Choose Your Language Of Preference Below
French Version German Version Russian Version Spanish Version
Throughout business school I was most interested in what made business people tick.
I was particularly interested in learning what really made the difference with each business enterprise, what executives and people did differently that made them stand out.
At the heart of every business enterprise is an entrepreneur, the brain behind “why” that business exists.
Within every business enterprise are intrapreneurs, people who are behind the process(es) explaining the “what, when and how” the business works.
Ultimately though, any business enterprise succeeds or fails on the strengths and weaknesses of the entrepreneur and it is incumbent upon him/her to realize the need for ambidexterity for such an enterprise to be a going concern or eventually end up as a discontinued op.
In my research I came up with five distinct kinds of entrepreneurs and since my research is on-going, I may eventually tweak one of two of these functionalities but the premise remains the same.
It really does not matter what kind of an enterprise one runs, it could be a governmental enterprise, a corporate enterprise, a religious enterprise or even a political enterprise, I have found the fundamentals to hold regardless …
The “Wanna Be” Entrepreneur …
Crude as it may sound, the majority of entrepreneurs around the world fall into this category. These are individuals with a good and sound business concept who lack the training, skills and the technical know-how required to make it happen.
They range from some home-based, to Ntemba kind and mom and pop corner stores. They grind the wheel so to speak, always working hard but achieving the same results and as long as they are getting along just fine and some bills are being paid, it’s all good until a giant corporation shows up and drives them out of business.
They are susceptible to bankruptcy, they don’t know how to handle their books well and can’t usually tell how much in revenues they are able to garner or the extent to which business costs can break their bank.
Because they usually lack innovation, they are closed to new concepts; they usually tell you that if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it and because they lack the understanding of the fact the world is constantly changing they lag behind and eventually fade away.
The problem at this level has nothing to do with lack of zeal but foresight, training, skills and the technical know-how. Because everything can be improved upon, the “Wanna be” Entrepreneur’s inability to change kills the good and sound business concept that was once a brilliant idea.
The “Job on Training - JOT” Entrepreneur …
These usually start out as intrapreneurs, those already engaged in some business enterprise of some sort. They usually have a handle on “what, when and how” the enterprise ought to operate.
They are medium to high skilled individuals with an astute eye for innovation and they usually ask the “why” question but by virtue of their position(s) due to copyright or proprietary reasons are not privy to the “why” of the overall concept(s).
Because they are good at what they do, they end up discovering the missing link(s) in the daily operations and or an entirely new process, product or technology. They usually decide to go it alone with a new and different business enterprise or they bring in new ideas to management that earn them either more positional or monetary power within the enterprise.
As they leave, they became entrepreneurs but when they stay they continue to be intrapreneurs. When they leave, they usually have problems with ambidexterity since they have to function as CEO, CFO, COO, etc at the same time while making the business grow.
They usually have a good success rate if they immediately bring along qualified individuals with the same vision who have long-term ambitions with growing prospects but they immediately fail if they surround themselves with a bunch of get rich quick fellows however great future prospects may seem.
The upside with the “Job On Training” Entrepreneur is that with the right synergies in place, they have the ability to generate enormous amounts of wealth in the short to long run thereby becoming wealthy but the downside is that with lack of proper planning, one can easily fold-up and go back to his/her day job.
The “Practicing” Entrepreneur …
This is by far the most stable of all levels of entrepreneurships according to my findings. This is because this level is mainly made up of individuals with professional practices such as lawyers, accountants, doctors, engineers and such.
If one closely examined each of these professions, the said entrepreneur can easily join an already existing firm upon attaining the necessary qualifications and play it safe thereby still have a descent lifestyle.
A lawyer can join a law firm and work his/her way to be partner, an accountant can join an accounting firm, a doctor can work for a local hospital and be very effective, an engineer can work for an engineering firm and make a good income, etc.
The moment they go it alone, they become entrepreneurs but unlike the “Job On Training” Entrepreneur, no new process, products and technologies are necessary for them to run stand alone enterprises.
But like the “Job On Training” Entrepreneur should things not pan out, they can still go back to other organized enterprises and continue to make descent incomes. Finding and placing right talents in place is a critical component to their success but overall being able to produce quality workmanship is by the far the most guaranteeing epitome for success.
The “Expert” Entrepreneur …
These are the climax of all levels of entrepreneurship, they been there done that. They usually sit on major corporate boards and run b2b (business to business) consultancy firms.
They know what it takes to be competitive, they know what mixes bring in the right products and they know what synergies are necessary to crack any kind of market.
They don’t need to know all the intricacies of your operations, they just need to know “why” you are in business and build from there. They are the kinds who need answers before they ask questions.
Most of them are already wealthy and not in it for the money but for fun of it and because they like what they do. They are rare to find and even bring alone because they usually have no incentive of their own but they are great mentors.
They are a repertoire of knowledge and wisdom, they know a lot of people in higher places - usually just a phone call away and can help with right connections to make any enterprise successful.
Their greatest weakness is they act like they know it all, and no one really does - they are hard to convince when they are wrong about something. There is always someone who knows something I am unaware of but their benefits usually outweigh the costs as they are able to turn any enterprise around.
Because they solve the bigger problems, their incomes are astronomical, they continue to be wealthy even after leaving the practice because of their high demand and the value they add to the process.
The “Has Been” Entrepreneur …
While most people denigrate the “Has Been” Entrepreneur, they can be a great source of why things don’t work. Because they are cynical, they easily tell how flawed your idea(s) could be despite the hype.
Because they believe they are smart enough and for them to have failed, everyone is also subject to failure. Their failure(s) usually have nothing to do with their abilities; it is usually due to things like timing of a product entry into the market, or something of a sort.
But they are consumed with the past; they see little hope for the future and like one wise man once told me the secret(s) of success lies in the hands of those who once failed. As an upcoming entrepreneur, one has to be careful as he/she interacts with the “Has Been” by giving him/her credit where it was due while extrapolating as much as possible for his/her own good.
Much of this information will eventually be published in my next book and as of today I just wanted to share bits and 
pieces of what makes the world of entrepreneurship interesting.
The Zambian Enterprise is run by entrepreneurs who form a governmental enterprise; we need to be aware of why some political parties tick and others are the “Have Beens”.
Because Zambia Is Greater Than Any Single One of Us, that’s this week’s memo from us at the Zambian Chronicle … thanks a trillion.
Brainwave R Mumba, Sr.
CEO & President – Zambian Chronicle
Copyrights © 2008 Zambian Chronicle. All rights reserved. Zambian Chronicle content may not be stored except for personal, non-commercial use. Republication and redissemination of Zambian Chronicle content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Zambian Chronicle. Zambian Chronicle shall not be liable for any errors, omissions, interruptions or delays in connection with the Zambian Chronicle content or from any damages arising therefrom.
Zambian Chronicle is a wholly owned subsidiary of Microplus Holdings International, Inc.
Copyrights © 2008 Microplus Holdings Int., Inc
