I keep a sign over my outdoor grill:
“Some people want IT to happen, some wish IT would happen, others MAKE IT happen.”
The 3rd one is the best description of an entrepreneur. We see opportunity, often where others miss it. We can be very nimble. No committees, no politicking, no internal deal making to convince others of the validity of our plan for pursuing this opportunity.
We bristle over being told “what to do,” which rules to follow and the worst is “oh, we haven’t done that before.” My personal favorite (not) is “Why fix what ain’t broke?”
Entrepreneurs contribute to society. We risk capital (cash). We work seventy-eighty and sometimes more hours per week pursuing our passion to the point of exhaustion. Sacrificing personal life and current pleasures to realize our dream. The main character, Sasha, in American Fathers worked two jobs, lived in the basement, and took care of an elderly man to save enough money to start his own business. Along the way, he touched co-workers and employees’ lives in very positive ways.
10 Important Functions of an Entrepreneur: (How many of these describe you?)
- Dedicated
- Focused
- Willing to make sacrifices in the short-term
- Wanting to make a positive impact (an industry, people, or society at large)
- Grow a business
- Employ talent—be a job creator
- Enjoys freedom
- Willingly accepts responsibility for both the good and the bad
- Dreamer—Making IT happen
- Believes operating with integrity is key to longevity in business
How would you score yourself on the important functions?
High—-mediocre—poor?
Sasha was strong in all 10 of these. He was also very persistent and not easily overcome by obstacles. If you are like Sasha and have not yet started your own business, what’s holding you back? Now may be the best time for you to begin.
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