163 Ways How To Become An Entrepreneur

Attention, entrepreneurs in the making! Before we get started, let's get one thing straight - YOU ARE BORN WITH IT. Passion, thirst, risk-taking, innovation, intelligence, and so many other variables that make up a successful entrepreneur, can not be taught. They are either in your genes or not. Sorry but that is the brutal, God-honest, truth.

But these basics are not all you need. Here is a list of all the other things you need to know on how to become an entrepreneur. Yes, and there is at least 163 things you need to know:

1. You Are Your Friends How To Become An Entrepreneur: Someone who wants to become an entrepreneur should be hanging out with entrepreneurs. You are who you hang out with. Thanks To: Albert Ko of CheapCheapCheap LLC

2. Planning Is Essential How To Become An Entrepreneur: A business plan is essential for anyone who is trying to start any type of business!  They're not just for obtaining financing and shouldn't be put onto a shelf once they are complete.  It's a tool that a business owner can use to help guide them in the right direction for their business. Thanks To: Dawn Martinello of Monday Morning VA

3. Get Discipline How To Become An Entrepreneur: Someone who wants to become an entrepreneur should be sure they have the self discipline and work ethic before proceeding. Thanks To: Cindy Tollen of Sudz N Bubbles

4. What Does Society Need? How To Become An Entrepreneur: To become an entrepreneur, one should brainstorm about what societal needs are not being met and then develop a solution to alleviate one of those needs. Thanks To:Michael Shapiro of TheAlternativePress.com

5. Interview The "Been-There's" How To Become An Entrepreneur: The aspiring entrepreneur would  benefit by interviewing someone who is doing, what they hope to do. Thanks To:Fran Briggs of The Fran Briggs Companies

6. Skip The MBA How To Become An Entrepreneur: Don't get an MBA.  It will not help.Thanks To: John Brothers of StatusMe

7. Keep It Simple, Stupid How To Become An Entrepreneur: Someone becomes an entrepreneur by creating a SIMPLE solution to a specific problem that they have experienced.Thanks To: Renee Wood of The Comfort Company, Inc.

8. Zero Overhead How To Become An Entrepreneur: Someone who wants to become an entrepreneur should take something they're passionate about and start thinking about it as a business by promoting through free services and social networks.  That way business can be done with virtually zero overhead to see if they like it. Thanks To: Peter of Jobvana.com

9. Work Harder Than Everybody Else How To Become An Entrepreneur: Anyone can become an entrepreneur, just be prepared to work harder than anyone. Thanks To: Tina Wick ofGreenpurse

10. Get A Mentor How To Become An Entrepreneur: Finding a good mentor will save you blood, sweat and tears. Seek out someone you admire and ask. You'll be surprised at how generous great entrepreneurs can be with their time! Thanks To: Pearlin Siow of Asia's Dragons

11. Score at SCORE How To Become An Entrepreneur: If you are unable to locate a solid mentor on your own, visit the SCORE website.  This organization can be of great help at matching you with a possible mentor that understands small business. Thanks To: Renny Doyle of Detailing Success

12. Don't Worry, Be Happy How To Become An Entrepreneur: Do what makes you happy. Thanks To:Brooke Kelley of Composing Moments

13. Get Incubated How To Become An Entrepreneur: Those who wish to become an entrepreneur should look for a true business incubator in their city, and talk to the entrepreneurs and staff involved in that establishment. There will be a whole community of entrepreneurs in one setting, who have each experienced the tug of owning one’s own business. Thanks To: Clay Howard of The Nussbaum Center for Entrepreneurship

14. Vision How To Become An Entrepreneur: You must have a vision that you write down.  You must be looking forwards not backwards. Thanks To: Lorin Beller Blake of Big Fish Nation

15. Brand You How To Become An Entrepreneur: Get out there and get your name known as your brand. Thanks To:Ellen Delap of Professional-Organizer

16. Seminars & Conferences How To Become An Entrepreneur: Someone who wants to become an entrepreneur should attend as many relevant seminars and conferences as possible, to form a network of valuable relationships. Thanks To: Melissa Rudy of Words by Melissa

17. Not Risk Takers, But Calculated Risk Takers How To Become An Entrepreneur: Understand that entrepreneurs are not risk takers.  Entrepreneurs are calculated risk takers.  Evaluate your risk then take action. Thanks To: Reno Lovison, Author of “Turn Your Business Card Into Business"

18. Community How To Become An Entrepreneur: You immediately tap into your local entrepreneur community.  This is a tight knit group that is always open to learning more as well as sharing what they have learned.  Plus it keeps you from recreating the wheel, allowing you to spend more time building your company. Thanks To: Serena Ehrlich of Docstoc

19. Plan Less, Act More How To Become An Entrepreneur: Stop planning, start acting. You'll make mistakes along the way, but eventually you'll figure out the solutions that work for you and your business. Thanks To: Francesca McLin offrancescamclin.com

20. Inventory Your Life How To Become An Entrepreneur: Take inventory of all of your past experience, jobs and education.  Make a list of the top 5 things you enjoy doing the most.  Based on those 5 things, identify what problems you can solve with your skills.  Brainstorm what type of people or businesses are looking for your solutions.  Start offering your services, one new client at a time. Thanks To: Sydni Craig-Hart of Executive Assistant to Virtual Assistant

21. It's In The Essence How To Become An Entrepreneur: You should have a passion for the essence of the business you want to start and you MUST be able to preserver through the ups and downs associated with starting a business." Thanks To:Mike Lieberman, Author of Reality Marketing Revolution

22. Social Networks How To Become An Entrepreneur: Take advantage of your LinkedIn, Twitter and other social network connections by asking well thought out questions.  You will be amazed by the number of experts who gladly share critical knowledge. Thanks To: Meryl K. Evans of meryl.net

23. Do You Talk About It Constantly? How To Become An Entrepreneur: You're own the right path when you love it enough to the point where all you want to do is talk about it day and night!Thanks To: Ashley Hunter of HM Risk Group

24. Coffee Meetings How To Become An Entrepreneur: Someone who wants to become an entrepreneur should seek out other successful entrepreneurs who have traveled down the same (or similar) industry path. Invite them to have coffee and pick their brains regarding how they got started and the obstacles that they had to overcome. Thanks To: Brody Dorland of Something Creative, Inc.

25. Start By Volunteering How To Become An Entrepreneur: Try volunteering full time if you can.  You may discover your passion there, and that passion can be turned into your entrepreneurial endeavor. Thanks To: Judy Browne of Workshop for Women

26. You Gotta Have Some Cash How To Become An Entrepreneur: There’s not much to becoming an entrepreneur.  Follow your heart, do what you love, and make sure you have enough working capital (cash). Thanks To: John-Paul Lee of Tavalon Tea

27. Everything Is Negotiable How To Become An Entrepreneur: You should always ask if it can be done cheaper. New companies need every penny, so not spending is the best way to stay alive. Thanks To: Jeremy Belcher of ipreserve.com

28. Passion + Pay How To Become An Entrepreneur: Follow your passion and turn it into something that others are prepared to pay money for.  You need to make sure you are loving what you do AND able to get paid for it. Thanks To: Jeanette McLeod of EBooks4Kidz Ltd

29. Start Part-Time How To Become An Entrepreneur:If you can't make money part-time, you can't make money full-time, so if you have a family to support--DON'T quit your job to start your first venture.  Run it part-time and learn all you can about marketing and running a business, and make the shift when the time is right. Thanks To: Alan Brymer of The Investor Library

30. Clarity, Clarity, Clarity How To Become An Entrepreneur: If you want to be an Entrepreneur you need to start with a clear plan with clear goals. Thanks To: Carla Kroger ofDaily Administration

31. Ask The Ultimate Question How To Become An Entrepreneur: What if? Thanks To: Jerry Pollio of CMT Creative Marketing Inc.

32. Believe In You How To Become An Entrepreneur: To be an entrepreneur, you have to believe in yourself.  It's like "The Little Engine that could"...I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.  If you think you can, and you tell other people that you can, they will assume you can.  Then you will. Thanks To: Laura Lowell of 42 Rules

33. Read A Lot How To Become An Entrepreneur: Someone who wants to become an entrepreneur should read everything she can get her hands on regarding becoming an entrepreneur: starting and growing a business, creativity, financial how-tos, and more. While formal education is wonderful, many of the world's wealthiest people have been self-made. And self-educated is often better than formally educated. Thanks To: Darlene 'Dee' Bishop ofqualitybusinesswriting.com

34. Don't Re-Invent The Wheel How To Become An Entrepreneur: Just do it better. Look around you and think about the services or products that could be improved upon and you be the one to do it! Thanks To: Patty Corn of backyardartllc.com

35. Pre-Existing "Condition" How To Become An Entrepreneur: It is better to create a product or service to fill a pre-existing, identifiable need than to try to create a product or service and convince customers that they need it. Thanks To: Shai Littlejohn ofLittlejohn Consulting

36. Just Do It How To Become An Entrepreneur: Becoming an entrepreneur is easy - just do it! Thanks To: Dr. William Osgood of Knowledge Institute

37. Nerves Of Steel How To Become An Entrepreneur: To become an entrepreneur, you must have a can-do attitude, nerves of steel, the ability to say yes even if you are thinking maybe or no, and perseverance beyond belief. Thanks To: Jill Nussinow of The Veggie Queen

38. Work In The Industry First How To Become An Entrepreneur: Work in your industry of interest for at least a few years and get to know the in's and out's of it. Thanks To: Jarrod Holland of Holland & Holland Public Relations, LLC

39. Self Promote How To Become An Entrepreneur: Someone who wants to be an entrepreneur has to be comfortable with self promotion and marketing yourself. If you are the type of person who does not like to talk themselves up or tell the world what you are up to then you'll have to be able to afford a PR firm. Thanks To: Beth Dunn of socialclimbers.net

40. Read Entrepreneur Blogs How To Become An Entrepreneur: Read blogs of businesses you like.  Listen to and read  The TP Entrepreneur.  One idea triggers another.  Seeing how you might have done something differently or better! Thanks To: Barbara Hranilovich of hranilovich.com (Thanks Barbara, for giving the TPE a shout out!  - Mike)

41. Thick Skin How To Become An Entrepreneur: Get thick skin.  And pay attention to how much media you consume. Thanks To: Bill Roth of Pervasive Marketing

42. Keep Talking & Pay Attention How To Become An Entrepreneur: Start talking about your business idea. If your listeners are interested then your idea could turn into a business. Thanks To: Alexandra Mayzler of Thinking Caps Tutoring

43. Live On The Cheap How To Become An Entrepreneur: Live like you make $100 per week, find out how scrappy you are on a low-budget.  This will also hone the same creative and inventive qualities you need to succeed as an entrepreneur! Thanks To: Janis Bowers of The Dinner Spin

44. Motivation From The Inside How To Become An Entrepreneur: To become an entrepreneur, train yourself to be self-disciplined and intrinsically motivated. Get up an hour or two early to each day to work towards a goal or work towards finishing a constructive project for a set-time each night after dinner, especially when you don’t want to. Set challenging goals, break them down into small tasks, meet them, and reward yourself quietly with something simple when the big goal is met. Do not look to your spouse or a friend to pat you on the back. Thanks To: Sheryl Woodhouse-Keese of Twisted Limb Paperworks

45. Go For It With Every Ounce Of Your Being How To Become An Entrepreneur: Swing for the fences, and do it now. Waiting to become an entrepreneur is crazy, as is wasting your life doing something you don’t love. Thanks To: Mike Nolan of Yovia, LLC

46. The Two Key Books (And A 3rd) How To Become An Entrepreneur: Don't do anything until you read both The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber and The Success Principles by Jack Canfield.Thanks To: Katie Mattson of Momentum CoachingTPE Note: May I be so bold as to suggest a third book... you guessed it, The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur!

47. Research How To Become An Entrepreneur: Someone who wants to become an entrepreneur should research, research, research their competition tirelessly from all aspects before deciding to move forward -- and then come up with how to differentiate yourself. There's room for everyone -- but you have to know what you'll be up against first! Thanks To: Melanie Heywood ofListasaurus.com

48. You Are Better Than The Rest How To Become An Entrepreneur: I think one way to become an entrepreneur is to find that one thing you are passionate about and realize that you can do it better than anyone else. Thanks To: Teajai ofIdeasThatWork.net

49. Strengths & Weaknesses How To Become An Entrepreneur: Have a strong understanding of your strengths and weaknesses. Thanks To: Linda Yaffe of workingmatters.com

50. State of Mind How To Become An Entrepreneur:Being an entrepreneur is a state of mind before it becomes a business or income stream.  You have to believe in yourself, believe in the value you bring to your target audience, and believe you are capable of your own personal success (without a paycheck, a 401K, or paid vacation)! Thanks To: Carol McManus of Ywait4success LLC

51. Get Referrals Working Part Time How To Become An Entrepreneur: Start your business on the side and work at it in the evenings and on weekends. This will give you enough business to get client/customer referrals.  Not getting referrals?  You need to improve your business before going full time. Thanks To: Mary Byers of Mary Byers, Inc.

52. The Entrepreneur Evolution How To Become An Entrepreneur: One evolves into an entrepreneur.  One may become a risk taker, a numbers person, an idea person, but one evolves into an entrepreneur.  Most of all an entrepreneur needs to have certain ingredients.  These basic ingredients are passion, intellect, perseverance, creativity, enthusiasm about learning, and coachable. The evolution is complete when a person discovers what amount of each ingredient they need to succeed.  A good business coach or mentor helps an individual discover the proper dose of ingredients. Thanks To: Brenda Collins of Hamilton County Business Center

53. Great Ideas NOT Needed How To Become An Entrepreneur: Anyone can be an entrepreneur - all you need is plenty of belief in yourself and your idea (it doesn't even have to be a great idea!) - and, most importantly, a willingness to keep going even when you appear to be getting nowhere.   Belief is simply being able to see and feel the outcome that you want - for your business and your lifestyle. Thanks To:Willie Horton of Gurdy.Net

54. HUNGER! How To Become An Entrepreneur: You MUST be hungry. Real hungry. If you're not hungry enough, you're not going to have the desire, persistence and determination to get exactly what you're longing for, craving for and and yes, dreaming about. Thanks To: Mary van de Wiel of A New Brand Landscape & Co.

55. The Meyer Briggs Test How To Become An Entrepreneur: Anyone considering entrepreneurship should drop by a university career center and take the Meyer Briggs test and the Strong Interests test.  The results tell you whether your personality and interests are suited to entrepreneurship.  Entrepreneurs are bold risk takers.  It's not for the faint of heart. Thanks To: Eugenia Francis ofTeaCHildMath.com

56. Market To Make Money How To Become An Entrepreneur: Spend most of your time on the marketing and sales function. That drives money in the door. Thanks To:Steve Gardner of FIVE STAR Speakers & Trainers

57. What Do They Do Wrong? How To Become An Entrepreneur: You should look for successful businesses and figure out the gaps they miss filling. Thanks To: Sandy Barris of Business Marketing Services

58. Decide, Act, Don't Stop How To Become An Entrepreneur: 1. Make a decision to become a successful entrepreneur. 2. Take action.  3. Keep taking action. Thanks To:Wendy Weiss, The Queen of Cold Calling

59. Get The Pro's Involved How To Become An Entrepreneur: Someone who wants to become an entrepreneur should meet with a tax adviser or accountant to understand how to run your own business. Thanks To: Dayna Landry of citymommy.com

60. Start Prototyping How To Become An Entrepreneur: Analysis is paralysis - start doing something toward your goal- make up a prototype.  Keep moving forward every day...it's contagious. Thanks To: Allison Mercer ofStrappys Decorative Bra Straps

61. Like Raising A Child How To Become An Entrepreneur: You have to absolutely love it, live it, nourish it, cherish it. It's like a child in that there are exhilarating highs and lows, but worth it all. Thanks To: Pamela Hawley of UniversalGiving

62. Give It 2 Years How To Become An Entrepreneur: Whatever field you are interested in, work in that field for at least 2 years. This allows you to see the cycles from the inside. Thanks To: Shay Olivarria of Bigger Than Your Block

63. Biographies How To Become An Entrepreneur: Someone who wants to become an entrepreneur should read biographies of successful entrepreneurs and companies.  The stories not only inspire you, they show you proven paths to success. Thanks To: Frank Wiles of Revolution Systems

64. Become A Juggler, Literally How To Become An Entrepreneur: Learn how to juggle -- literally. You'll hone key skills or traits needed to succeed as an entrepreneur. Observation skills for reading (really reading) your customer and their needs. Multi-tasking skills for handling all the different challenges you'll be responsible for, from finance and accounting to marketing and selling. Determination for sticking with it even when frustrations mount. Starting and running a business can be humbling experience (as any first time juggler knows), but the rewards and sense of accomplishment are unmatched. Thanks To: Maura Allen of Here Comes the Card

65. Find A Partner How To Become An Entrepreneur: Someone wanting to become an entrepreneur should find a partner that shares their passion and has complimenting strengths. Thanks To: Raquel Barela of HowDidUKnow.com

66. Make It Easy To Understand How To Become An Entrepreneur: You must be able to articulate exactly what you do for the customer with passion and rapport. Thanks To: Pamela Ziemann of OnlineSpeakingSchool.com

67. Visualize How To Become An Entrepreneur: Someone who wants to become an entrepreneur should start with visualizing what success means to them and revisit that visualization every day until it's achieved. Thanks To: Jennifer Wong of Business Solutions Plus

68. Pros Vs. Cons How To Become An Entrepreneur:Before becoming an entrepreneur you should research your particular industry well and weigh the pros and cons of starting a business.  Be flexible. Thanks To: Jean Lozada of Jeanie Naturals

69. Smiles Everyone. Smiles. How To Become An Entrepreneur: You need to be outgoing. Thanks To:Dot Anderson of andersonandcompany.biz

70. Don't Do What You Stink At How To Become An Entrepreneur: Be honest with yourself about your own strengths and weaknesses. If you are not strong with finances, make sure you are not doing the billing. Thanks To: Katie Sturino of Tinder PR

71. Do What You Already Do How To Become An Entrepreneur: Evaluate activities or ideas that you already are enjoying, and then brainstorm on how your could evolve that passion into a business.” Thanks To: Sara Sutton Fell ofFlexJobs

72. Know "No" How To Become An Entrepreneur: Simply put, never give up when you hear the word "no."  You will hear it often from the bank, or vendors, or even family members.  Instead, know the value of being that much closer to "yes." Thanks To: Aly Calvo of Rock Star U

73. Start Saving!!! How To Become An Entrepreneur: Start Saving!  Before leaving the work-a-day world and joining the ranks of entrepreneurs, build a small nest egg to see you through the first year.  Expect to need an amount equal to between 6mos and 1 year of your current salary. Thanks To: Consuelo Bova of ForTheFit.com

74. Get Fired!!! How To Become An Entrepreneur: Get fired.  Looking for work means getting creative, which means, maybe if you're the kind of person that has a problem with authority, starting your own business.  There was a famous film director that, when asked how he got into directing he said, "Well, I got fired from everything else.  You get "creative" only as a last resort. Thanks To: Anthony Migyanka of Mobile Money Minute, LLC

75. Hire People Who Have The Experience You Don't How To Become An Entrepreneur: Find a way to reach the market, partnering with or hiring those who have the experience and knowledge the entrepreneur might lack. Thanks To: Barry Maher of Barry Maher & Associates

76. Weekend Warrior How To Become An Entrepreneur: Weekends present a great time-slot for free time to work. Thanks To: Jake Lumetta of ShopFiber

77. Vision + Focus + Determination How To Become An Entrepreneur: To become an entrepreneur, a person needs a clear vision, focus and determination. A vision keeps them focused on where they are going while all the distractions keep coming at them. Having focus and determination will keep them on track and propel them towards their goals faster. Thanks To: Sandra Baptist of Sandra Baptist Companies Inc.

78. Transparency How To Become An Entrepreneur: One of the best things a future entrepreneur can do to pave the way for a successful career is establishing and maintaining a relationship with a mentor.  This person should be someone with whom you can be completely open and transparent. Thanks To: Hunter Ingram ofHometownQuotes

79. Sustain The Spark How To Become An Entrepreneur: I think anybody who has a creative spark and the fire of determination to sustain the spark can become a successful entrepreneur. Thanks To: Kent Wagner of AbundaTrade.com

80. Be Prepared For 3 Years How To Become An Entrepreneur: Before you go into business, ask yourself how you will live for 3 years without income. You don’t want to run out of money and be forced to close your doors when you’re only few feet away from the door to success. Thanks To: Linda Bishop of TTBooks.biz

81. Just Cause Someone Else... How To Become An Entrepreneur: Don’t be discouraged by someone telling you the idea already exists. Follow this simple principle: If you haven’t heard of it yourself, there's an opportunity to market it better.Thanks To: Dana Severson of Idea Heroes

82. Whatever It Takes How To Become An Entrepreneur:To become an entrepreneur requires a certain mindset. It's not about working 9-5PM, but about doing whatever it takes, making decisions with imperfect knowledge, and quickly recovering from mistakes and failures. It requires determination, persistence, and great skills in selling your vision and ideas. Thanks To: Matt Mickiewicz of SitePoint

83. Hobby = Happy How To Become An Entrepreneur: The happiest entrepreneurs  took a hobby that they were extremely passion about and found a way to turn that into a business. Thanks To: Ben Hoffman of cityHUNT

84. Patience How To Become An Entrepreneur: Becoming an Entrepreneur take patience, positivity and open mindedness. Thanks To: Ariane Griffiths ofFoundation Studio Marketing & Promotions

85. The Perfect Niche How To Become An Entrepreneur: Someone who wants to become an entrepreneur must find an the perfect spot niche for which they feel passion and desire to do it better than anyone else. When you're educated and passionate about your endeavor, you're better apt to work harder without it feeling like work.Thanks To: Gail Sideman of PUBLISIDE Personal Publicity

86. Build A Team How To Become An Entrepreneur: Assemble a team of advisors, including an attorney, accountant and a mentor. Thanks To: Joni Daniels of Daniels & Associates

87. Decide Then Do How To Become An Entrepreneur: Decide you're going to be successful in your chosen business, and then do absolutely everything it takes to achieve that.  Once you've committed to finding success you'll be a lot less likely to get discouraged by the inevitable problems you'll run into, and a lot more likely to continue to grow your business and find lasting success. Thanks To: Tasha Moody of Simply Staged

88. Observe Everything How To Become An Entrepreneur: My tip is to notice everything you see and touch during your day and ask is THIS the best way or can this item be improved? Once you get into  the swing of it, it is fun and enlightening...Thanks To: Patrick J. Warneka of Patrick Warneka Photography

89. No One But You How To Become An Entrepreneur:First and foremost, just do it!  Nobody is stopping you except for yourself.  Take the leap of faith, borrow money or find partners, once you start...don't stop until you have reached your goals! Thanks To: Joe Sale of The iTie, LLC

90. Build Your Background How To Become An Entrepreneur: Build on your background: Making the shift from employee to entrepreneur is challenging, but absolutely doable. One of the keys to success is mobilizing the skills and experience you’ve already gained and using them as a spring board for taking the leap. Start by inventorying your assets in six areas: industry knowledge, business planning, managerial/functional skills, professionalism, contacts/networks, and leadership. Thanks To: Karin Abarbanel of Birthing the Elephant

91. It's Not As Sexy As It Looks How To Become An Entrepreneur: Someone who wants to become an entrepreneur should find someone who is honest enough to tell them whether or not they have it within them to do what it is they SAY they want to do.  Many people believe they’re cut out for this, but several aren’t, and fewer survive.  Entrepreneurship looks sexy on the outside, but you’ll learn a lot by humbling yourself to talk to someone you trust who knows what it takes before you dive in. Thanks To: Bill Guertin of The 800-Pound Gorilla

92. Real Simple - Do What You Love How To Become An Entrepreneur: Anyone who wants to become an entrepreneur should definitely do something they are passionate about! Thanks To:Ace Bailey of Ultimate Art & Cultural Tours

93. Don't Just Dream, DO! How To Become An Entrepreneur: Take action, start moving. Having a dream without action is like having a GPS without ever getting in the car.Thanks To: Michael Buckingham of Holy Cow Creative

94. Be Prepared For The Worst How To Become An Entrepreneur: Be prepared to lose it all – at least once, probably twice.  That may sound negative – it isn’t, you have to be realistic, especially if there are others you support (staff, family). Thanks To: John Smart of Host2Help.com LLC

95. Don't Get Stuck Evaluating How To Become An Entrepreneur: Someone who wants to become an entrepreneur should be willing to take risks and run with ideas that they get - don't get stuck in the evaluation phase! Thanks To: Andy Bromberg of Review Soccer

96. You Must Start Today How To Become An Entrepreneur: If you think you’ve got a great idea, then get started on it today.  Literally, sketch out your idea, how it will make money, how it will sustain itself, and then dive in.  Don’t waste time writing a long business plan that no one but you will read.  Start doing.  Start telling people about your idea.  Start finding the resources you need to make it a reality.  Start even if you don’t have the money.  Just start. You’ll be amazed by the momentum you get. Thanks To: Desiree Vargas of GiveForward, LLC

97. Shadow How To Become An Entrepreneur: Find others in the same field, and shadow them, learn from them, listen to them, watch them. Thanks To:Theodore P. Savas of Savas Beatie LLC

98. Match The Market How To Become An Entrepreneur: Match the needs of the market with your knowledge, interest and abilities. Thanks To: Arun Sinha of Access Consulting

99. Cover Your Living Expenses How To Become An Entrepreneur:If one doesn’t have the funds to cover living expenses for the extended time and start-up costs at the higher rate, he/she is ill-advised to move forward. Thanks To:Tricia Fragen of strategicofficesolutions.net

100. Lunch Time How To Become An Entrepreneur: Someone who wants to become an entrepreneur should identify at least 5 business people in the same or similar industry that they are considering.  Offer to take each one to lunch.  Pick their brain.  Ask them what lead to their success, what surprised them along the way and what they would do differently.  Choose one that you have the best rapport with, is successful  but has made a lot of mistakes - then ask if they would consider being your mentor. Thanks To: Mary White Cornell ofStrategiez Marketing

101. One Step At A Time How To Become An Entrepreneur: Take it one step at a time, and not get overwhelmed by all that is involved.  Everything doesn't need to get done at the same time. Thanks To: Katie Danziger of nomie baby, LLC

102. Get Unsatisfied How To Become An Entrepreneur: Someone starts the process of becoming an entrepreneur by being unsatisfied with the status quo and being willing to do something about it.  The status quo can be many things – poor service, static thinking, poor quality, large time consumption, etc. Thanks To: Matthew Best of Best Solutions

103. Start & The Rest Will Come How To Become An Entrepreneur: Just do it, make the product and get it out there!  The rest will come.Thanks To: Karl Miller of HudsonGoods.com

104. Ask WHY How To Become An Entrepreneur: Someone who wants to become an entrepreneur should think WHY and it has to be a BIG WHY - Why do you want to be an Entrepreneur? Why do you want to make a million dollars a year? Why do you want to work from home? Why do you want get out of that rat race working 9 to 5? Your WHY should be so big and so important to you that you will go out and work extra hard to obtain it... Thanks To: Bekah Craven of The Jewelry Box

105. Nothing Will Stop You Attitude How To Become An Entrepreneur: Start by making the decision that you are no longer going to let anything or anyone get in the way of your dream – the flames will start to stoke. Thanks To: Tom Kennedy of Kennedy Creative Construction

106. Get Schooled How To Become An Entrepreneur: Take a class in hiring and managing people before you launch your company. Thanks To: Ruth E. Thaler-Carter ofwriterruth.com

107. Join Networking Groups How To Become An Entrepreneur: Join a networking group of other business owners. Face to face information can be really helpful in learning about how to start or grow a business in your city. Thanks To:Andrea Porter of Bluebottle Art Gallery

108. The Basics - Make It, Sell It, Repeat How To Become An Entrepreneur: 1. Make something people want to buy  2. Find those people and sell it to them. 3. Build and organization that can do the first two things repeatedly at a cost that's lower than what customers are willing to pay. Thanks To: John Seiffer of Better CEO

109. Watch TV Shows About Business How To Become An Entrepreneur: Watch television shows, such as “The Big Idea.” Thanks To: Vera Babayeva of Women Can Have It All

110. Teach Others How To Become An Entrepreneur: Someone thinking about becoming an entrepreneur should consider inexpensive ways to make money "teaching their passion" to others. This can be done through blogging, giving seminars, self-publishiing a book, developing audios, or podcasts. Thanks To: Stacey Smith of CoreGrooves

111. The SBA How To Become An Entrepreneur: If you want to become an entrepreneur--especially a successful one--it helps to know what you're getting in to. So start by taking taking advantage of free and inexpensive classes and business coaching offered by organizations like the Small Business Administration (SBA), Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and your local community college. Thanks To: Stacy Karacostas of SuccessStream Sales

112. Listen For Complaints How To Become An Entrepreneur: Listen, listen, listen to what people complain about.  This can provide you with a lot of ideas about problems looking for solutions, and those solutions could be the basis of your new business. Thanks To: Kathleen Watson of Client Connections

113. Pull The Trigger How To Become An Entrepreneur: Bottom line: You have to be able to pull the trigger.  Countless people have good ideas, but few will actually act on them when push comes to shove - and that alone stops them from being an entrepreneur. Thanks To: Lisa Flynn of whippersnappers studio

114. Learn To Sell How To Become An Entrepreneur: All entrepreneurs and business owners must learn sales and business development skills first. No one will sell your idea, product or service better than you, so you must become comfortable with your role as chief salesperson. Thanks To: Cara Stewart Good ofWunderMarx|PR

115. No Regrets How To Become An Entrepreneur: Get into a business/product you're passionate about. You'll enjoy doing it, you'll do it better than the rest, and you won't regret it even if you don't end up making any money. Thanks To: Ash Moosa of Outfit Additions

116. Start Small How To Become An Entrepreneur: Start small to learn quickly and keep risk low. Thanks To: Dan Haubert of TicketStumbler.com

117. Don't Be A Fantasy Entrepreneur How To Become An Entrepreneur: I think that becoming  an entrepreneur is primarily about follow through. Following through on a great idea is rare, and I have always referred to people with lots of ideas and no follow through as “fantasy entrepreneurs”. Thanks To: Jeremy Shepherd of PearlParadise.com, Inc.

118. Fail! How To Become An Entrepreneur: Don’t chase money. Fail, a lot. and  Persist, persist, persist.Thanks To: Andrew Galasetti of Lyved.com

119. Try It 1 Hour At A Time How To Become An Entrepreneur: Someone who wants to become an entrepreneur can start by taking 1 hour each day to work on their business idea. If you are still excited about it after 3 months, keep working until it will support you without a day job. Thanks To: Lynn Hidy ofUpYourTeleSales.com

120. Peer Pressure How To Become An Entrepreneur: Getting around other entrepreneurs in a social or business networking context helps you to see yourself living that lifestyle.  You will also make great connections to their suppliers, professional contacts (attorneys, CPA's, etc.) and many entrepreneurs enjoy lending some of their own time and expertise. Thanks To: Joe Hafner of Ocho! Consulting

121. Think Twice How To Become An Entrepreneur: If you think you've got what it takes to become an entrepreneur, think twice. Not only does it take whatever you've got, it just keeps on taking. If you have the stamina of Napoleon, the ambition of Trump, the cash flow of the Mint, and the blessing of the Almighty, with time on your side, you just might make it. Thanks To: Suzy Goodman-Pollack ofWorldMusicLink.com

122. Burn The Boats How To Become An Entrepreneur: "Burn the boats" - When you think you've finally got the right combination of product, market, etc. burn the boats.  There is nothing as motivating as knowing that there is no going back to that cozy weekly pay check.  Don't worry after a while the thought of working for someone else will be a lot scarier than striking out on your own. Thanks To:Sallie Siegal of Todo es Custom Decor

123. A Path Of Discovery How To Become An Entrepreneur: To be an entrepreneur is to discover - and do - that which is necessary to accomplish your goal. Thanks To: Dirk Vanderwilt of Channel Lake, Inc.

124. Thirst For Autonomy How To Become An Entrepreneur: One of the main factors in becoming an entrepreneur is possessing a strong sense of autonomy - wanting to call the shots in your own life. Thanks To: Wendy Dewar Hughes of Summer Bay Studio

125. Get Known In The Industry How To Become An Entrepreneur: Work in the industry prior to starting out on your own - the experience in the field along with the knowledge you gain makes you less risky to lenders and investors.  Plus you will make great connections while you are working. Thanks To: Sunny Kobe Cook ofSunnyKobeCook.com

126. What Bothers You? How To Become An Entrepreneur: Someone who wants to become an entrepreneur should look into what bothers them and come up with solutions on how to fix it, then offer these solutions as complimentary services and ask for referrals Thanks To: Kareen Aristide of MOMpowered Inc.

127. You Are Your Friends How To Become An Entrepreneur: Someone who wants to become an entrepreneur should be hanging out with entrepreneurs. You are who you hang out with. Thanks To: Albert Ko of CheapCheapCheap LLC

128. Eat, Drink & Breathe The Vision How To Become An Entrepreneur: A vision will help you deal with adversity and get you through it.   Knowing that you have to eat, drink and breathe your vision to achieve success is the key to being an Entrepreneur. Thanks To: Sarah Shaw ofentreprenette.com

129. Put It In Writing How To Become An Entrepreneur: Someone who wants to become an entrepreneur should write down what they like to do or are great at and find a way to get paid for it. Thanks To: Derrick Hayes of WOE Enterprises

130. Moonlighting How To Become An Entrepreneur: Start part-time monetizing something that you love to do and build your network of customers, potential customers, other entrepreneurs, friends, family and fans to take you to the next step. Thanks To: Stacey Kannenberg of Cedar Valley Publishing

131. Twitter 'Em How To Become An Entrepreneur: Actively engage with like-minded business people on Twitter. I’ve established invaluable contacts and new business – just by reaching out and helping others promote their businesses.Thanks To: Matt Batt of Pipeline Media Relations

132. Be Ready To Sacrifice How To Become An Entrepreneur: Be prepared to sacrifice - Make sure you’re ready (mentally, financially and physically) to make your work your life and be prepared to earn nothing or next to nothing for as long as it takes. Thanks To: Nader Alaghband of Earthtone

133. Understand Outsourcing How To Become An Entrepreneur: Before you outsource any project to a vendor, have some understanding of what you are outsourcing.  The ‘For Dummies' books  are great for this.  For example, if you have someone else build your website, read ‘Websites for Dummies'.  This way, you will be able to ask the right questions, have reasonable expectations of what can and cannot be done, and ultimately save yourself a lot of headaches and money." Thanks To: Stacie Urbach of Bach Enterprises, LLC

134. Know It's A Relationship How To Become An Entrepreneur: You have to take a relationship approach.  If you’re just seeing your clients as a source of revenue, you’re not getting it.  You’re going to have to do some work on good faith.  This will be costly at some point, but it is essential in relationship building. Thanks To:Bret Jones of Bret Jones, P.A. Attorneys at Law

135. Keep It Short & Simple How To Become An Entrepreneur: Keep is short, sweet and simple.  The best companies should fit into one sentence.  If it is more than one sentence, go back to the drawing board. Thanks To: Genevieve Thiers of Sittercity.com

136. Use The Library How To Become An Entrepreneur: Entrepreneurs should be sure to use the resources available to them in the community.  Use the library, it is packed with amazing resources. Thanks To: Rachel Brenner of Brooklyn Public Library

137. Small Business Centers How To Become An Entrepreneur: Someone who wants to become an entrepreneur should call their local Small Business Development Center (sites are in every state in the United States) for free business counseling.  Each state's centers offer various counseling aspects relating to business planning, market research, financial planning and forecasting, networking, marketing plan development, cash flow analysis, etc.  The SBDC's also host monthly seminars relating to different aspects of entrepreneurship. Thanks To:Heather Clark Reynolds of hhsbdc.org

138. A Single Step How To Become An Entrepreneur: Embarking on your journey as an entrepreneur begins with a single step. Don’t be afraid to take it. Many aspiring entrepreneurs get stuck among their great ideas, so start by making any action that contributes to your business idea. Once the first action is made, it’s all downhill…followed by more uphills that you’ll eventually become accustomed to handling. Remember, the sweetest rewards in life come after hard work and determination. Good luck! Thanks To: Beth M. Cleveland ofElm Public Relations

139. More Failures Than Successes How To Become An Entrepreneur: An entrepreneur should view their journey as a series of failures with occasional successes along the way. However, each success will be well worth the perseverance. The point is, you should expect many failures, but you should never give up. Thanks To: Kia Arian of Speedy Printing

140. Positivity How To Become An Entrepreneur: Above all, remain flexible with whatever vision you have for your business and remain positive through the rough seas. Positive energy begets positive energy, and new business opportunities and relationships will come to you if you exude that positivity. Thanks To: Bill Decker of The Hub, LLC

141. Learn From Marketing Masters How To Become An Entrepreneur: Continue to learn from master marketers and use the best strategies for your business! Thanks To: Weston Lyon ofWeston Lyon’s Secret Society

143. Begin At The End How To Become An Entrepreneur: Begin with the end in mind. See clearly every step of how you will generate the lowest volume of statistically relevant profitable revenue, and then go about doing it in the fastest, most direct - not prettiest - way possible, in order to validate proof of concept. Thanks To: Arthur Meyerovich of Women's Health Base

144. Not Taking Advantage Of Free Stuff? How To Become An Entrepreneur: If you can't even commit to educating yourself and taking advantage of the vast number of free business resources available, you might want to rethink starting a business. Thanks To: Susan Daffron of Logical Expressions, Inc.

145. Pick & Stick How To Become An Entrepreneur: Pick a niche and stick with it. Stay focused and do it better than anyone else. Thanks To: Brian Taylor ofChicago Custom Foods, LLC

146. Build Around Your Passion How To Become An Entrepreneur: Someone who wants to become an entrepreneur should find something they’re passionate about, find a market for it, and develop a business around it. Thanks To: AmyLynn Keimach ofBorder7 Studios

147. Keep It Short How To Become An Entrepreneur: Make a clear concise plan to launch your business. Thanks To:Ungenita Prevost of ungenitabeautyblog.com

148. Where's The Gap How To Become An Entrepreneur: Most of the entrepreneurs that I know, primarily female, didn’t necessarily make a conscious decision to become an entrepreneur.  They saw a gap in the market for a product and decided to fill that gap.  Wa-la! an entrepreneur is born. Thanks To: Wendy Armbruster Bell of Snugabell Mom & Baby Gear

149. The 20 Second Rule How To Become An Entrepreneur: Develop a concise and snappy 20 second elevator pitch to use whenever someone asks: "What do you do?"  If you can't describe your business in twenty seconds or less, no one else will be able to either, thereby reducing your chances of a referral. Thanks To:Pauline Lewis of oovoo design

150. Do Free Networking How To Become An Entrepreneur: Take advantage of any free networking opportunity that comes your way. Potential clients hide out everywhere! Thanks To: Rebecca L. Buscemi of Creative Virtual Office

151. They Need To Believe In You How To Become An Entrepreneur: Surround yourself with people who believe in you! Thanks To: Stewart Gordon of Foster Care Central

152. Get A Coach How To Become An Entrepreneur: Someone who wants to become an entrepreneur should invest in personal coaching. Learn first-hand from someone who has done it before. You may have a great idea; personal coaching shows you how to get it off the ground. Thanks To: Jason Russell ofProsper

153. Just Make It A Whole Lot Better How To Become An Entrepreneur: Someone who wants to become an entrepreneur doesn’t need to come up with a brand new idea. Instead, look for an existing idea that you can perfect, by making it more affordable, for example, or bringing it to an untapped audience. Thanks To: Liz Kelly ofBrilliant Ink

154. Crystal Clear How To Become An Entrepreneur: If you want to become an entrepreneur, first be really clear about WHAT you want to create that people would love to give you money for and WHY you want to make this a business. Once this is clear, the HOW will reveal itself to you. Thanks To: Anja of selfcoachingcards.eu

155. Be Humble How To Become An Entrepreneur: It's important to be humble and always ask questions, always grow and improve. Thanks To: Dave Tabaczynski and Katherine Otway of Mass Probiotics

156. Stare Failure In The Face, And Laugh How To Become An Entrepreneur: One of the best tips to being an entrepreneur is looking failure in the face and rejoicing in it. Failure can only be seen as a means to the end, and the end is success. Thanks To: Deborah Schultz of Wordmaster Copywriting

157. Be An Infopreneur How To Become An Entrepreneur: In my opinion, the easiest, lowest-risk and most flexible way to become an entrepreneur is through the hot, knowledge-based field of infopreneuring, which is making money from what you uniquely know that others would value learning--be it a hobby, life experience or a particular field of expertise. Thanks To: Melanie Jordan ofSunLover Publishing LLC

158. Dream Executable How To Become An Entrepreneur: To be an entrepreneur you must dream; but here's the thing ... You don't have to dream big; you have to dream executable. In other words execute on your dreams; don't just leave them as dreams. And sometimes, big dreams are overwhelming and subject to analysis-paralysis. So go for the small, manageable, execution-oriented dreams. Thanks To: Sanjay Anand of MBA-at-a-Glance.com

159. Stop Drifting, Move With Intent How To Become An Entrepreneur: Very few people ever drift into greatness; it requires action. What are you waiting for? Thanks To: Amy Kauffman ofBlueBird Public Relations

160. The Cheap Start How To Become An Entrepreneur: Someone who wants to become an entrepreneur should consider partnering with a company that offers a low-cost business opportunity through the direct selling or multi-level marketing model. This gives someone with an entrepreneurial spirit the chance start a business by leveraging the resources of already established and successful companies.Thanks To: Shannon Bruce of Inner Wisdom Coaching Services

161. Go Liberal How To Become An Entrepreneur: Go to college and get a Bachelors Degree in Liberal Arts. [Do not skip this or you will regret it for the rest of your like] Thanks To: Daniel Flahiff of Big Fig Design, LLC

162. The Three P's How To Become An Entrepreneur: To become an entrepreneur you need to possess the three P’s… a clear and positive Perception of yourself and your offering, Passion for what you do and the difference you can make, and Perseverance for the time it takes to build your business. They are the essential ingredients for success. Thanks To: Kim MacGregor, Author of Be…a Woman: expressions of life

163. Never Ever, Ever Stop Reading How To Become An Entrepreneur: My one piece of advice to becoming an entrepreneur is to never stop reading.  Whatever industry you are in you need to constantly be on top of what is happening.  Staying ahead of the curve is about having a massive pipeline of information, organizing it and making decisions to move faster than your competition.  Your entrepreneurial instincts are fueled by information. Thanks To: Christopher P. Jacobs of Emergent Energy Group

Wow!  That is a long list... but I hope you read it all. If you want to be a successful entrepreneur you better know these tips.  But just in case you didn't read everything there is one final tip from Philip Tadros of Philcoextra.com, "If you want to become a successful entrepreneur you need to have passion and balls." So there you have it, now it's your turn to become a super-successful entrepreneur.  From all of us here at The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur - Here is to getting rich, right!

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