It’s springtime in North America. We’re in the final few weeks of planting season, looking forward to the harvest that begins in mid-summer and lasts into the fall. For some, this means another year of continuing the never-ending experiment of finding the perfect mix of natural fertilizers, water, the sun and other ingredients to produce the best tasting, largest yield of fresh vegetables.

Perhaps some of you are planting the seeds of a new business this spring. Recently Gallup Research conducted its ongoing survey into what mix of ten talents work best for helping someone start and grow a business.

Also on SmallBusiness.com | Guide to Starting a Business

Gallup’s 10 ingredients for business success

Gallup says their research reveals that some mix of these ten ingredients is found in the profile of a person who is successful in starting and growing a business.

1. Confidence | You accurately know yourself and understand others.
2. Delegator | You recognize that you cannot do everything and are willing to contemplate a shift in style and control.
3. Determination | You persevere through difficult, even seemingly insurmountable, obstacles.
4. Disruptor | You exhibit creativity in taking an existing idea or product and turning it into something better.
5. Independent | You are prepared to do whatever needs to be done to build a successful venture.
6. Knowledge | You constantly search for information that is relevant to growing your business.
7. Profitability | You make decisions based on the observed or anticipated effect on profit.
8. Relationship | You have high social awareness and an ability to build relationships that are beneficial for the firm’s survival and growth.
9. Risk | You instinctively know how to manage high-risk situations.
10. Selling | You are the best spokesperson for the business.

Photo: ThinkStock