Successful entrepreneurs
Whenever you think of successful entrepreneurs, you can see that they are always working hard to make the most of their time, money and skills.
They have clear goals and they focus all of their efforts on achieving these goals. They manage their time so that it is always used as productively as possible. They know what their strengths are and can use their skills to achieve the best possible outcomes.
Entrepreneurs will have different factors that motivate them to succeed – put simply, this is the reason that they do what they do! For example, some will have financial motivation, while others may be in business for personal/social reasons.
Click on the images below to learn more about these different entrepreneurial motivators.
Financial motivation
A lot of entrepreneurs decide to start a business in order to make money. They are driven and motivated by the prospect of wealth and making as much money as possible. High profile millionaire (and billionaire) entrepreneurs such as Mark Zuckerberg make it seem possible for other entrepreneurs to achieve the same financial success.
Personal motivation
Entrepreneurs may also be motivated to start a business due to personal reasons, things that interest them or things that they are passionate about. For example, Bill Gates started his business as he was driven to make a difference by giving access to computers for as many people as possible…he was not motivated by the thought of making money and will probably have had no idea of the fortune he would end up making from the venture!
This type of motivation can lead to a sense of great satisfaction when the business succeeds and leads to a positive or beneficial outcome in an area that is of personal interest to the entrepreneur.
Attractiveness
Some aesthetically pleasing typography and a pleasant colour scheme can go a long way in making the user feel more at home when using your interface.
Activity
Meet and interview two successful entrepreneurs in your local area (they may even be a friend of yours or part of your family). Ask questions to find out how they achieved success in business, the challenges they faced and the skills/characteristics that they feel helped them to be successful.
Make notes from your interviews in the box below. You might find it useful to share and discuss your notes with other people in your class and/or your class teacher.
Social motivation
Finally, entrepreneurs may be motivated to succeed in business due to social reasons – they may decide to start a business with the aim of solving a particular social problem or encouraging social change. The entrepreneur is not in business to make profits and money for themselves – any money that the business does make is used to help improve a particular social situation…which could range from providing affordable furniture for disadvantaged families to offering training and employment opportunities for vulnerable people.
For example, The Big Issue magazine was launched in 1991 in order to help offer homeless people an opportunity to earn an income through selling the magazine to the public.