Women and Business: What Does a Woman’s Entrepreneurial Spirit Look Like?

Today's successful women entrepreneurs are sharp, savvy and highly skilled. Some have solo-enterprises, while others run multi-national organizations. All have one thing in common - an entrepreneurial spirit that just won't stop.

More and more women are entering the world of business. In fact, we're starting businesses twice as fast as men, and on the whole, we're more successful doing it. One of the reasons is the bevy of women re-entering the workforce after rearing children. While many may have previously worked in corporate America-type jobs, they are finding at this stage of their lives, they want more autonomy and control over their work time and work demands, especially if returning to their former workplaces leaves them in new situations that do nothing but stifle their need to contribute in a meaningful way.

Plus the Internet has opened up a whole new world for women. They can not only start, run and grow a successful online business (at any age) but they can choose when they work because the Internet is open 24-7. In stark contrast to their working mothers who did the typical 9-5 stint, today's women entrepreneurs can easily schedule their work around their family as well as their own needs.
But are all women born entrepreneurs?

It's true we're biologically wired for multi-tasking and juggling family and work. However, that doesn't mean that every woman has what it takes to make the grade.

So how do you know if you fit the entrepreneurial profile? There are certain stand-out traits according to Susan L. Reid, author of Discovering Your Inner Samurai: The Entrepreneurial Woman's Journey to Business Success

Here is the list of the Entrepreneurial Woman’s Top 10 Characteristics

1. You have a strong desire for autonomy, to be your own boss, and live life on your own terms.

2. You are an independent self-starter, not needing or wanting others to tell you what to do.

3. You have a powerful drive to make money and accumulate wealth.

4. You are a calculated risk-taker with a higher-than-normal tolerance for failure and consider failure a non-issue.

5. You like to be in control and call the shots.

6. You are highly self-motivated and are indefatigably fearless when it comes to getting the job done.

7. You had childhood experiences as a budding entrepreneur and/or entrepreneurial parents, grandparents, or relatives.

8. You have a high level of energy that is sustainable over a long period of time.

9. You are creative and innovative, a strong decision maker, and able to think quickly on your feet, and set things in motion.

10. You are a big-picture thinker capable of seeing how everything relates to each other.

It is my belief that you don't have to necessarily have all 10 of these traits in your genetic make-up. If you have the drive and determination to work at obtaining what traits you may be missing, that's a huge part of the equation.

I suggest you go on a fact-finding mission. Talk to women entrepreneurs you admire. Read up on the latest trends on women in business. Do whatever you can to seek out the answers you need and then dig deep inside and ask yourself if this is really want you want to do.

Make no mistake. You have to be prepared. Businesses have their ups and downs, growth spurts and setbacks. The road to success can sometimes be paved with long hours, heartache, pinching pennies and carrying on when the chips are down. No one is immune to the challenges, but if you do your homework thoroughly and delve into entrepreneurship with your eyes open and your feet on the ground, without a doubt, you'll find a way to succeed. And that is true entrepreneurial spirit!