5 Common Traits of Successful Nigerian Entrepreneurs

In general, being an entrepreneur in Nigeria or anywhere else is relatively easy work. You are your master and go to work when you like and at a time of your choosing. You can even spend money on anything you fancy and carry your destiny on your head. Yes, being an entrepreneur sure feels good. Till it feels bad when it all goes apeshit, and you are left dying to sleep, as only in dreamland can you eat your fill.

This begs the question- what makes a successful entrepreneur, especially one who is successful in the long term? Some might say that successful entrepreneurs owe their success to a wonderful confluence of genes. Others though would vigorously dispute that assertion and argue that the successful entrepreneur is one who is moulded by external stimuli into seeing things others are unconsciously blind to and acting in ways most others do not.

Whichever definition is true there’s little disputing the fact that entrepreneurs in Nigeria and globally as well all have distinguishing features that easily mark them out. These traits are not a state secret locked up in a DSS vault somewhere under Zuma rock but are easily identifiable to those who know what to look for. Luckily, our eyes are pin-sharp enough to note and then snitch to you these traits authoritatively.

5 Common Traits of Successful Nigerian Entrepreneurs

1. Passion

No matter the line of business they might be in, the successful entrepreneur can easily be picked out by the passion -some would term it unholy zeal!- that they have for what they do. Moreover, why is passion so important? Simple, the more you are passionate about something, the more you devote your time, life, brain power and practically anything else into elevating it to a peerless art in which you will have few, if any, rivals. Entrepreneurs with an enduring passion for what they do are simply untouchable and will eternally seek to be the best and do the best they can. Any wonder then that they get -and stay- so successful!

2. Courage

An entrepreneur with a passion but without courage can be likened to a car with a half-full tank of gas and no filling station in sight. Sooner or later such a car will coast to a stop. A courageous entrepreneur does not appear to know what the word ‘no’ means and is quite ready to fight a lion blindfolded and with only a toothpick as a weapon. While they are not foolhardy, they do not give up no matter the extreme odds against them, the wicked delight with which life seems to throws curve balls in their path and the fact that most of their contemporaries have already thrown in the towel. The courageous entrepreneur simply continues struggling against apparently hopeless odds for what they believe in, till they break through, achieve and conquer.

3. Money Management

Contrary to widespread belief, successful entrepreneurs are not penny-pinching and money-grubbing misers who are perpetually unsmiling and allergic to having a good time. Instead, rather than spending their capital on acquiring -and constantly replacing- the latest consumer electronics, sports cars and living the good life, they scorn such things as fruitless and plough the capital that would have been otherwise splashed on such frivolities back into the business. As well, they are peculiarly capable of recognising what is and not important in the larger scheme of things. So, being a successful entrepreneur requires keeping a tight hold on the purse strings, cutting needless waste and curtailing the inclination to throw an owambe party weekly and show off your new-found wealth.

4. Eagle Eye

Successful entrepreneurs are also endowed with phenomenal eyesight. However, rather than using these to check out the latest wears in the fashion and electronic shops or eyeball the erogenous zones of the opposite sex they instead focus their unwavering gaze into uncovering the latest and hottest business opportunities. Once this is found they boldly jump in feet first and make a massive killing well before you or I even know what’s happening.

5. Self Improvement

Another common trait of most successful Nigerian entrepreneurs is the extreme hunger to ceaselessly improve and sharpen their mind and intellect and as well broaden their horizons. They do this by eternally reading, ceaselessly attending webinars, seminars and the like and otherwise meeting and feverishly rubbing minds with people of the same mindset. With their mind at the sharpest it can be their rise to and stay at the top is assured.

In Conclusion

Want to be a successful Nigerian entrepreneur and get written about in the years to come? Then commit the above traits in mind and make them your new religion. You should also read this article on common mistakes a Nigerian Entrepreneur should avoid.