Being an entrepreneur is a source of pride. It also evidences an individual with a huge amount of discipline and focus to be able to build a business a lot of times from just an idea. It is the ambition of an entrepreneur that built the most profitable and successful companies. The only issue is that the word entrepreneurship can often vary from person to person.
Related Post: To Be or Not To Be An Entrepreneur
Hearpreneur asked entrepreneurs their definition of entrepreneur:
1) Fundamentally Accepting A Leadership Role in Society
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Being an entrepreneur is about fundamentally accepting a leadership role in society. Entrepreneurs are responsible for satisfying their clients, their staff and their community at large. It offers tremendous freedom and the exercise of creativity. It also carries with it the responsibility of making sure that all community stakeholders are satisfied. If not, it's chances to grow are hindered. Why did you start your business? I started my business because I saw the opportunity to provide a very valuable service to my surrounding community. For many people finance is a foreign language. Offering my clients the opportunity to visit one location and resolve a number of financial challenges in a single or series of visits is extremely valuable. And to do it with one central person is really impacting.I also had the education and 15 plus years of experience providing a series of financial services in a fractured way. I wanted to make my clients' lives easier, so I set out to do that.
Thanks to Kolonji Murray, Tax Assurances!
2) There Are All Sorts
There are all sorts of entrepreneurs. There are some which just think it's about the fast cash and thats all they focus on. On the other hand there is a growing trend for socially-conscious entrepreneurs. This is where the ‘magic' of being an entrepreneur takes place. The socially-conscious entrepreneur takes full responsibilty for their life. They get their ‘stuff' sorted out so they can get to the real work of making a big difference in other peoples lives. They seek financial freedom and the emotional freedom that comes with it, so they can focus on creating positive change. The cool thing is that we define the terms of how it happens and get to play in the field of our own unique genius by sharing our gifts and passions with the world. Why did you start your business? I was loosing it. By ‘it' – I mean my hair, my teeth and my mind. 9 years of sleep deprivation and stress were taking their toll and my body and mind were becoming pretty obvious that I needed to make some changes. So I did – I got into natural health again, like when I was a child and I knew that I needed to share it and learn more about it. I knew right from the beginning that I wanted to share my passions and gifts with the world, under the umbrella of my own business because I wanted to be in control of my working hours (so that I could stay a full-time mom) and also my income potential. Being an entrepreneur was so exciting and it still is. There aren't many better self-development courses than choosing to become an entrepreneur.
Thanks to Kushla Chadwick!
3) Being Self-Employed & Atempting to Generate An Income
Being an entrepreneur means being self-employed and attempting to generate an income on your own without the help, assistance, or backing of another company or corporation (e.g. an employer). Furthermore, being anentrepreneur means playing all the roles in a company until it grows to a point where other people can be hired to fulfill those roles. Why did you start your business? I started a business because I wanted to earn an unlimited income and have more time freedom. Being an entrepreneur enables me to be the creative, free spirit that God intended me to be.
Thanks to Brittni Abiolu, FundingAlley, Inc!
4) Solving Problems & Driving Society Forward
Being an entrepreneur is really about solving problems and driving society forward. There are a lot of problems people face every single day.The entrepreneur looks around and asks, “Why hasn't anyone solved this problem yet?” At that point, the entrepreneur becomes compelled to go out and solve the problem herself – putting everything on the line to create an impact on something she is passionate about. Everyone dreams, but the difference between an entrepreneur and a dreamer is action. Why did you start your business? This is the very reason I started my company. I saw that the majority of brick-and-mortar businesses are failing within three years, even though 95% of total spending is stilling happening offline. Clearly they were doing something wrong. That's when I set on the journey of helping this entire industry catch up with technology and innovation after being left behind for over 20 years.
Thanks to Yu-kai Chou, RewardMe!
5) Creatively Defining Your Own Destiny
To me being an entrepreneur means creatively defining your own destiny and happiness through business and partnerships. I believe the business you create should be an organized expression of your spiritual self. When you're good at it, you empower others to do the same for themselves and have a positive impact in the world. Why did you start your business? I started my business (Lyfe Productives) because I saw the need to make education and product development more provocative for hard to reach audiences.
Thanks to Ise Lyfe, Lyfe Productives!
6) Sourcing Business Opportunities
Being an entrepreneur for me means sourcing business opportunities, new, old and/or innovative and progressing them so that they grow and become successful or financially viable businesses that serve whatever their main purpose may be. That is, whether it’s a service or product-based business that satisfies its customers’ needs/wants, or a non-profit organisation that ach ieves great goals to help others. Why did you start your business? I started my business because I felt I could offer more and multiple services than the current contract roles I was working in (I’ve worked in marketing communications for about 15 years). I felt personally limited and wanted to expand what I was doing and achieve more. I basically wanted more! I realized I could have more success, variety and financial stability in my life if I worked for myself. I can now determine my own wealth and success which gives me enormous satisfaction.
Thanks to Elisa Limburg, Elevents!
7) It's Never As Easy As You Think
Being an entrepreneur is never as easy as you think it will be but if you continue to experiment, stay persistent; and most importantly; always belief in yourself, you will reach your goals. Why did you start your business? I started Cinegif after being a sports photographer for 10 years and developing a form of video using my photographs. Cinegif is an Austin, Texas-based software development company that has created a patented video conversion software that helps communicate and tell a story, without the file size, complexity, and cost of traditional video. During my photo shoots I would concentrate on one specific athlete and take repetitive photos of that person so they could see how they moved, their own body language, if their eyes were on the ball etc. This technique made my photographs become a video which brought up the name Cinegif – combining the “Cinema” like quality of the moving photographs along with the technical format used to create them.
Thanks to Doug Richardson, Cinegif!
8)Following Your Passion & Purpose
Being an entrepreneur is about following your passion and purpose with determination & resiliance as well as a strong sense of belief in yourself that you have something to offer the world. I'm just launching a new business for this reason and believe every entrepreneur has these attributes – whether they fully recognise it or not. Why did you start your business? I'm just launching a new business for this reason and believe every entrepreneur has these attributes – whether they fully recognise it or not.
Thanks to Briohny, Illuminar Consulting!
9) Casting Aside The Safety Net
Being an entrepreneur for me is about casting aside the safety net and testing oneself on the business stage. Some employees may dispute this, but there is no comparison to the pressure and responsibility associated with building a business compared with collecting a salary. But I wouldn't change a thing – enterpreneurialism gives me a chance to create jobs and leave a positive imprint on my staff, my clients and all who benefit from what we have created. That's exciting and, admittedly, highly addictive.
Thanks to Grant Arnott, Media Pad!
10) Taking Calculated Risks With Creativity, Hard Work & Great Timing
Being an entrepreneur means taking calculated risks combined with creativity, hard work, and great timing. It also means that you will have limited sucess and with an abundants of failures. Why did you start your business? To create a unique money making company that helps many ordinary people reach extrordinary results.
Thanks to Michael Mcintyre, The Authentic Salesman!
11) One Who Begins Something
The derivation of the word ‘Entrepreneur' is ‘one who undertakes'. To me, this means not just one who begins something, but one who does so in the face of adversity and ridicule; against “accepted” wisdom and with only secondary regard to economics. It is a highly intuitive thing. Logic has its place, but in “filling the gaps” not driving the strategy. It means being extremely comfortable with risk, yet viewing the undertaking of such risk, in aggregate, as less risky than not doing so. I started my business to perpetually fund innovative ideas so I would be free of the shackles of traditional investor's anti-entrepreneurial demands.
Thanks to David Kellam, Core Mind!
12) Approaching Any Business, Product or Service Through Innovative Eyes
Being an entrepreneur to me is not necessarily about having a brand new idea for a product or service. It's about approaching any business, product, service through innovative eyes. It's about trying to solve problems for your customers that they don't even know they have, this could be through improving and changing a traditional business model, or through developing something completely out of the box. Being an entrepreneur is also about being the type of leader that can inspire everyone around you (whether they are clients, prospects, staff, the media, friends, family, bankers, investors) to believe in your dream, and to get on board without hesitation. It's end to end, from ideas, to implementation, to innovation of the original idea and back again.
Thanks to Finn Kelly, Wealth Enhancers!
13) Doing Something Different
There’s a popular saying that applies to business: If you want to keep getting what you have, keep doing what you're doing. If you want to move up to something better, you have to do somethingdifferent. That’s what being an entrepreneur means to me- doing something different, not just talking about it, taking a risk even though you know that having a great product or service does not insure success. It also means not letting your business… or you get stale. So an entrepreneur is always looking to change it up for the better. Why did you start your business? I had an award-winning career in broadcast journalism but at my last job I worked for four different owners in six years. I started my media production business because I wanted more control. I wanted to own it, run it, grow it and eventually sell it. I haven’t sold it yet but I have started a second business. You see that’s what entrepreneurs do… we constantly see opportunities and just have to keep taking those risks
Thanks to Cynthia Kay, Cynthia Kay and Company Media Production!
14) Creating Opportunities Regardless of Resources
Being an Entrepreneur means creating opportunities regardless of resources currently controlled and is different from the functions of small business or enterprise management. Entrepreneurs ignite social-economic activity and create new ways to solve problems, no matter circumstances they face, that ultimately increase quality of life. Entrepreneurial spirits offer the world new perspectives. Why did you start your business? Early stage investments are challenged with resource access and I started my current ventures to help entrepreneurs with needed knowledge, skills, funding and network that is supplied through integrated Media, Development and Funding platforms.
Thanks to Lauren Rielly, Entrepreneur News!
15) Someone Who Has An Idea & The Passion to Turn That Into Reality
To me, an entrepreneur is someone who has an idea and the passion and drive to turn that idea into reality. An entrepreneur is someone wanting to provide a good or service and who starts from the ground up. Why did you start your business? I have spent the last decade climbing the corporate ladder, working all hours and proving myself because a corporate career is what I thought I wanted. My corporate experience has been in marketing and PR for more recently a major airline. Everyone thought I had the dream job, especially externally. However this year I realised I wanted more out of life, I wanted to look forward to going to work every day and be excited to make people feel good about themselves. I had always had a passion for styling, fashion and designers. I loved clothes and loved giving my friends and family tips on what to wear. I knew this is what I wanted to do with my life. In January, with no experience in the fashion industry, I took a plunge and began researching and planning my business and strategy for an online shopping and styling we bsite. I did all this while working full-time as I wanted to make sure I could do it, and at the end of the day I needed to pay the bills.
Thanks to Claire Boulton, Threads and Style (coming July 2012)!
16) Sometimes You Jump When You Don't See The Net
Being an entrepreneur means that sometimes you jump when you don't see the net you just trust it is there. Entrepreneurs are creators at heart and when they believe enough in something, they will find a way to make it work. Entrepreneurs don't necessarily have to work for themselves, there is such as thing as an intrapreneur, an entrepreneur who works inside a company setting, but very often they strike out on their own as they find it easiest to play by their own rules. Entrpeneurs are risk takers but the smart ones do a bit of research before they take that jump I wrote about earlier. Most of all they want to make the world a better place through their unique contribution; whether it be a new bit of software, a sparking new stylish accessory or a way to bring clean water to the masses, entrepreneurs share what they do best and if they are lucky, just may end up making a life-changing impact. Why did you start your business? I began Fabulously Successful for many of the reasons noted above. I wanted the freedom and the creativity to play by my rules. As a mom of three young boys, it is vital to have flexibility to work around the important moments in their lives. I also wanted to take calculated risks that I hoped would pay off big but if not at least I would learn from them. Most of all though, I started my company because I wanted to help people live better, more fulfilled lives using their unique gifts to make a difference. I believe I do that in some small way with each of my clients and for that, I consider myself to be very blessed and Fabulously Successful!
Thank to Dawn Z Bournand, Fabulously Successful!
17) Doing What 99% of People Won't Ever Be Crazy Enough To Do
Being an entrepreneur means I've done what 99% of people won't ever be crazy enough or risky enough to do: take a dream and turn itinto something actionable and executable. It means that I've fully realized what it is to be self-actualized and autonomous and have the full freedom to create whatever I'm brave enough to imagine.
Thanks to Rebekah Iliff, talkTECH Communications!
18) Finding Creative Solutions to Solve Problems
Finding creative solutions to solve problems or improve experience for a group of people, in my case educators. The group size doesn't matter, as long as your product or service brings real value and there is enoughcustomers to support delivery of the product or service. Why did you start your business? My friend and I worked at a dot com company together and always talked about how it would be great to start a business of our own. One day a relative had an idea and we were ready to execute.
Thanks to Lilia Tovbin, Tribrio Inc.!
19) Taking A Good Idea & Turning It Into Something Real
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As an entrepreneur, I find it fun to take good idea and make something of it– turn it into something real. With every new business there is the ever-evolvingstruggle to develop efficient systems, processes and best practices which was, and still is, a learning curve that resulted in many bumps and bruises along the way. I learned quickly that to maintain a business is to keep focused, be persistent, and always stand ready to re-figure things at any given moment. Why did you start your business? Source Consulting began in 2004 with a friend while I was working on my first business venture, Blankstyle, a clothing line of blank tees and screen printing services. I saw the need for shipping cost reduction solutions and the idea for Source Consulting was born. My business partner and I ended up deciding to sell Blankstyle and focus our energy, effort and resource on Source Consulting (the logistics consultancy), which was one of the best decisions that I have ever made.
Thanks to Luke Kupersmith, Source Consulting!
20) Ability to Connect to Opportunities
It means the ability to connect to opportunities and taking advantage of many exciting projects, that are shared between our team for long range successes more than immediate financial gains. Why did you start your business? I was a mother who believed that this was my first and most important job. I created my business to fit my lifestyle. I had the ability to bring my baby to work and create avenues of opportunites. I never miss a class play or class trip. This included being on the PTA. I work many hours designed around the my lifestyle.
Thanks to Gayle Naftaly, The Exchange Movement!
21) Foregoing Security & Common Sense to Pursue A Business Dream
It means foregoing security and common sense to pursue a business dream. It means being willing to work way harder than you expect with the hope of reward. It means ignoring the “odds” without deluding yourself aboutyour chances. Why did you start your business? It fell into my lap. My business started out as a hobby and then someone said, “If you had a website, I'd put you in a book I'm writing.” We just happened to be in the right place at the right time with the right skills.
Thanks to Steven Sashen, Feel The World, Inc.!
22) Creating Business That Are Visionary, Creative & Innovative
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In its purest sense being an entrepreneur means creating businesses that are visionary, creative, innovative. Someone who likes to work independently and puts their own spin on everythingthey do. They are leaders in thought, concept and business constructs. Why did you start your business? My business, Success Coaching for Business came out of a passion for creating new and cutting edge businesses and wanting to help others do the same. For me, one of the ways people express themselves creatively now is through their business. I am working with several clients who are doing very cutting edge, innovative and green businesses and am helping them to keep their vision as large as it can be and not let it be watered down into something that has already been done. I find it very exciting to be a part of the creation of these new businesses.
Thanks to Dianne Shaver, Success Coaching for Business!