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Chapter 1 Entrepreneurial Careers
Traits of Successful Entrepreneurs
Some say that entrepreneurs are born. Others say that
entrepreneurs are made. Both theories are correct. Some research
shows that entrepreneurship runs in families. Most people who start
their own businesses, however, are the first in their family to take the
risk of becoming an entrepreneur.
Do you have what it takes to start a business? There are many
traits that entrepreneurs have in common. Numerous studies have
been done to identify personality traits of successful entrepreneurs.
Traits are behavioral and emotional characteristics that make each person
unique. Have you thought about what your unique traits might be?
Personality traits include the five Ps for entrepreneurs—passion,
perseverance, persistence, planning, and problem solving, as shown
in Figure 1-6. There are many more traits commonly associated with
successful entrepreneurs. Look at the list in Figure 1-7. How many of
these traits could describe you?
You do not need to be at work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to be
a business owner. However, you do need to enjoy the work and have
the ability to sell your products, ideas, or services. It is important that
you evaluate your aptitudes, attitudes, traits, and skills as you consider
starting your own business.
Social Entrepreneurs
Jim Fruchterman
For some entrepreneurs, the American Dream does not
involve simply starting a business, the business must have
socially responsible goals. These social entrepreneurs
dream of improving living or economic conditions with
the business they create. Jim Fruchterman is a social entrepreneur. He
always felt that there was an equity gap for those with disabilities and
that by applying technology, those with disabilities could be helped.
Fruchterman founded Arkenstone in 1989 as a nonprofit social enterprise
organization that uses technology to help address social needs.
Arkenstone created a reading machine for the blind, which has delivered
reading tools in a dozen languages to over 50,000 disabled people living
in 60 countries. The Arkenstone product line was sold and the nonprofit
organization renamed Benetech. One of the products Benetech has
developed is Bookshare, an online library of over 80,000 books and
periodicals for people with disabilities such as blindness or low vision.