The “Employee” Versus The “Entrepreneur”

I have worked for companies, managed companies for others and started my own companies. While I was an employee, I did not care about the bottom line or profit margins. As a manager I cared about the bottom line and profit margins only as it pertained to my job and my salary. As a business owner the bottom line and profit margins are the difference between whether I eat and have a roof over my head or don't.

I have never really considered myself a "business woman". I have always considered myself an entrepreneur. The definition for a businesswoman (yes it's in the dictionary) is: A woman engaged in business. A person engaged in commercial or industrial business. Whereas the definition for an entrepreneur is: A risk-taker who has the skills and initiative to establish a business. A person who organizes, operates, and assumes the risk for a business venture.

As you can see there is a major difference betweenbusiness personson and an entrepreneur just in the definition. I applaud anyone who makes the effort to make something out of their life either by running a business for someone else or for themselves. But sometimes it's hard to transform a "business person" into an "entrepreneur" because some business people have what I call the employee mentality. The employee mentality is simply when a person wants to start a business but may be too use to having a structured environment where they have others who will take on projects or 'step in' when something needs to be done.

When you are trying to become an entrepreneur the problem is in most cases is there is no one who can step in for you. You only have yourself to count on. Often, when people go into business for themselves after being in corporate America running someone else's business for years they fail. Why? Not because they don't know how to run A business but because they do not know how to run THEIR OWN business.

There are certain things that you will learn in corporate America that will most definitely apply to owning a business of your own but it's hard to get people to understand that there are so many things that you have not learned that you will need to learn and quick.

I think as people we are creatures of habit. We get so use to doing things a certain way and get so comfortable that we are resistant to change. If you are looking to start your own business after years of being an employee for someone else, you will need to retrain you mind. You have to teach yourself to use what you have to make it work and learn whatever skills you are lacking along the way. You'll need to remind yourself that you will have to take risk. Some will be calculated, some will not.

The important thing is that you continue to retrain your mind so to know that it will require countless hours of sacrifice from you to make it work. I don't know of many entrepreneurs who are just staring out who work 9-5, 5 days a week and take 2 weeks of vacation a year. They have no sick days, no holidays or even days for bereavement. These are just a few of many sacrifices that you'll have to make but the list is endless!

I look forward to helping you strive to reach your goals and dreams. It is my hope that the information I've provided will help you to get there!

To Your Health, Wealth & Happiness!

Pam Lawhorne

Pam Lawhorne is a serial entrepreneur, small business expert and creative marketing consultant, who provides advice, guidance, and encouragement to aspiring CEO's around the nation in her popular seminars and publications. She is the Chief Empowerment Officer of Empower U, Incorporated, a training and consulting firm that specializes in interactive workshops, seminars and coaching programs.

Ms. Lawhorne is the author of “From Minimum Wage To Getting Paid! - How To Become A Successful Entrepreneur With No Money, Education Or Experience!" and she is also a syndicated columnist who writes articles on empowerment, entrepreneurship, personal development, creative marketing and real estate investing. Her articles appear nationally in newspapers, magazines, and on numerous business websites and on-line publications. For additional information please visit her website: www.PamLawhorne.com.

The above article is copyright 2003-2008 by Pam Lawhorne. Permission to repost is freely granted so long as the text is not altered in any way, and the copyright and links are included.