As ODs one of your career paths could be to become an entrepreneur and open your own eyecare practice or another eye-related business in the industry. But being your own boss and running a full-fledged business isn't the right fit for everyone. What we do know is that many successful entrepreneurs share a lot of the same personality traits and characteristics that play a part in making entrepreneurship a good career path for them.

Today we are going to take a look at some of these top traits and why they are important to someone looking to start their own eyecare practice.

Is Taking On Your Own Eyecare Practice Your Next Career Move?

Passion

In any profession if you decide to take on your own business you might not always be rolling in cash (especially early on) and your days will be long. So whatever you decide to do, it should be something that you're truly passionate about. If you aren't passionate about your project the long days, tough situations, and lack of money could put you and your business at risk. 

Flexibility

As a business owner you're going to be making a lot of day-to-day business decisions. Having flexibility to adapt to different circumstances will benefit you as a business owner. How you originally plan to build and grow your practice might differ from the path you need to take once you're a year into your endeavor, and being able to see and adjust to necessary changes will help your practice grow in the future. 

Vision

Along with the ability to be flexible and adaptable is the vision to see the future, obstacles, and challenges your business might face. You need the vision to see the opportunities to grow your business and take another course of action that will help solve a problem or fill a need for your patients. Being able to see and anticipate these needs will help you take your practice in the direction it needs to go before your competitors.  

Craves Knowledge

Entrepreneurs wear many hats. Not only are you seeing patients each and every day as an OD, but you're also managing a business. And managing a business isn't necessarily what you went to school for. You're going to need to be well versed in business basics like accounting, human resources for staff management, and marketing to help drive patients to your office. Excelling in these areas doesn't come naturally and is something that is learned over time. Having the desire to constantly be learning will help you become more well-rounded in your experiences and make you a better business owner overall. 

Resilience

You are dependent on the business you build, and some days, weeks, and years are going to be better than others. You're going to hit roadblocks in your business plan and you're going to see some failures, but it's the way you learn and bounce back from these experiences that will make your business stronger. The ability to have a critical eye and learn from mistakes is a very valuable trait for any business owner.

Learn more from other successful practice owners in the eBook, 12 Insider Secrets.