According to  Forbes , 9 out of every 10 entrepreneurs fail when starting a new business. A 90 percent fail rate is startling. Therefore, those of us who become  self-employed  need to have very thick skin. The fact is, you will hear "no" far more often than "yes". If you cannot manage your emotions and handle rejection, self-employment is not for you. Don't you agree?

There is a great deal of stress when you are self-employed. You must have the ability to understand that success often only comes after multiple failures. Victory is a long road with many pitfalls. One must embrace rejection as part of the process, and understand business is a numbers game. The more people you reach out to, the more likely you are to make a sale.

Calvin Coolidge, the 30th President of the United States, is attributed with saying, "Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not: the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent." Therefore, it takes a person with a certain mindset to be self-employed. Here are some of those characteristics.

1. Doing What You Love - There is a saying that when you do what you love, you will never work a day in your life. It is very difficult to stay motivated when you don't enjoy your work. Therefore, find something you are passionate about.

2. Believing In What You Do  - The only real way to sell your product or service is to believe in them. If you don't believe that you bring more value than or outrank your competition, neither will your customers.

3. Continuously Selling - We can all agree that people don't like to be sold, but marketing alone will not get you where you need to go. You must be willing to continually sell your products or services to your customers. 

4. Managing Your Money - You need a healthy cash flow for your business to thrive. Control your spending and know how it is invested. Rely on yourself more than others to work in your best interest.

5. Knowing Your Customers - Blindly trying to sell to anyone and everyone is not a recipe for success. Research your ideal customer and target your marketing and advertising for the greatest impact.

6. Being An Expert - People don't look to rookies for solutions. They seek out the advice of experts. Try writing for industry publications to show off your knowledge and expertise. 

What haven't we covered yet that is important to you? If you would like to talk about the personality traits needed to be self-employed, or need more information, please  contact us .