15 Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Objectives After completing this section, you will be able to: • Explain what an entrepreneur does. • Describe the qualities and characteristics common to entrepreneurs. Key Terms entrepreneur intrapreneur entrepreneurship start-up companies leader interpersonal skills traits self-assessment Critical Thinking Think about businesses in your community. Identify four that were started by entrepreneurs. List the attitudes and aptitudes these entrepreneurs probably possess. Now make a list of the attitudes and aptitudes that you possess. Circle the ones that you think would be critical to your success as an entrepreneur. SECTION 1.2 Becoming an Entrepreneur What Is an Entrepreneur? You may have been talking all of your life about what you want to be when you grow up. Now the time is here, and you are creating career plans. It is an exciting time in your life. There are many traditional careers you could pursue. Are you a person who likes to take a chance? Do you prefer independence to working for someone else? Are you always coming up with ideas for new goods or services? Then being an entrepreneur may be a career choice for you. An entrepreneur is a person who starts a new business. The word entrepreneur comes from the French word entreprendre, or to undertake. These individuals were willing to take risks by literally undertaking new ventures. If you have ever mowed lawns, started a babysitting service, or sold lemonade on hot days, then you are an entrepreneur. An intrapreneur is a person who works for a company and uses skills, knowledge, and company resources to create new products, make improvements, or develop ideas that benefit the company. Is it possible to be an employee, an intrapreneur, and an entrepreneur? How do the qualities common to many entrepreneurs help them succeed? How do th e qualities com