Here are a few things that can give you an idea of how committed you are as an entrepreneur - at least in my view.

Ambition

Entrepreneurs are very ambitious. They may have many ideas, some of them are more workable than others, some don't actually get done. That's OK, so long as you don't let your ambitions get in the way of putting plans into action.

Promises

When you're starting out, there's not much point making promises ahead of time. Just get on and do things, and promote the things you've already done. Keep your future plans quiet.

Once you've started to build your reputation as an entrepreneur, you can try building up some hype for forthcoming developments - but don't make promises you can't keep. Never set a date without having a rock solid plan that will keep you to that date.

On the other hand, it may be best to avoid revealing any major secrets ahead of time, or you may find someone else gets in first. When there's a risk you're talking about something that might not happen, or might be delayed, is it worth mentioning at all?

Working hours

This can vary from one person to the next. Some people find a way to do four hours work (or even less) per day, and it pays off; others (like me) use every available moment to work as hard as they can.

The key here is to be flexible. Don't expect to work from 9 to 5 through the week and not at all at the weekend. Don't overwork yourself unnecessarily - but be flexible.

Social life

Do you take a full hour for lunch? Do you empty your head of all work-related thoughts when you finish for the day? It's important to take breaks, and you do need to switch off from time to time - but I found it was a lot easier to focus on my projects when I sacrificed most of my social life.

You have to find what works for you - but if you could use an extra hour from your social life and build your business faster, why not give it a try? Then again - where do you draw the line when deciding how many "extra hours" to take on?

Time off

This reminds me of a TV show in the UK about people who renovate houses. Right in the middle of a renovation, two new property developers went on holiday - and the whole project stalled while they were away.

You do need to take breaks, but would you take a couple of weeks off if it meant that a competitor could grab some of your customers while you're away?

If you're going away, make sure you do so during the quieter periods. If possible, tell people you're going away, and give them a way to contact you - either leaving a voicemail or sending an email. I don't agree with "not checking in" while away if you're the only person in the business. If you want a proper holiday, go and work for a big company that gives you a holiday allowance.

Retiring

If you made millions from your latest project, would you sell up and retire? I wouldn't - I enjoy working too much to stop.

I've seen people who "retire" from a project and use their funds to set up another one. That's not really retiring, but I think it sums up an entrepreneur very well - always looking for the next idea!

Can anyone do it?

I wouldn't discourage people from giving it a try, as you only really know if it's for you once you've given it a try. However, if you don't like hard work, or you want to take 4 or 5 weeks leave every single year, being an entrepreneur might not be the best option for you.

Are you an entrepreneur, or do you know anyone who is? Do you agree or disagree with this post? Why?

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