Small-business owners are a breed of their own. When they say the rules don’t apply to this group, it’s because members of this unique tribe have paved their own paths down the roads less traveled as they strived to be different and achieve goals that seem far beyond the reach of most.
As a whole, small-business owners can be big-thinkers, visionaries, motivators, and ultimately, goal-oriented go-getters. But, they can also be scattered, unorganized, and even lofty.
But, no matter what, small-business owners have to love what they do to be successful, and there are some core traits and behaviors that apply across the board.
Here are 5 ways you know you are a small-business owner.
1. You’re basically in a relationship with your business. It’s the first thing you think about when you wake up and the last thing you think about before you go to sleep. It’s often the reason you get out of bed and the cause of celebratory drinks. Your business is part of your world and you’d do almost anything to make sure it doesn’t slip away.
2. When you go out and someone asks what you do for a living, you get ridiculously excited to share your elevator pitch. Successful small-business owners have a finely-tuned elevator pitch that rolls off their tongue the second after someone finishes the icebreaker question. Generally, you can’t wait to tell someone what you do and want to continue sharing details of your business for as long as possible and hope the conversation topic continues.
3. Eat, sleep, network, repeat. In addition to running a small business, small-business owners know how to network. Between carrying business cards, flyers, or any other marketing collateral just about anywhere, any interaction with human beings becomes an opportunity to network and potentially make a connection that will benefit either party by leaps and bounds. Recruit a client in the supermarket? Find a business partner at the gym? You’re always on.
4. Paid vacation and PTO generally don’t apply. These unicorn-like benefits either don’t apply because the business isn’t at the point that the owner has these policies, or it’s because the owner doesn’t really “take time off.” So, when was the last time you really took a day off?
5. Technology is your best friend. Small businesses thriving in the digital age rely heavily on technology to power everything from communication to cash flow. So, you probably break into a cold sweat and start dry heaving if your mobile device is further away than arm’s length. And if your Internet is down, you will drive to the edges of the world to find a signal and send that email before EOD.
There are plenty more classifying traits that are shared among small-business owners, but these are just a few that may resonate. If you found yourself agreeing, then you know you are a dedicated small-business owner. Keep blazing the trail of successful entrepreneurship!
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