Are you an entrepreneur or intrapreneur?

With everybody bragging about how they’re building a startup, those at desk jobs may start to feel like they’re slaves of a system that they need to break free from. The truth is, not everyone can be an entrepreneur so enter INTRAPRENEURS!

These are in every right just as creative and great thinkers as entrepreneurs sell themselves to be, but the major difference is rather than owning their own business, they are employed in someone else’s. They are just as much risk takers as entrepreneurs are, and make big decisions that decide the fate of the business, ensuring it continues to grow. They are given all the resources by their employer like training and funding that they need to carry out new ventures within their organization.

Entrepreneurs have the benefit that they can dictate how and when they work, but nowadays some companies are getting a little more flexible with employees’ schedules, allowing them to work from home or on certain days of the week at the office as long as the job is done.

Intrapreneurs have one up on the fact that they are hired to specialize in solving one aspect in the firm, and they focus on that. Entrepreneurs may have to tackle all aspects of the business, especially if they are just starting out. They handle accounts, logistics, marketing, PR, HR, everything! I hope you’re starting to smile at your desk now. 🙂

This may make intrapreneurs more productive in a business because they only target one goal, while entrepreneurs may lose their wits trying to handle so many things at once, lowering productivity in the long run.

Intrapreneurs can always switch to being entrepreneurs after gathering skills training from their job to create a – might I say, successful – business of their own eventually if they do decide on it. Entrepreneurs may never go back to working for someone else because many of them like being on control of the business, but they’ll willing take on a great team who’ll consist of intrapreneurs to handle different aspects of their business.

Yes, you may have been shouting ‘What about the pay?’ in your head as you read this, and you’re right. You may get peanuts at your job and more stacks working on your own, but that’s only as good as the business you own is making money. While being employed, not too many firms pass on losses to employees so they still get paid, whether the firm made money or not (That’s their problem, innit?) and hope that they can recover these losses in the next round. Throw in medical aid and your startup idea can take the high road! Just kidding. Follow your heart…

Financing: when you’re working for a reputable firm, there’s some assurance that comes with getting access to funding from banks. It might help you start your own business if you’ll switch to being an entrepreneur some day. Banking institutions have some confidence that you will pay them back if your account has a steady monthly deposit rate from your salary. When you’re an entrepreneur, it’s hard to get this kind of confidence from banks because they’re thinking of EVERYTHING that could go wrong with the business as you possibly have no collateral, meaning they think they won’t get their money back on time or may have to seize your possibly worthless property to resell to get some money back.

I’m not saying either is better that the other, just trying to stop the idea that we should all be business owners, let’s get creative in our jobs as well with tasks that are signed. Who knows what company we’ll be head of one day?! Take some time and ask yourself “Can I do this or not?” and go where the passion is strongest.

Have more to add? Comment below…