Succeeding in the marketplace requires having the entrepreneurial spirit.

Entrepreneurship is where we deliver value to a market by taking calculated risks in the aim of earning profits.  It’s one of the greatest ways to get more leverage over the financial outcomes of our lives.

Your path of emerging into entrepreneurship may look like this: You develop the discipline of regularly setting aside a portion of the income from your job where you then invest those funds into creating an original product or service or offer existing products or services to a selected market of people. Having the entrepreneurial spirit requires you to simultaneously invest into your self development. When you do so, you serve your market more effectively. Entrepreneurs spend a lot of time crunching numbers to project results. This is important, however – the one variable that you can control more than all is your attitude.   

Here are a few best practices.

The Entrepreneurial Spirit Means Practice Gratitude

Our philosophy for gratitude is that we are thankful for everything that we have in our lives and also those who have a role in our life.  Wherever you are in life, whether you’re renting an apartment or own your own home, if you’re sleeping on an air mattress or a King sized bed, whether you have a bus pass or a car: be grateful for what you already have as you are in pursuit of what you want. 

Gratitude helps us to not underestimate the value of the things. Be grateful that you are able to have your health and strength to pursue your passions.  There are millions of people all over the world that would love to switch places with you.  

Be thankful that you have the people in your life that you do have. Many people don’t have close relatives that they can associate with.  If you’re estranged from your family, be grateful for the warm memories that you did create in the past. Honor your friendships, esteem each individual for choosing to share a part of their life with you. 

Gratitude is key in having the entrepreneurial sprit when it comes to those who patronize you. Furthermore, find it a privilege to be a reliable and trusted source that can meet the needs and desires of improving people’s situations.

Whether you make one sale or a million sales, the entrepreneurial spirit means being grateful to practice free enterprise.       

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The Entrepreneurial Spirit Means Going the Extra Mile

Many times in business, a person’s attitude is that as long as they lived up to their end of the bargain it’s a fair exchange.  Their attitude is that they did what they were paid to do.  While that may be what counts in a court of law , it isn’t the right attitude in keeping the entrepreneurial spirit.

If I asked you to recall your best customer service experiences vs. your worst ones there are specific things that happened within those interactions that made all the difference.  Both the positive and the negative experiences stand out to you. In knowing this, all of us with the entrepreneurial spirit are presented with a grand opportunity to shape someone’s experience. Sometimes that will be with people who you don’t even owe anything to.

I walked into a Hugo Boss Store several years ago looking to get some blazers that I purchased from the thrift store tailored.  I wanted the top shelf Hugo Boss fit but had a well drink budget.  The manager of the store politely let me know that as a policy they don’t handle alterations of outside garments. But he did something that has stuck with me to this day.  Not only did he refer me to the local tailor who happened to do alterations for that store but he also gave me a Hugo Boss garment bag to carry my blazers in.  While, I’m not one to get wrapped up in designer labels, I have to admit that I felt like a million bucks walking through that mall carrying my blazers in that garment bag.

Points to Consider

I’ve told that story a number of times, perhaps getting a few sales for Hugo Boss along the way. That experience strengthened my belief that it doesn’t take a lot to help make a major difference in someone’s experience.  I was not even a patron but the store manager still provided me with an excellent customer experience.    

As you grow within your enterprise, especially in this digital age: don’t be so far removed from the business processes that you remove the humanity. Going the extra mile is often just a walk around the block.      

Stay in The Game, Success Is On It’s Way.

Success often occurs when opportunity meets preparedness. Be engaged in doing the right things that put you in position win.  In addition, don’t get stuck on your mistakes along the way. 

Even the most skilled and talented actors have bloopers no matter how many times they’ve rehearsed their lines. If they gave up in playing their roles right before they got a chance to embrace their character then we wouldn’t have some of the classic films that have not only entertained us, but even influenced our outlook in life.  It’ll be tough, you will get discouraged, you’ll encounter naysayers, you’ll get frustrated – but keep your head in the game.  

Written By: Waymon Brown. Creator of theesquireproject.com. Email info@theesquireproject.com