Do You Think Of Yourself As A Business Owner Or An Entrepreneur? - By: Carl Orlafski

This is a great time for the entrepreneur. The current rash of layoffs and business closings has driven former employees to start their own business or buy one.

Entrepreneurship is the new black, ladies and gentlemen. Write it down.

An article written by Erika Napoletano at Redhead Writing brought up a good question. The question she asked was whether her reading audience was business owners or entrepreneurs. There really is a distinction between the two and it is an interesting one.

Are you in fact an entrepreneur, or are you a business owner?

Is there a difference?

I'll bet you don't know and/or haven't given it much thought. You would be with the majority of people on that one.

The difference is simple. A business owner owns a business. They may have started it, or bought it from someone else. It may be the family business that generations have just gone into because it was there and it was always a part of them. It doesn't matter. They are all business owners and operators.

Running a business, however, does not by definition make you an entrepreneur. Starting a business does. If that business happens to be a bold new step in the right direction, well, that's all the better, isn't it? Eh…more or less.

If you have a great idea for a business and are thinking about turning yourself into an entrepreneur, you should ask yourself a few probing questions before you take the plunge.

1. Are you terrified you're going to mess it all up? Being an entrepreneur is scary stuff. Know what? You're going to make mistakes. You're goin to crash and burn. There's an excellent chance you're going to fall on your face and have to pick yourself back up again. That's just the way it works. If you can't hack that, don't step in the ring.

2. Do you despise telling others what to do? It is far easier to follow than to lead. If you are a follower, either change that quality in yourself or don't even think about becoming an entrepreneur. The successful entrepreneur must lead.

3. Can you think fast? If you cannot think on the fly, you won't make it as an entrepreneur. Entrepreneurs run headlong into obstacles all day long. If they can't face them and come up with a quick reasoned decision in 30 seconds or less, their business is doomed. If you need time and careful consideration before making decisions, think seriously about working for someone else.

4. Are you hesitant to announce your immediate plans to others? Entrepreneurs have been called fruitcakes for millenniums. Anyone with a new idea is suspect. You will receive a lot of sideways glances and knowing smirks as you go out into the world as an entrepreneur. You must learn to look them right in the eye and go off and do your thing. If your skin is too thin to do that, do not become an entrepreneur.

If you can honestly answer no to all the above, you have a fighting chance at success as an entrepreneur. Good for you. Don't let anyone break your stride.

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