Are You an Entrepreneur? (Or Mediocre Marketer?)

  What is an 'entrepreneur'?  It is believed the word was first used by Jean-Baptiste Say, a nineteenth century economist, or even earlier by Richard Cantillon in the eighteenth century.  It describes someone who is identified as taking risks.  The individual with a rebellious spirit, boldly fighting against the socio-economic system.

 Entrepreneurs occur, to some extent, in all societies.  Examples of British entrepreneurs include;  Thomas Cook (of the travel firm), Henry Tate (of sugar and art gallery fame),  William Lever ( beginnings in making soap),  Eddy Shah (who brought colour to Fleet Street newspapers) and Richard Branson (Virgin companies). From humble beginnings entrepreneurs build wealth and prosperity. Whether society as a whole benefits or not depends on how many jobs are created or how the wealth is used.

 An entrepreneur has flair.  He sees a need and seizes an opportunity that would be missed by everyone else, whether by; fear, laziness or lack of imagination. An entrepreneur possesses qualities of leadership, team building skills and the ability to manage well; self, relationships, time and action. Above all, an entrepreneur has a particular mindset for success.

In its simplest form, an entrepreneur;

• Sees a problem and creates a solution
• Takes calculated risks
• Is proactive in implementing ideas

 The answer to my question lies here.  If the marketing task is to just promote the same idea in a different way, it can hardly be classed as 'entrepreneurial'.  How often have you seen the same ad, the same idea, displayed over and over again by different people in slightly different ways? All clamouring for a click and some profit. But, if a niche market is found that requires a product or service not otherwise provided, the entrepreneur does well to step in and give value by meeting the need.  This is surely the way forward to lasting success and financial gain. Yes, risks will be taken - any business requires investment of time and money to succeed.  Proactive is the opposite of reactive. It is creatively looking for ways to put your ideas into practice.  It brings about change rather than acting as a result of things that have already taken place. An entrepreneur stays ahead of the game.

 Are you an entrepreneur?  Do you aspire to be one?  Or are you content on being a mediocre marketer wondering when you'll hit the big time?