01 Dec Business Owners & Entrepreneurs

There has been great debate around the interwebs lately about the definition of business owners and entrepreneurs… What people classify themselves as, what they think of others and how they came to this decision.

So, like any good social media junkie and online business owner, I thought I would weigh in on the matter and share my thoughts too!

Personally, I think of myself as a business owner which works as a contractor for other business owners and entrepreneurs. And I think of an entrepreneur as a business owner that has started something new and innovative for the purpose of selling it and making a profit. Similar to a property developer compared to a home owner.

A business owner runs their business like a home… They care and love it and tend to the gardens to make it beautiful. An entrepreneur is developing their business to turn a profit. They put in maximum effort in the shortest amount of time possible to build it as soon as possible and then onsell to turn a profit. They aim to build something that is new, cutting edge and innovative. They want to be different and that is their marketing strategy.

But back to the business/home owner. They take their time to build a solid foundation, they are building their business so that it fits with their lifestyle. Their start-up phase may take longer than that of the entrepreneur because they are not a high risk taker. This is a labour of love and they are willing to take their time to discover the right way to do things for them. They take weeks to get their business plan “just right” whereas an entrepreneur can knock out a 12 month plan over a bottle of red.

The entrepreneur is a fan of outsourcing right away, whereas the business owner needs more time to realise the benefits of hiring help to assist them. They are a parent that never wants to hire a babysitter, the entrepreneur has a nanny, house cleaner and cook.

Is one “better” than the other? Does one deserve more respect than the other? In my opinion, no. Both are working their bums off and doing exactly what they are drawn to be doing. Could you force an “everyday” business owner into being an entrepreneur? I doubt it. I think they can be caught up in the hype and excitement but would soon realise that they don’t have the nerves of steel that are required. And could you force an entrepreneur to own and run only one business for the rest of their life? Again, I doubt it. They would miss the challenges, the excitement and the adrenaline that having multiple projects brings them.

So what are you? Leave a comment below and keep the conversation going!