How to Be Successful in Business

Anyone who conducts business—whether that business is on behalf of a small company, a globe-spanning corporation, or your own entrepreneurial venture—can be considered a businessperson. Success in this field can be measured by looking at both personal achievement of a businessperson, and the overall health of the businesses that person has been a part of. The two are often intertwined quite deeply, as the attainment of company-wide goals begins with the work a person puts into their own success.

Gaining Appropriate Experience

Educate yourself. It’s important that you know the fundamentals of your industry, though that doesn’t always necessitate an MBA. A lack of post-secondary education can be a deal breaker for many prospective employers, however.[1] Enrolling in business classes, even if they’re at the learning annex or a community college, shows a determination to learn that will definitely appeal, and should be highlighted on your resume. Everybody has to start somewhere!
Put in after-hours work. Success in the business world means going the extra mile. There are multiple resources available to you online to further immerse yourself in further learning, if you find you’re finishing your schoolwork (or the work at your side job) with time to spare. Never rest on your laurels: think about what should come next.

Seek the guidance of a mentor. Developing a relationship with a professional whose career you admire is one of the more direct and efficient forms of networking.
Apply for internships. When you don’t yet have the experience, use internships to get your foot in the door. Don’t balk at unpaid positions if they can build the bridges you need to succeed in the long-term, and the hours won’t leave you penniless in the short-term. Internships provide many college students their first opportunities to network on the job with working professionals. Low-paying entry level jobs are simply the price to be paid in the business world right now, when true “entry level” jobs won’t give you a chance without a few years of experience already under your belt.

Establishing the Best Habits

Prioritize tasks. Complete the tasks which will benefit you the most in the long run first. You’ll need to identify the difference between “high-value” tasks (those which will benefit you the most in the long term) versus “low-value” tasks (tasks which may be easier, but will offer fewer benefits).[5]
Stop procrastinating. Avoiding the less pleasant aspects of work doesn’t make them disappear. Building up a huge hunk of the bad stuff to deal with all at once, after you’ve completed the enjoyable stuff, is just going to leave a sour taste in your mouth at the end of a project.[6]

Complete projects.[8] Follow through on the tasks you begin. Finishing one project will teach you exponentially more than a dozen fizzled-out attempts, even if you never want to look at that project again.
Take responsibility. Whether they’ve done well or screwed up, a successful businessperson must be able to take responsibility for their actions. It signals to both employees and employers a willingness to deal openly and responsibly with the tasks at hand.

Pursue something important to you. Committing yourself to a fulfilling pursuit allows passion to pick up the slack on those days that you’re not feeling especially driven. Passion doesn’t translate to “fun 24/7,” but it should be meaningful to you in some capacity. The effort you exert should always be on something that will make you proud in the end, or will at least put you one step closer to what it is that you really want to do.
Taking Care of Business
Survive. As a business owner, the most important goal when beginning a new business, job, or craft is simply to survive. If you’re starting your own business or getting in on the ground floor, avoid establishing unrealistic goals for the fledgling enterprise.
Invest in your future. Ever heard the saying “You’ve gotta spend money to make money?” Frugality is advised wherever possible, but only so much that it frees up capital for the more important, more deserving expenses.