Today, when everybody from politician to journalists talks about entrepreneurship and entrepreneurs I feel obligated to put attention on what it really is and what the differences are compared with small business owners. If we start with the first question, who are the typical entrepreneurs? Statistically you find proportionally more of them among minorities and dyslectics. Often entrepreneurs are outsiders, people having the capacity to see possibilities and actually trying to convert them into a solution. The question is of cause, are you born to be an entrepreneur? Maybe? Maybe not? Regardless it is a person willing to take a risk, driven by solving and fixing something and having a high degree of persistence. Entrepreneurs see failures as a set-back and are never satisfied and if they are they move on to the next venture…
So what is the difference between an entrepreneur and a small business owner? According to the research a small business owner is driving the business for the sake of personal funding and needs while an entrepreneur is driving for growth and profit using all possible managerial tools, insights and strategic thinking in combination with finding the best people involving and rewarding them financially as well as emotionally. Serial entrepreneurs often leave the company when it is up and running, remaining a part owner, continuing as non-executive director and eventually doing an exit.
If you want to figure out if you are an entrepreneur, do the test at http://www.bizmove.com/other/quiz.htm