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The difference between an entrepreneur and an employee

by Ruth Belena

Created on: June 19, 2009   Last Updated: June 24, 2009

There is quite a difference between wanting to be an entrepreneur and preferring to stay in paid employment until retirement. Those with a true entrepreneurial spirit will pack up their paid employment, and will find a better way to make money with their own enterprises. Those with a typical employee mindset will want to keep their jobs, seek security and rely upon regular wages.

An entrepreneur will not be happy to continue working for an employer, when there is a real opportunity to make money by setting up a new business venture and turning it into a profitable enterprise.

An innovative business venture can be successfully launched by anyone with an original idea. With the mindset of an entrepreneur it is possible to have fun, and enjoy the process of trying something new. A true entrepreneur will understand the value of learning from mistakes, and is prepared to overcome obstacle that stand in the way. To a true entrepreneur, each setback or difficulty is an exciting challenge, one that can be solved by some creative thinking.

Many employees complain about workplace conditions, poor wages or their daily commute. An employee who is not happy will continue to complain, or look for a new job with a better company.

Seeking and gaining employment is not what every young person desires, and some entrepreneurs start from an early age. Many successful businesses have been started by young entrepreneurs in their teens or early twenties. A young entrepreneur is more likely to experiment, having little fear of failure or of making mistakes, and will gain experience from the process of making it work.

An employee will stay in a job in the hope of getting a higher paid position, and will work hard for a promise of a getting a raise, or with the expectation of receiving a performance bonus. Employees rely on the company to take care of, or subsidize, health insurance and payment into pension schemes. They expect paid vacation time.

A successful entrepreneur is someone who is prepared to work long hours and take few vacations. Making money is not the only motivation, and in the early years a business venture may run at a loss. It is usual for any new business to take up to two years before it goes into profit. An entrepreneur has to be self reliant and need a high sense of self esteem and confidence to survive during a period of debt, and years of paying back business loans, in the certain knowledge there will be better times ahead, when there will be real money to be made.

An employee may dream of becoming an entrepreneur, but it is not going to happen without a definite plan. If there is no great original idea, it will remain a dream. Without a great deal of effort, and a lot of determination, there can be no success in business. The distinction is that no entrepreneur would ever dream of becoming an employee.

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