Andrea Belvedere was named one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women of 2009 (at just 22 years old!) and is currently the VP of Business Development for the Ryerson Entrepreneur Institute. Here’s her advice for starting your own business and becoming a successful entrepreneur.

What sparked your interest in entrepreneurship?

I was always a natural leader, and when I was in high school, I took an entrepreneurship course to try something different. As part of the course we got to run a venture, I took charge of it and long story short, I was the president of my entrepreneurship class for two consecutive years and headed the ventures. That really sparked my interest in entrepreneurship and got me thinking about what I wanted to do later in life. In my first semester of first year, I got involved with SIFE (Students In Free Enterprise) Ryerson, and that reinforced my positive thoughts about entrepreneurship. The experiences with SIFE made me realize that I want to run my own business one day; I’m determined to make that happen.

What skill set is required to be an entrepreneur?

I don’t think there’s a specific skill set as much as I think there are certain characteristics. Entrepreneurs are driven by their passion for their idea and doing what they love: you won’t find a successful entrepreneur who wasn’t passionate. Entrepreneurs are incredibly hard workers. They don’t know what a 40 hour work week looks like; they know they need to put in the time it takes to get things done. Entrepreneurs are problem solvers, they see opportunities and issues, and create solutions. Finally, entrepreneurs have to be a mix between confident and humble: confident enough to persevere and sell others on their idea, but humble enough to know when to ask for help.

What advice would you give to someone hoping to start their own business?

Get critical feedback on your idea. Everyone thinks their own ideas are revolutionary – sometimes they are, sometimes we need a wake up call or to be redirected. How do you know if your idea really is a good one if you don’t get feedback on it? How can you build a team if no one knows what you’re doing? Friends and family are great for providing supportive feedback – but find people with relevant experience that will give you objective, candid feedback. Don’t be afraid to ask for help or admit that you don’t know something. It’s OK to make mistakes – the hardest part about experience is that the lesson comes after the test. Asking questions, seeking support and building a team are all important aspects of the development process.

What has been your favourite project to work?

Students for the Advancement of Global Entrepreneurship (SAGE) Canada. When the opportunity came up, I wanted to make it happen right away. SAGE was directly in line with what I was doing and it was an opportunity to provide high school students with the same great experience I had while in university. It’s still small and growing slowly, but seeing the positive impact it’s having is so rewarding.

Where do you see yourself (and your career) in 10 years?

I see myself owning my own business. I don’t know what that looks like yet, I do know I’m excited to make it happen.