Entrepreneur vs. Small Business Owner

Karri Flatla writing on Small Business Trends:

When business people converse, the terms “small business owner� and “entrepreneur� are used interchangeably as if they mean the same thing. Yet I discern two very different connotations. Is this a matter of semantics? Or is there an important distinction to be made?

According to government statistics, “small businesses� comprise the vast majority of enterprises across North America, most of which close their doors before their fifth anniversary. What is more interesting to me is that I have never seen a government study that discusses the flailing “entrepreneur.� Then again, perhaps the only people who write about entrepreneurs are entrepreneurs.

I have an admission to make. I expect less from a small business owner than I do from a self-proclaimed entrepreneur. Think about it this way: if you were just introduced to someone at a local networking event, and he asked what you do, which of the following answers are you most likely to give?

Interesting debate. I don’t know which side you stand on, but no matter what, being an entrepreneur or a small business owner is better than not being one!

Photo by willem velthoven.

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