Starting your own thing is in fashion. But what does it really mean to be an entrepreneur? Is being an entrepreneur the same as being a businessman, or are there real differences? Is everyone who calls themselves an entrepreneur really one? For some, the word “entrepreneur” is just a swap or a fancier word for “businessman.” But entrepreneurship is more of an adjective and an attitude than a job title. Where’s the line between an entrepreneur and a businessman? Ready to dive into the main differences between an entrepreneur and a businessman?

Differences between entrepreneur and businessman

Obviously, we can’t generalise. Within these two profiles, we can get more specific and look at different traits. These personalities are common in today’s business world, where the entrepreneur is, in fact, gaining shape and importance over the traditional businessman. To map this out, in this post we’ll focus on their main ways of working.

You can be a businessman, an entrepreneur, an entrepreneurial businessman or a business-minded entrepreneur. But here are some of the main differences between the entrepreneur and the businessman. Shall we go through them and hear your take?

• Projects or business models. How do entrepreneurs approach new challenges? Do they look at the skills of businessmen?

• Goals. What is each one aiming for based on their way of working? Can you be both an entrepreneur and a businessman?

• Leadership. What kind of personality makes a better entrepreneur? Is the businessman a leader who guides their workers?

• Risk level. How does each profile handle this risk factor? Who has more to lose?

• Concept of success. Does being an entrepreneur or a businessman shape how they see success? What challenges does each one set?

• Digital environment. Who matters more in the digital world? Are there differences between businessmen and entrepreneurs here?

Projects or business models

The businessman usually has the ability to adapt to any sector or type of business if they spot an interesting opportunity.

The entrepreneur tends to focus on developing their own ideas, or ones they’re deeply personally invested in. That said, keep in mind that there are many different types of entrepreneurs — and the same goes for businessmen.

Goals

The businessman’s goal is to build an economically viable business. The traits that describe a businessman are more in line with the classic idea of “the boss.” They’re someone who has to “put food on the table” for their employees as well as for themselves. Their expectations of success tend to be higher, because several people depend on how the business performs.

The entrepreneur isn’t indifferent to the financial side, but their motivation is more tied to getting their project off the ground and leaving some kind of mark. Does that mean they “don’t care about money”? Not at all, but they lean more towards the “do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life” mindset. Of course, they need to make a living too, and financial success is what makes that possible.

Leadership

The businessman is a manager and a boss who hires employees to help grow the business, and what they value most is productivity.

The entrepreneur plays more of a “fellow leader” role than a boss in the traditional sense. They place a lot of value on personal connection and on having people around them who truly believe in their project. They take social relationships and networking with other entrepreneurs seriously, whether they’re in their sector or not.

Risk level

The businessman has a more analytical mindset, keeps an eye on the numbers and has carefully calculated the risk they’re willing to take and how far they can and want to go. Their analytical side shows in how much weight they give to their employees: if they lose, everyone loses. The risk here is greater than what an entrepreneur might take on.

The entrepreneur can end up living in a state of constant risk because the most important thing for them is bringing their business dream to life, and they pour all their time, effort and energy into it. Their vision is more idealistic than the cold business numbers. You could say it’s an idealistic take on what they’ve always wanted to do — and now they get to live off it.

Concept of success

For the businessman, success is tied to the profitability of the business, the jobs created, and so on. They have a more corporate than personal view of work.

For the entrepreneur, the path to success is much fuzzier. It starts with bringing their business dream to life, but the challenges don’t end there — they just keep coming. This includes both personal and professional growth, reaching high points along the way with their project.

Digital environment

The businessman isn’t necessarily directly involved in the digital world. They might be completely detached from it, or simply delegate the strategies tied to this environment — strategies that entrepreneurs, on the other hand, tend to handle first-hand.

Entrepreneurs are well aware that the success of a project is, one way or another, closely tied to the digital world, and they take advantage of every tool within reach. Tools that, more and more, play a key role in their success.

What do you see as the main differences between an entrepreneur and a businessman? Do you think the terms are used interchangeably as synonyms? Do you think the word entrepreneur is at risk of being watered down?