ENTREPRENEURSHIP SKILLS

You are welcome to the very first section of the unit on entrepreneurship skills. As you will expect, this section introduces you to :-
1.the concept of entrepreneurship.
2.what we mean by entrepreneurship,
3. who an entrepreneur is,
4.characteristics of an entrepreneur,
5.the difference between an entrepreneur and a business person
6. sources of information for new entrepreneurs.



What is entrepreneurship?

Who is an entrepreneur?

An entrepreneur is a person who develops a new idea and takes the risk of setting up an enterprise to produce a product or service which satisfies customer needs. All entrepreneurs are business persons, but not all business persons are entrepreneurs. Let us now think of why all business persons are not entrepreneurs. Think of a woman who sits by the roadside leading to your home and who has been selling the same type of food, from the same size of saucepan or pot, from the same table top, and may not have been able to change her standard of living to any appreciable extent. Such a woman may be a business person but not an entrepreneur. The entrepreneur, on the other hand is the business person who is not satisfied with his/her performance and therefore always finds ways to improve and grow.

Now let us consider the characteristics or some special qualities and strengths which make an entrepreneur different from a business person. It is important for us to note that a successful entrepreneur possesses the following characteristics.




Initiative

An entrepreneur takes actions that goes beyond job requirements or the demand of the situation

Opportunity seeking

An entrepreneur is quick to see and seize opportunities. He/she does things before he/she is asked to work by people or forced by situation.

Persistence

An entrepreneur is not discouraged by difficulties and problems that come up in the business or his/her personal life. Once she sets a goal she is committed to the goal and will become completely absorbed in it.

Information seeking

An entrepreneur undertakes personal research on how to satisfy customers and solve problems. He/she knows that different people have different capabilities that can be of help to them. He/she seeks relevant information from his/her clients, suppliers, competitors and others. He/she always wants to learn things which will help the business to grow.

Demand for quality and efficiency

An entrepreneur is always competing with others to do things better, faster, and at less cost he/she strives to achieve excellence.

Risk taking

Are you afraid of uncertainties? Then you cannot be an entrepreneur. Entrepreneurs are not high risk takers. They are also not gamblers; they calculate their risks before taking action. They place themselves in situations involving moderate risk so they are moderate risk takers.

Goal setting

An entrepreneur sets meaningful and challenging goals for him/herself. An entrepreneur does not just dream. Him/she thinks and plans what he/she does. He/she is certain or has hope about the future.

Commitment to work

An entrepreneur will work long hours after into the night just to be able to keep his/her promise to his/her client. He/she does the work together with his/her workers to get a job done. He/she knows how to make people happy to work for him/her due his/her dynamic leadership.

Systematic planning and monitoring

An entrepreneur plans for whatever he/she expects in the business. He/she does not leave things to luck. He/she plans by breaking large tasks down into small once and puts time limits against them. Since and entrepreneur knows what to expect at anytime he/she is able to change plans and strategies to achieve what he/she aims at.

Persuasion and networking

An entrepreneur acts to develop and maintain business contacts by establishing good working relationship. Uses deliberate strategies to influence others.

Independence and self confidence

Most entrepreneurs start business because they like to be their own boss. They are responsible for their own decisions.