An
entrepreneur is a person who has possession of a new
enterprise,
venture or
idea and is accountable for the inherent risks and the outcome of a product.
[note 1] The term was originally a
loanword from
French and was first defined by the Irish-French
economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in
English is a term applied to a person who is willing to help launch a new venture or enterprise and accept full responsibility for the outcome.
Jean-Baptiste Say, a French economist, is believed to have coined the word "entrepreneur" in the 19th century - he defined an entrepreneur as "one who undertakes an enterprise, especially a contractor, acting as intermediatory between capital and labour".
[note 2] A broader definition by Say: "The entrepreneur shifts economic resources out of lower and into higher productivity and greater yield."
[clarification needed]
CHARACTERISTICS OF AN ENTREPRENEUR
- Responsible
- Hard Worker
- Risk Taker
- Creative
- Flexible
- Follows through with ideas
- Personable
- Optimistic
- Perceptive
- Self-confident
- Determined
- High degree of energy
- Innovative
- Independent
- Ability to anticipate needs
- Effective communicator
- Responsive to criticism
- Able to take the lead
- Learn from mistakes
- Self-directed
