Last week I was stuck trying to interpret John’s words, thankfully Judy has written the lesson this week. Although Judy is easier to understand, today we will discover why she is understandable – by exploring the role of the business owner.

 

So what is a business owner?

A business owner is a risk-adverse person, who controls business order and is responsible for the maintenance of a business. Indeed, they manage day-to-day tasks and are very good at delegating. 

Business owners are highly organised people, realistic about future business ventures. They look for problems rather than opportunities and often slow down, or question an entrepreneur’s logic. However, this shouldn’t be mistaken as a character floor, rather an alternate way of thinking. 

 

Entrepreneurs’ logic needs to be questioned, rationalised and conceptualised. This cannot be done without the help of a business owner. The reason? Well, unfortunately entrepreneurs rarely see the little picture. They know where they want to take a business, and possibly how to take it there, but not how to start their venture, or the logistics utilised in order to maintain a business. Entrepreneurs are ideas people, but even then, need someone questioning the rationale behind an action, someone asking “but how?”

 

A successful business has both an entrepreneur and business owner at the helm. This is because one drives the business forward, whilst one maintains it. 

An alternate way to look at the differing roles of a business owner and entrepreneur is through an analogical perspective…

Lets say an entrepreneur is like a train. They continually move forward, are driven and only stop when they have reached their destination. Now, lets say a business owner is like train tracks. They are reliable, sturdy and lay a solid foundation for the train to run on.

Now, the train cannot move forward if the tracks are damaged, or if they do not exist. Nor, will the tracks ever lead to a destination worth heading without the train. Confused yet? Well, the moral is simple… one cannot be successful without the other.

 

So how do you know if you’re an entrepreneur or business owner?

There is no guide that can tell you whether or not you are an entrepreneur or business owner. Indeed, the Struggledorks can only provide you with characteristics typically found within entrepreneurs and business owners. It is up to you to decide what you are, whether it is an entrepreneur, business owner or a little bit of both. Everybody has their own idiosyncrasies, so don’t be discouraged if you don’t seem to fit into one category.  

 

But, remember this: 

Work with people whose strengths are your weaknesses, whose ambition you desire, and whose passion you seek. Find people who will compliment you, and question your judgement at the same time. You may fight, you may disagree, but if you trust each-others business plan, this will be your saving grace.