Entrepreneurship is not for Everyone, and Neither is Employment

My good friend meant well when she shared the link to my blog on Facebook and advised those with entrepreneurial ambitions to follow my posts. Though I appreciated her efforts, I felt the need to clarify that my blog on self-improvement not intended for entrepreneurs only. I blog for all you who want to better your lives, make the best of your day, no matter what you do for a living.

These days, it seems that almost every blog one reads is about how to be an entrepreneur. Most feel that entrepreneurship is being pushed down their throats without the appreciation that entrepreneurship is not for everyone. Every life coach is showing you how to break from employment, and every book being written is how you can start your own business.

Do you have to find your passion and become an entrepreneur?

Entrepreneurship is not for everyone

While some of this is great advice, we have to appreciate that entrepreneurship is not for everyone. While at it, we must acknowledge that neither is employment for everyone. There are those who thrive in employment and suck at being entrepreneurs, and vice versa. We must also stop acting as if one kind is more special than the other.

Here is some of why being employed is wonderful:

Why it’s awesome being an employee

Employees take pride in working in good jobs, which they are very good at, most of the time. This is how we end up with great CEOs such as Jack Welch, Indra Nooyi, Lee Iacocca, James Mworia among others who grew from ordinary employment positions to become some of the most respectable CEOs.
They like the job for the financial security so they can concentrate on other aspects of their lives, such as family. Truth is, some great employment positions pay better than any start-up will ever do.
Employees acknowledge that they do not have the confidence, risk, tenacity, persistence to get to the wilderness and start from scratch and that is fine. Others do not have the opportunity, resources, or even the luck that can jump-start them into entrepreneurship. Self-awareness is the basis of knowing what you can or cannot do and knowing this and getting into employment is a great step. Remember we derive satisfaction from very different things in life, and that is ok.
Some employees have the desire and intention to serve such as working with children and they realize they cannot do this alone, therefore join organizations e.g. NGOs, or teaching institutions to achieve their purpose.
Depending on the organization and nature of the profession, there are more opportunities for growth in employment than there are in entrepreneurship.

Why it’s awesome being an entrepreneur

First, it is important to acknowledge that most entrepreneurs make terrible employees. This is because they are made to set their own pace and will likely disagree with the pace being taken where they work.
They also like to take risks, and most times feel that the employment position is choking them, they want to get out of that zone. They are prepared to do all that it takes to make this a reality, even when it means being uncomfortable for a while. Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla Motors, lived off a dollar a day to see if he had what it takes to be an entrepreneur. He acknowledged that he may not make money as an entrepreneur for a really long time.
Successful entrepreneurs have burning ideas that they’d like to execute. No matter how much they try to suppress the ideas, it burns inside until they feel they have to break free and try it out.
These kinds of people are always encouraging and inviting a challenge; and therefore, a calm and predictable environment can lead to boredom for them.

As I had said earlier, none is better or superior to the other. Whether you make a great employee or an entrepreneur is dependent on a lot of factors such as personality, character, upbringing, opportunity life presents you with.

In Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers, opportunity contributes to a large extent to what we become. He gives an example of Bill Gates, who had the opportunity to access many platforms to learn programming way before such amenities were available to many. That opportunity he got at that time put him ahead of others and contributed to him creating programs that are used globally.

With all that being said, the basis of knowing what is meant for you lies in self-understanding and awareness. Knowing what you want and going to get it is the ultimate way to live a full life. No one should assume that someone did not live their life to the full because they chose one line. Whatever line you are in, make the best of it.

Can’t decide if entrepreneurship is for you? Take this self-awareness course to help you find out what you’re good at.