A few days ago, I was asked a very nice question. The person was interested in becoming an entrepreneur. He had asked me, “What one quality should I look for in myself, which will tell me that I am ready to become an entrepreneur?”

Of course, there are many qualities that one needs to become a successful entrepreneur. However, there is one foundational quality that is essential if you want to take your business to the top in the long term. That quality is “having an affection for people”.

For example, if you are working as an employee in a company and have many complaints about the people around you, then you are definitely not business-ready. This does not mean that you should have friendly feelings towards everyone. What matters is that you have a genuine interest in people.

What do I mean by genuine interest? It means even if you are not much in contact with someone, you still feel that “I want to know about this person”, or “I want to know why he is the way he is.” This is the quality of having an affection for people.

You would be surprised to know that vocabulary has misguided us for many years. We use the words ‘customers’, ‘vendors’, and ‘employees’. This gives the feeling that these are three different types of people. However, the fact is that all three are ‘people’. If you understand the fact that customers are human beings, vendors are also human beings, and employees, too, are human beings, then it will be easier for you to deal with them. And that ease will help your business grow.

Have you ever noticed that whenever we visit a person, we get the vibes of what that person thinks about us? The same is true for your customers, vendors, and employees. When they come to visit you, they get the vibes of what you are thinking about them; that is, what the person who wants to be in business with the customers, vendors, and employees is thinking about them!

So, the test of whether you are ready for business is actually quite simple.

Ask yourself: “Do I have affection for people?”