The (possible) disadvantage of this is that you carry your business with you everywhere you go. Entrepreneurship becomes your work and your life, and you need to be prepared for that if you’re going to survive the lifestyle.

11) Forget About Rules.

Everything is new when you’re an entrepreneur. So, there are no precedents, or right or wrong ways to do things.

To enjoy the phenomenal freedom and the high that come from creating your own destiny, forget about rules. Instead, make the best decisions you can in each moment and always look for a better way to do it the next time.

12) Do the Illogical.

We are creatures of habit, and we’re used to doing things a certain way—the logical way. However, you can’t use the same logic when you’re in a totally different environment and you need different results.

As an entrepreneur, you’ve got to change your paradigm. Develop a mantra, “Do the illogical,” to help you step outside of your box to do things in a bigger, better and faster way.

13) Go with Your Gut.

You will often have to make decisions with very limited information, sometimes with as little as 10% of what you need to know. You can’t just sit there and wait until you have enough information—that will never happen. You’ve got to keep things moving so you’ve got to act now, and you do that by trusting your gut.

When I first started working with Bob Proctor, it was really challenging for me to do this. However, now I go with my gut all the time, and it has led to amazing things.

14) Be Willing to Lose It All.

Most everyone is afraid of failing and losing what they have. However, as an entrepreneur, if you’re not willing to go out there and fail, you’re probably not going to do much of anything. So, realize that, at one point or another, you will fail.

Develop the mindset of, “If I fail, I’m going to get up and I’m going to get stronger. If I created it once, I can create it again.” It’s a very freeing idea that leads to more creativity and often unexpected results.

15) Act with Fear.

Fear and growth go hand in hand. Don’t ever let fear stop you—embrace it and move through it. When you face the fear, you automatically experience the growth.

16) Don’t Second Guess Yourself.

You’re constantly coming up with new ideas and developing concepts when you’re an entrepreneur. Once you’ve decided something, don’t debate it in your head. Go with it.

Bob Proctor taught me this years ago when I was afraid to send an email to all of my law clients letting them know I was closing the practice. He said, “HIT SEND!” So, I did, and the payoff was huge.

17) Strive for Excellence.

Set and maintain a standard of excellence—be obsessed with quality. The pursuit of excellence brings the very best of you to whatever you are doing.

I hope that you found some things on my list that will help you in your own entrepreneurial adventures.

Being a successful entrepreneur isn’t about being born with a specific mindset, it’s about being prepared for the challenges that await you.

Attitude is everything in entrepreneurial life.

Andries van Tonder

I am a Serial Entrepreneur & Investor with over 40 Years of experience in Business and Marketing.

Business is my passion and I have established myself in multiple industries with a focus on sustainable growth

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