Introduction
An entrepreneur is a person who creates small businesses. Entrepreneurs are calculated risk-takers they strive to maximize potential of their venture while simultaneously minimizing risk. They are able to recognize opportunities as they arise and create goods or services in order to take advantage of the opportunity before competitors catch on to it. Entrepreneurs may create new products or services, improve on current products or services.Moreover’ Entrepreneurship’ is the act and art of being an entrepreneur or one who undertakes innovations or introducing new things, finance and business acumen in an effort to transform innovations into economic goods. This may result in new organizations or may be part of revitalizing mature organizations in response to a perceived opportunity.
Entrepreneurship
An entrepreneur is a person who develops a new idea and takes the risk of setting up an enterprise to produce a product or service which satisfies customer needs. All entrepreneurs are business persons, but not all business persons are entrepreneurs. Let us now think of why all business persons are not entrepreneurs. Think of a woman who sits by the roadside leading to your home and who has been selling the same type of food, from the same size of saucepan or pot, from the same table top, and may not have been able to change her standard of living to any appreciable extent. Such a woman may be a business person but not an entrepreneur. The entrepreneur, on the other hand is the business person who is not satisfied with his/her performance and therefore always finds ways to improve and grow.
Now let us consider the characteristics or some special qualities and strengths which make an entrepreneur different from a business person. It is important for us to note that a successful entrepreneur possesses the following characteristics.
Initiative
An entrepreneur takes actions that goes beyond job requirements or the demand of the situation
Opportunity seeking
An entrepreneur is quick to see and seize opportunities. He/she does things before he/she is asked to work by people or forced by situation.
Persistence
An entrepreneur is not discouraged by difficulties and problems that come up in the business or his/her personal life. Once she sets a goal she is committed to the goal and will become completely absorbed in it.
Information seeking
An entrepreneur undertakes personal research on how to satisfy customers and solve problems. He/she knows that different people have different capabilities that can be of help to them. He/she seeks relevant information from his/her clients, suppliers, competitors and others. He/she always wants to learn things which will help the business to grow.
Demand for quality and efficiency
An entrepreneur is always competing with others to do things better, faster, and at less cost he/she strives to achieve excellence.
Risk taking
Are you afraid of uncertainties? Then you cannot be an entrepreneur. Entrepreneurs are not high risk takers. They are also not gamblers; they calculate their risks before taking action. They place themselves in situations involving moderate risk so they are moderate risk takers.
Goal setting
An entrepreneur sets meaningful and challenging goals for him/herself. An entrepreneur does not just dream. Him/she thinks and plans what he/she does. He/she is certain or has hope about the future.
Commitment to work
An entrepreneur will work long hours after into the night just to be able to keep his/her promise to his/her client. He/she does the work together with his/her workers to get a job done. He/she knows how to make people happy to work for him/her due his/her dynamic leadership.
Systematic planning and monitoring
An entrepreneur plans for whatever he/she expects in the business. He/she does not leave things to luck. He/she plans by breaking large tasks down into small once and puts time limits against them. Since and entrepreneur knows what to expect at anytime he/she is able to change plans and strategies to achieve what he/she aims at.
Persuasion and networking
An entrepreneur acts to develop and maintain business contacts by establishing good working relationship. Uses deliberate strategies to influence others.
Independence and self confidence
Most entrepreneurs start business because they like to be their own boss. They are responsible for their own decisions.
