For about the last 3 years my wife and I have run a small business that helps individuals who work for non-profits and have to raise their own support with their marketing (newsletters, websites stuff like that). Whenever I tell someone that I “own a small business” they get all dreamy eyed and usually say, “that’s great!”. Unless of course they are a small business owner themselves in which case they ask how business is doing and usually 100 other relevant questions. This has led me to believe there are really only 2 kinds of people, the entrepreneur and the worker.
Now, before I go any further, I could be totally wrong. This is a simple hypothesis I’m chewing on. In fact, there’s a pretty good chance by this time tomorrow I’ll think something completely different. But, until then, this is what I’m going with.
The entrepreneur believes in tomorrow. Tomorrow holds even greater possibilities and profits than today did. The worker believes in today. Today put food on the table and helped pay the bills.
The entrepreneur believes in rocking the status quo and risking his security. The worker believes in putting in a honest days work for a honest days wage.
The entrepreneur believes in himself. The worker believes in others.
Now, for the record, I don’t think the entrepreneur is better than the worker, or the worker better than the entrepreneur. In fact, one without the other is dangerous for the sanity of all those around him or her. And I think for any small business to succeed you need both the entrepreneur and the worker. The entrepreneur gets all the street cred, but its the worker who makes the world go round.
My 2 cents on this fine winter day.