Sunday, December 5, 2010

Being Proactive

An Entrepreneur needs to be Proactive.

Proactive people believe that we have freedom to choose.

A proactive person responds to internal stimuli.
A reactive person reponds to external stimuli.

Reactive language
I'll try.....
That's just the way I am....
There's nothing I can do.....
I have to....
I can't....

Proactive language
I'll do it...
I can do better than that...
Let's look at all our options..
I choose to...
There's got to be another way..

Highly effective people focus on the things they can control and forget about the things they can't.
An Entrepreneur asks...What can I control?
My business / my pricing / my customers / my costs / look for opportunities.

What can't I control?
The weather / the recession / the economy / the budget / oil prices / inflation

A PROACTIVE Entrepreneur focuses on what they can do and don't waste time on what they can't. They have a positive, "can-do" attitude that drives them to achieve their goals.

Important business skills

These are some of the skills an Entrepreneur would need:
Communication - the exchange and flow of information and ideas from one person to another, ie Speaking, listening, writing and reading.

Creativity - creating something new (a product, a solution, a work of art etc.) which has some kind of value.

Focus - Paying attention to something for long periods of time.

Listening - making an effort to hear something.

Trust - to rely upon or place confidence in someone or something .

Teamwork - work performed by a team.

Teams

What is a team?

"A team is a small number of people with complimentary skills who are committed to a common purpose...for which they hold themselves mutually accountable"
The Wisdom of Teams, Katzelbach & Smith

Networking

According to Entrepreneur.com the ability to network is one of the most crucial skills any entrepreneur can have.

Task
Brainstorm how an entrepreneur will meet the clients and contacts necessary to grow his/her business.