Today, when everybody from politician to journalists talk about entrepreneurship and entrepreneurs I feel obligated to put attention on what it real is and what the differences is compared with small business owners. If we start with the first question, who are the typical entrepreneur? 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 is 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 strategically 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