2. Transitioning from employee to entrepreneur
is a leap not many can do efficiently. But
when accomplished, the result is a thriving
business in the community. It’s often easy to
forget that every business owner at some
point was an employee of another. The big
difference between the two roles is mindset.
While employees and owners both want the
business to succeed, their positions feature
fundamental differences.
C O M P A N Y . C O M
3. A s a n e n t r e p r e n e u r , y o u
c r e a t e t h e s t a n d a r d s o f t h e
b u s i n e s s , a n d n o o n e g i v e s
y o u a c h e c k l i s t o f w h a t y o u
n e e d t o a c c o m p l i s h . Y o u
d o n ’ t r e c e i v e d i r e c t i o n f r o m
a n y o n e o n h o w t o m o v e
f o r w a r d o r e x p a n d . A s a n
e m p l o y e e , y o u w o r k f o r
s o m e o n e e l s e a n d d o n ’ t h a v e
m u c h w i g g l e r o o m i n w h a t
y o u d o . T h e o w n e r c r e a t e s
y o u r r u l e s a n d d a y - t o - d a y
a c t i v i t i e s .
4. The entrepreneur must
decide how to resolve issues
and implement the
resolutions for the business.
The employee works for
someone else and receives
directions on what he or she
does every day. Employees
have less freedom in their
jobs, and work is just part of
their life. For entrepreneurs,
their work is their life.
5. A n e n t r e p r e n e u r c a n s a y n o t o
o p p o r t u n i t i e s , w h i l e a n e m p l o y e e
m i g h t f e e l o b l i g a t e d t o s a y y e s t o
u n d e s i r a b l e t a s k s . W h e n l o o k i n g a t
o p p o r t u n i t i e s , o w n e r s m u s t a s k
w h a t i s b e s t f o r t h e b u s i n e s s , n o t
t h e m s e l v e s . T h e y m u s t l o o k a t t h e
b i g p i c t u r e a n d d e c i d e h o w t o m o v e
f o r w a r d f o r t h e i r c o m p a n y . T h e y
c a n ' t s a y y e s t o e v e r y t h i n g , f o r
d o i n g s o w o u l d w a s t e r e s o u r c e s o n
v e n t u r e s t h a t w o n ' t b e n e f i t t h e
b u s i n e s s . I n c o n t r a s t , e m p l o y e e s
m a y f e e l t h a t t h e y h a v e t o s a y y e s
t o e v e r y o p p o r t u n i t y f o r f e a r o f
m i s s i n g o u t . T h e y b e l i e v e t h e y m u s t
w o r k m o r e t o g e t n o t i c e d , s o t h e y
t e n d t o a c c e p t e v e r y t h i n g g i v e n t o
t h e m .
6. Instead of focusing on what
they can improve,
entrepreneurs bet on their
strengths. They don’t waste
time wondering how they can
improve their weaknesses,
instead focusing on perfecting
their strengths. Employees, on
the other hand, try to succeed
at everything by improving
their weaknesses. They want
to become well-rounded
workers, which is what their
employers want them to be.
7. B e c a u s e b u s i n e s s l e a d e r s a r e
r e s p o n s i b l e f o r m u l t i p l e t h i n g s ,
t h e y m u s t d e l e g a t e t a s k s . T i m e i s a
v a l u a b l e r e s o u r c e t h a t c a n n o t b e
w a s t e d o n t h i n g s t h a t w o n ’ t b e n e f i t
t h e b u s i n e s s i n t h e l o n g r u n . A s a n
e n t r e p r e n e u r , y o u n e e d t o
u n d e r s t a n d w h a t n e e d s y o u r
a t t e n t i o n a n d w h a t d o e s n ' t , a n d
d e l e g a t e t h e l a t t e r t o o t h e r s . A s a n
e m p l o y e e , y o u i n s t e a d t e n d t o
f u n c t i o n a s a o n e - p e r s o n t e a m . Y o u
b e l i e v e y o u m u s t c o m p l e t e
e v e r y t h i n g o n y o u r o w n , a n d
a s k i n g f o r h e l p i s a s i g n o f
w e a k n e s s .
8. Becoming an entrepreneur is
challenging and requires a specific
mindset. You shouldn’t view
opportunities from an “employee
mindset”— you must take small
steps to change how you think. Over
time, it will become more
manageable to remain within that
“entrepreneur mindset.”
C O M P A N Y . C O M
