Top Investor Explains Most Desirable Entrepreneur Traits

Javad Marandi, the successful British businessman well-known for investing in hotels, commercial real estate, retail companies, and blue chip businesses in the manufacturing sector, has encountered countless entrepreneurs throughout his career.

Naturally, not every meeting results in an investment – and this isn’t just because there are far more entrepreneurs than active investors in the UK.

As a recent business feature for Women’s Wear Daily revealed, Marandi knows exactly what he’s looking for in an entrepreneur and unfortunately, not everyone meets the criteria.

As reported by Samantha Conti, some of the most desirable traits Marandi looks for in an entrepreneur includes a tendency to be hardworking, passionate, ambitious, and dedicated:

‘Marandi would argue that the companies are all led by hardworking entrepreneurs, and he gets a buzz from helping them grow.

‘He invests in individuals rather than companies, and prizes hard work and ambition.

‘He said: “But more importantly, we invest when the person who leads it is passionate and dedicated to the brand and to the product”.’

In short, it’s not enough for businesses to only push profitability and potential during investment pitches now. To really stand out amongst the growing crowd of optimistic UK entrepreneurs, individuals must be able to self-promote and demonstrate these sought-after qualities, too.

The top entrepreneurial traits that set you apart

Passionate

Despite being one of the most over-used words in a CV, it’s Marandi’s belief that a truly passionate individual is often a successful person – and he’s not alone.

According to an article penned by Jennifer Mathieu and published by the Connecticut Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, ‘passion is the fuel that keeps entrepreneurs moving forward when things get tough’.

Essentially, passion is what pushes individuals to make those difficult decisions, work those long hours, and make sacrifices in their personal life – all because they find their professional pursuits so exciting and fulfilling.

Hardworking

The next trait that Marandi prizes the most in entrepreneurs is their dedication to hard work. Failures, setbacks, and challenges are all an unavoidable party of starting a business and they must be continually faced.

But with good old-fashioned hard work (often in the form of managing limited resources, establishing reliability and a reputation, and differentiating the business from competitors), entrepreneurs can overcome these obstacles.

As a result, entrepreneurs who possess this trait are often experts at keeping the business moving forward regardless of any issues that may arise, making them outstandingly attractive to investors.  

Ambitious

From driving innovation to encouraging risk-taking, and even providing clear direction for new companies, ambition plays a vital role for many businesses breaking into their respective markets.

And, according to new findings from Intuit QuickBooks’ Entrepreneurship in 2026 study, entrepreneurial ambition is surging in the UK with 33% of adults (a 100% increase from last year) having plans to start a new business or side hustle over the next 12 months.

Crucially, however, investors aren’t just interested in individuals making big claims and empty promises, but those who can actually channel this ambition into real success.

Whether that’s bringing new ideas to life or helping the business double its profitability, genuine ambition is a powerful force that delivers results.

Dedicated

Marandi highlights dedication as the final key entrepreneurial trait – and for good reason. Dedicated entrepreneurs remain relentlessly committed to the broader vision and long-term goals of the business.

They also inspire others to be just as focused on the product or service as they are and they’re always willing to put in the work – even when the initial excitement fades or challenges arise.

More than simply showing enthusiasm for their work, dedicated entrepreneurs are the epitome of consistency and resilience, and possess the impressive ability to stay on track no matter what they come up against.

Ultimately, while business models, markets, trends, and technologies all play a role, the most successful investors understand that backing the right entrepreneur makes all the difference.

And for Marandi, the most powerful combination of entrepreneurial traits – hard work, passion, ambition, and dedication – is what turns just another meeting with an entrepreneur into a compelling investment opportunity.