How to define the entrepreneurial spirit

Entrepreneurship is often difficult to define let alone examine in detail due to its perception as a highly creative and dynamic entity and it is with this caveat that this article is written.

While entrepreneurship can be applied to a wide range of disciplines and professionals, it is perhaps more closely associated with the business world and is misused to describe many successful entrepreneurs, when in reality very few people can truly demonstrate an entrepreneurial spirit. entrepreneur.

Historical context of the meaning of entrepreneur

The word itself is of French origin and if interpreted in its literal context means “between jobs”. It is interesting that a word that has come to project the pinnacle of success has such worldly roots as a means of describing unemployment.

This article examines a number of concepts that seem intrinsic to what constitutes entrepreneurship.

1. Uniqueness

In a highly developed global business community where new ideas and business models are increasingly scarce, the importance of uniqueness cannot be underestimated and those who exhibit an entrepreneurial spirit are often associated with concepts that encapsulate originality and ingenuity. Take, for example, Steve Jobs bringing Apple’s IPOD to market,

2. Creativity

Creativity is strongly related to uniqueness, but the two are not identical. Entrepreneurs are experienced in harnessing the creative process to help them produce a unique product / service or advantage. So while uniqueness describes the end result, creativity describes the process of how one achieves it. For this reason, people with an entrepreneurial spirit are often creative people who are ready, willing and able to actively adopt new techniques to get ahead even at the cost of being ridiculed by others.

3. Assumption of risks

In a Western society that is often risk averse, those with an entrepreneurial spirit take risks and it is impossible for such a concept not to be associated with entrepreneurs and the potential for high risk that comes with following a new cutting edge approach. However, it should be noted that risk is not the same as recklessness and those who demonstrate an entrepreneurial spirit are likely to be experts in assessing the risks involved in any business.

4. Business expert

As highlighted above, those with an entrepreneurial spirit should not be considered reckless nonconformists, quite the contrary, good entrepreneurs are motivated by profit and are adept at identifying a lucrative niche in the market that can be exploited for profit. Take, for example, Steve Jobs of Apple Computers, who has successfully completed a profitable course in the computer and software industry despite the fact that the market has been dominated by Microsoft and IBM for several decades. Furthermore, it was the first to spot the potential of using the computer industry to open up a new market for the music fraternity, with the introduction of IPOD, the market leader in its flow of business. Such actions require great skill and confidence and demonstrate a clear entrepreneurial spirit.

5. Development potential

Identifying, investing and fostering potential are also essential to the ideals associated with entrepreneurship due to the need to find different solutions to a business problem.

Established companies often fail to discover breakthroughs because they adhere to a rigid investment formula that has worked for them in the past rather than finding new ways to move forward.

6. Adaptability

The entrepreneurial spirit always adapts and is ready to overcome the barriers presented by business problems and generally solves those problems more quickly than conventional business thinkers.

7. Ultimately destructive

Entrepreneurship is ultimately destructive to your own business in the medium term, unless those engaged in using the concept recognize when it is time to pass it on to people focused on general management who can maintain and develop the concept. organization. This is because the true entrepreneurial spirit is obsessed with constant creativity and change, which is unsettling for employees without good management and clear direction. Many of those who demonstrate an entrepreneurial spirit rarely stay long-term in any company they undertake, take as an example Richard Branson, who after launching numerous businesses under the “Virgin” brand, subsequently sold many of these to third parties at a huge profit. for him.

Summary

In conclusion, while there are certainly key characteristics that encapsulate entrepreneurship, it would be foolish to pretend that an individual has all of those traits and even more foolish to believe that such a concept can be comprehensively defined. It is also shortsighted to believe that those with an entrepreneurial spirit are only apparent in the business community, in fact many different disciplines and vocations have historical and existing individuals contained within them that could essentially be described as entrepreneurs.

Well-known people who display the entrepreneurial spirit: Richard Branson, Clive Sinclair, Freddy Laker, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, and Anita Roddick.

Words often used to describe people with an entrepreneurial spirit: hipsters, tycoons, pathological liars, risk takers, self-made business people, successful, charismatic.

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