What is an entrepreneur...

What is an entrepreneur? Do you know what the definition of entrepreneur is?

• At Merriam-Webster online I learned that the word is from Old French, from entreprendre; to undertake. Their definition is “one who organizes, manages, and assumes the risks of a business or enterprise.”

That covers everyone that starts a business. The beginning of any business is all about planning, organizing and managing. Risk? Get used to it.

• Still looking for a better answer to the question, I checked out dictionary.com. Their Cultural Dictionary defines it as “one who starts a business or other venture that promises economic gain but that also entails risks”.

Same as the previous definition, but money's mentioned. An investor in a business isn't an entrepreneur although they share the risk and reward of that business. They're not involved in the details of the business in the same way as the owner.

• And the dictionary.com Financial Dictionary defines entrepreneur as “A risk-taker who has the skills and initiative to establish a business”.

Now we're getting closer to the meaning... risk-taking, skills and initiative.

• Risks are part of any business venture.
• Skills can be learned by anyone.
• Initiative comes from within you.

All of these define the word “entrepreneur” but, I think, still fall short of telling what is an entrepreneur. That's because there's more to being an entrepreneur than just making money. Lots of people make millions but aren't what I'd call entrepreneurs.

So what is an entrepreneur? It's a way of business life... a different way of looking at things.

• It's being handed lemons and understanding that the lemons could become a source of profit for yourself or others.
• It's failing in one venture and starting the next one without skipping a beat.
• It's making needed sacrifices now to reach an eventual goal.

Are there certain entrepreneur traits that make business success more likely or easier?

15 entrepreneur traits

Entrepreneur qualities A-B-C list.

How to become an entrepreneur

Entrepreneur quotes- quotes about entrepreneurs

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