Be Your Own Boss
What is an entrepreneur and what does it take to start your own business?
Business entrepreneurs are people who own their own business enterprise. They frequently work in their own firms themselves but usually employ others to work in the business for them. Many small and medium business enterprises (SMEs) begin by relying on family members as the employees. Some of the biggest businesses in the history of commerce have begun in this way and grew into international corporations. Stories have become business legends about young computer entrepreneurs such as Bill Hewlett and David Packard who started a business in their garage and created a worldwide, global company, Hewlett-Packard (HP). Steve Jobs and Steve Wosniak share similar modest beginnings and became business revolutionaries, and wealthy, as a result of Apple Computer.
Although they are literally self-employed, entrepreneurship is not the same as self-employment. Entrepreneurs create value in the economy by job creation, philanthropy, and investment. Sometimes people start a business out of necessity as a result of being out of work, redundancies, or frustration in a current job, being overlooked in expected promotion, or decisions outside of their control. For the immigrant community, another challenge may be over-qualification for the work available or the non-acceptance of academic or professional credentials.
Perhaps a person sees no opportunities in employment for someone with their skills. Or resent superiors taking credit for their advances while leaving them without a sense of accomplishment. A system of financial reward based on longevity or conformity does not sit well with driven people who have a high degree of confidence in their own abilities.