Employees fear failing while real entrepreneurs embrace it
In employment, failing at a project or assignment can mean disciplinary action, loss of an annual bonus, being overlooked for a job promotion in future and worse still: retrenchment. In my previous workplace there were adages: get it right the first time, operational excellence, best in market and so on. Failure was not encouraged. You had to do things right and do them well.
In entrepreneurship one gets better by failing and learning and trying again. Failure is the silent mentor and coach of the entrepreneur and a lot of the greatest innovations around us are because of numerous failures.
Employees work for a salary while entrepreneurs work to deliver outcomes
Most employees are in it for the salary, let us face it. Remove that salary and no one will work for free for long. Some employees earn that salary when on leave or holiday. The salary is often predictable and smack on time, every month or so.
Holidays were time for me to watch movies, eat junk food, hang out with friends and grow fat. I could afford to waste time under the pretext of work-life balance but deep down I knew I was settling for less. I just knew it.
Now I am not saying that entrepreneurs do not have time for themselves or family, no. That would be unhealthy. What I am saying is that entrepreneurs just manage their times differently.
Employees follow rules while entrepreneurs break or reinvent them
In entrepreneurship we are always looking to stand out, to be unique or give a unique delivery. This means we must think out of the box all the times and be willing to have an unconventional approach to stuff. It means we must challenge status quo many times.
In employment you are paid to stick to the rules, to follow the laid policies and guidelines. There is very little room for creative innovation even if on the surface it feels you have the leeway to ' do what you want '. responsibility to a ' boss ' somewhere. An employee can leave work and go home.
Entrepreneurs no matter how big their team, take all responsibility for the business. In fact, in the early stages as an entrepreneur you will have to perform all the business functions just to get your vision off the ground. You will be the CEO, secretary, errands-boy, cleaner, HR, Finance, Marketing, Sales and Procurement manager all at once.
Employees get paid for their role while entrepreneurs get paid for results
By and large, most employees get a salary whether or not they deliver fully on the job. The scale may vary but the salary arrives.
Entrepreneurs are not so lucky. As an entrepreneur, if you do not work, you will not eat and the extent to which you earn money is directly proportional to the amount of sacrifice you have been willing to make, over time.
Employees avoid risks while entrepreneurs live for risks
Entrepreneurs work with or without a salary and whilst money is the eventual output of good work put in, the entrepreneur is driven by an outcome, an objective and focusses on the delivery of these over everything else.
Employees love holidays as a time off, entrepreneurs view holidays as opportunities to grow
I hate holidays. They cut me off from my clientele and affect my sales campaigns but on the other hand they give me the needed time to develop my product offering, to hone my entrepreneurial skill.
When I was employed, I loved holidays.
Employees appreciate steady employment while true entrepreneurs thrive in uncertainty
Entrepreneurs know that risks are the only way to reach success. Everyday is a risk and an opportunity. Employees prefer a predictable day, week and month and peg their self worth and peace of mind on what they feel is their most predictable metric: a salary.
Employees take some responsibility for decisions while entrepreneurs make all the decisions
Employees have the benefit of working with teams and can always off-load a
Entrepreneurs no matter how big their team, take all responsibility for the business. In fact, in the early stages as an entrepreneur you will have to perform all the business functions just to get your vision off the ground. You will be the CEO, secretary, errands-boy, cleaner, HR, Finance, Marketing, Sales and Procurement manager all at once.
Being safe and not taking risks works for organizations. Bank employees for instance stick to rules, they really have no choice. A deviance from this could have high ramifications.
Entrepreneurs as explained, need risk and failure to find success.
Employees are often specialists while entrepreneurs are generalists
No matter what they tell you, there is no academic degree in entrepreneurship that will make you Jeff Bezos. You may have the highest Honors in entrepreneurship( from a top university) and be able to develop the best business models but if you cannot sell a solution and make money from it consistently and at scale, you are just a theorist at best.
Employees work based on a specific role in a specific department courtesy of a specific educational qualification. Entrepreneurs work based on personality, opportunity, gut-feel, inspiration, creativity and natural gifts.
Employees have the benefit of social circles, while entrepreneurship is quite lonely
When you start off as an entrepreneur, no one will truly believe in you. They may tell you they do but you will find out over
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