What Is an Entrepreneur?
An entrepreneur is someone who starts a business by seeing an unmet need and working to fulfill it. These needs could be in a variety of areas, from finding ways to make products more efficiently, to developing new types of technology and more. The terms entrepreneur, entrepreneurial and entrepreneurship have evolved to also describe individuals who introduce new ways of working or processes within existing organizations. Individuals who take this approach are described as intrapreneurs or corporate entrepreneurs.
The term entrepreneur comes from the French word entreprendre, meaning “to undertake.” It has been around for hundreds, if not thousands, of years as people in many cultures established businesses to create products or services and then work to market them. Today, a growing number of people are considering becoming entrepreneurs and establishing their own business ventures.
Many of these individuals are described as social entrepreneurs. These individuals focus on creating products and services that provide a solution to social problems rather than seeking large profits or wealth as their main goals. Others, such as Richard Branson, have been deemed lifestyle entrepreneurs since they mainly do what they love and don’t necessarily care about making money from their efforts.
Research entrepreneur is another type of entrepreneur who takes the time to thoroughly analyze and prepare for a potential business opportunity. This is a less risky option than starting from scratch, but it does require the individual to have a good deal of patience. Serial entrepreneurs are those who start a series of businesses, rather than one at a time. This form of entrepreneurship requires an individual to be very knowledgeable about each company’s industry and market. Joseph Daher Batman