The,Entrepreneur,amp,#39,Toolb business, insurance The Entrepreneur's Toolbox

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You have permission to publish this article electronically or inprint as long as the resource box is included. Please notify meof publication by sending a website link or copy of yourpublication to [email protected] Count: 771 words, 65 characters per lineThanks,Claudette Rowley============ The Entrepreneur's Toolbox Claudette RowleyCopyright 2003Entrepreneurship is largely an inside out proposition. Whetheryou're trying to create a technology or develop a product,entrepreneurship starts with who you are, and blossoms out fromthere. In other words, as an entrepreneur, your style is uniqueto you. You can take every class on how to "do" entrepreneurship- learn business strategy until you could teach at the HarvardBusiness School, and network until you know everyone in thephonebook. While the knowledge base required for entrepreneurialsuccess in your field is critical, no one can tell you how to"be" an entrepreneur. That you must discover for yourself. In my experience, entrepreneurs of all stripes require aninternal skill set that I call the Entrepreneur's Toolbox. Thesetools, just as much as what's happening in the businessenvironment, can make or break the fulfillment of yourentrepreneurial vision.The Tools:Intuition - Intuition is knowing something without knowing howyou know. In other words, it's a form of inner guidance or "gutfeeling" that allows you to know things that your rational mindcan't. Developing your intuition is critical to yourentrepreneurial success. Sometimes it's all you've got. Self-trust - Believe in yourself. Trust your intuition.Understand that your idea, your vision, or your product is neededin the world. True innovation can't exist without self-trust.Innovation requires us to leap into the unknown. Unless youtrust, you won't leap.Vision - This is your ability to establish the big picture ofwhat you want, and pursue it. It's closely tied with passion.Have a BIG vision. It's much easier to scale back a grand visionthan it is to amp up a small one. Big visions are based inpassion and generate enormous energy.Passion - If you're not passionate about your idea or vision,what's the point of pursuing it?Human resources - Any successful entrepreneur will tell that shedidn't do it alone. She drew on the experts she needed to buildher business. She also developed and maintained a group ofpeople who continued to believe in her when she forgot to believein herself. This is crucial.Risk taking - The tolerance and ability to take risks isparamount for any entrepreneur. We don't get guarantees inadvance, as much as we'd like them. Sometimes not taking a riskis the biggest risk of all.Openness to change - Many people resist change. As entrepreneurs,we must embrace it. By putting a vision, idea or innovation outinto the world, we expand what's possible, and in doing so,change the status quo.Recognition of self-sabotage - We all do it. At some point intime, we've all sabotaged ourselves out of fear. The key todealing with self-sabotage is to recognize it. Signals torecognizing self-sabotage: You notice yourself comparing yourselfto others, you judge yourself as not being good enough, or youhear your "inner critic" saying things like "soon everyone willrealize what a fraud you are."Head and Heart - To make sound decisions, you need both. When weonly listen to one, we list to the side and veer off course, theway a car does when it's out of alignment and you let go of thesteering wheel. Often there's a misconception that heart, oremotion, doesn't belong in business. It very much does. Yourability to be aware of and use your emotions effectively will aidin your success.Honoring your gifts - I'm convinced that fully acknowledging yourgifts - to yourself, first and foremost - will catapult yourbusiness and your life into bold new arenas. Here's why: When youdon't acknowledge your gift of, for example, building businessesor innovating new technologies, you hold back from full selfexpression. When you don't acknowledge your gifts, you can'tcapitalize on your innate human resources. YOU are your business'most valuable resource. Honor what you don't do well - In fact,know it well and compensate for it. Too often, I hear people beatthemselves over the head with statements like, 'Well, I should domy own bookkeeping" when the last time they balanced theircheckbook was 1978. Know your weaknesses. Compensate for them byhiring or bartering or getting someone to do the task for you. Each one of us carries these tools around with us at all times.The question is whether we tap into them or not.Entrepreneurship is a process of self-discovery. At the sametime that you introduce a new product or process into the world,you uncover new awareness about yourself. Use these tools to notonly grow your business, but yourself. ================== Coach and author Claudette Rowley helps entrepreneurs harness their potential and soar to new heights of prosperity and fulfillment. Contact her today for a free coaching session at 781-676-5633 or [email protected]. Sign up for her free newsletter "Insights for Savvy Entrepreneurs" at http://www.metavoice.org.