An entrepreneur is an individual who creates a business by taking greater than normal risks. The entrepreneur is commonly seen as a business leader and innovator and often exhibits qualities such as risk-taking, vision, self-determination, and leadership.
There are many different roles that an entrepreneur can play, depending on the size and stage of their business.
Let us see more roles in this article.
Difference between characteristics and roles of entrepreneur
The characteristics of an entrepreneur are the qualities that make them a good entrepreneur. These qualities can include things like creativity, innovation, risk-taking, leadership, and determination.
But the roles of an entrepreneur are different from the characteristics.
They are tasks that they need to perform to be successful. These roles include developing a business plan, marketing the business, raising capital, managing employees, and dealing with challenges.
| Characteristics | Roles |
| Creativity | Developing a business plan |
| Innovation | Marketing the business |
| Risk-taking | Raising capital |
| Leadership | Managing employees |
| Determination | Dealing with challenges |
Difference between roles and responsibilities
A role is a position or function that an entrepreneur plays or performs. A responsibility is a duty or obligation that he/she has.
Initiating
The economy has so far been driven by the most valuable factors like entrepreneurs and support systems by government policies.
One has to take the initial step in identifying the gaps, and issues and offer solutions to the significant needs of the people or conditions prevailing in the economy.
Entrepreneurs possess not only investment potential but also the ability to generate innovative ideas and take action by launching a new business.
So what it takes or demands to be a successful entrepreneur is – to be the initiator – to find problems and resolve them with a dignified vision.
Organising
Once the business is built, everything comes under the eye of an entrepreneur. He/She takes sole responsibility and maintains a firm discipline in prioritising and organising business operations.
An entrepreneur is an effective manager to oversee every component of the business work well and strictly adheres to the business objective.
Leading
Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago
Warren Buffett
This quote perfectly captures the essence of leadership. It’s about taking a long-term view, planning, and making decisions that will benefit not just ourselves but also others in the future.
The entrepreneur must be a leader who sets a clear vision, communicating that vision to the team, and empowering them to work towards achieving it.
Ultimately, the role of an entrepreneur as a leader is to create a positive impact and inspire people around them leaving a lasting legacy.
Raising Funds
Entrepreneur has a critical role in getting funds from investors and other viable resources.
It is a bit challenging because without adequate funds it is not even possible to turn an idea into a business prototype.
Lenders will provide financial assistance by expecting some return. From Bootstrapping to Bank loans to Venture Capital, it is the entrepreneur’s duty to choose the right sources at the right time.
Because it reflects on the business and he/she would be accountable for every penny that is spent on it.
Business Forecasting
Entrepreneurs must be peculiar in addressing the risk or challenges of their business that may come in the future.
Business forecasting is essential to anticipate and prepare for future market changes and trends. It typically involves analysing past performance and current trends to predict the future.
This allows them to stay ahead of the competition.
Budgeting
As an entrepreneur, it is crucial to have a clear understanding of a business’s financial situation.
They are more responsible in the allocation of funds by critically analysing the expenses, cost-benefit, and cash flow needs that eventually help in meeting the financial goals.
Team Forming
Entrepreneur is not a one-man army when it comes to running a successful business. It’s significant to realise the importance of building a strong founding team.
Because it is not like recruiting an employee. Moreover, they have to find the right co-founder, CEO, and so on who resembles the same character. The team should have more expertise with experience and complementary skills.
Creating Business Strategy
One of the key ingredients to success is a well-thought-out business strategy.
Being an entrepreneur is not a job. They have a unique perspective on their business. They must check various aspects like market conditions. Responding to that he/she creates plans, makes decisions, and takes necessary actions.
They are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound which helps in meeting the business goals.
Allocation of Resources
We all know the importance of business resources, as they act as a pillar that makes business operations feasible.
Entrepreneurs allocate resources that include capital, labor, and technology and optimally use them.
This, in turn, helps to develop products or services that meet customer needs and also accomplish the objectives of the organization.
Identifying opportunities
Being in any situation every entrepreneur wants to find opportunities to grow their business.
They conduct various analyses like
- Gathering customer feedback,
- Studying customer behaviour
- Persona, and
- Identifying the pain points.
Additionally, they perform competitive analysis to identify gaps in the market. Hence they customize the product or service to provide better value to customers. Such efforts enable them to gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace.
Building partnership
Entrepreneurs often make partnership deals with other businessmen or other firms to expand their business. This helps them to reap more benefits like
- Access to new markets
- Expand product or service offerings
- Share costs and risks
- Gain access to expertise and resources
They reach out to partners, negotiate and sign a contract.
Negotiator
Entrepreneurs play important roles as negotiators. They have to negotiate with the partners, suppliers, distributors, and several other components of a business.
There might be more differentiating factors while negotiating, but beyond that, he/she convinces and closes a deal successfully.
Marketer
Entrepreneurs are not just business owners, they are also marketers. They develop a marketing strategy, create marketing materials, and execute marketing campaigns.
This requires a good understanding of the target market, and competition, which helps in reaching the marketing goals.
Bottom Line
Being an entrepreneur is no easy feat. It requires a diverse set of skills, unwavering dedication, and a passion for bringing ideas to life. Successful entrepreneurs often find themselves wearing multiple hats as they navigate the ever-changing landscape of business.