My son is now an “entrepreneur”. That’s what you’re called when you don’t have a job. — Ted Turner

By TRISOFT team

For a long time now — but especially after the world economic crisis in 2009 — more and more people walked toward entrepreneurship. Whether they had been fired or put on extended leave or just wanted to try out something new in a period of great commercial turmoil and uncertainty, they started businesses or became service providers or even choose self-employment as a preferred option.

Building on what you enjoy doing

Entrepreneurs start off from something that they thoroughly enjoy and create a system or an organization that aims at producing revenue from that idea. They are driven and tenacious, faithful to their vision and eager to maintain their freedom. They don’t like the constraints imposed by regular workplaces, so they would much rather work whenever they want, from wherever they want, and with whomever they want.

A real job?

This out-of-the-box thinking and innovative manner of doing business is still somewhat disconcerting for some, which is why many people don’t see it as an actual job or real work. They notice that entrepreneurs have more free time, work from home or engage in activities such as hobbies or their children’s education, so they assume that their unconventional schedule and behavior is a clear indication that they are, in fact, jobless, and are secretly getting money from somewhere in order to make a decent living.

To the gossipy eye, they seem to have no discernable source of income or even want one, they are judged as having trouble following rules or listening to authority figures, as well as being lazy. The truth is they have a clear vision of what they want and how they aim to get it, regardless of what others think of them, and they are willing to work long hours into the night, when needed, to achieve their goals and make their business thrive.

Am I an entrepreneur?

Lately though, if we go on any social media profile or professional website, such as LinkedIn, we see an array of self-proclaimed entrepreneurs, which would make us think that they practically grow on trees these days. But how much truth is in these titles and descriptions? Simply referring to yourself as an entrepreneur doesn’t automatically make you part of the club.

For example, freelancers usually toil for someone who gives them constant work and trade their time for money. That is hardly entrepreneurship, but rather a kind of barter or merchant activity. A freelancer aims at having a steady job, with some relative freedom and no actual boss, doing work that they like to do, and gradually increasing their demand and workload, so that their fees might go up. It is a job for hire, not a business in the genuine sense of the word.

Legitimate entrepreneurs

Restaurant, coffee shop, motel, hair salon owners and hundreds of other such venue proprietors who are, at the same time, their own bosses and employees, might be good at their craft and gaining some profit from their vocation, but as long as they don’t have the capacity to turn it into a successful business and expand it, they will never be called legitimate entrepreneurs. These kinds of people spend more time working in their business, instead of working on their business.

Employees with successful careers can become entrepreneurs sometime in the future, or people can hold a job while launching their own company, but those who constantly weigh the pros and cons of having a well-paid, secure job, against following their own dream, are not real entrepreneurs, unless they give up a high salary and other benefits, such as a company car and health insurance and break rooms, for the opportunity to chase their own desires and ambitions. It has nothing to do with pride and egocentricity, but rather with an aspiration born out of vision, purpose and personal control.

Taking the first step

Starting and maintaining a business isn’t for the faint of heart, but if you are certain that you would like to be your own boss, to invest all your material, spiritual and emotional resources into growing your own trade, if your professional spirit started making its presence felt from a young age, you are focused, innovative and a problem-solver driven by passion and commitment, you should definitely try your hand at entrepreneurship. But, as they say, don’t just settle for small change; go big or go home. You become an entrepreneur the moment when you make the decision to leave your job and focus on making your dream a reality.

The calling

However, we mustn’t lose sight of the fact that not everyone can be an entrepreneur or even wants to be one. Most people like having a steady schedule and income, and they are equally important to society and the economy. But instead of hating every minute they are at work, as we are all currently used to doing (the general concept says that work is the opposite of fun), they can find a purpose to the hours they clock each day, even if they are simple, menial tasks (which even entrepreneurs have to do, from time to time, mind you).

At TRISOFT, we encourage you to find your calling — be it employment or entrepreneurship — and follow it to the best of your abilities — with passion, drive and determination. If you are keen on becoming self-employed, strive to exceed the limits of freelancing or being a simple merchant, and aim at something bigger and more outstanding. Success and profit will come with.