Are you a business owner or an entrepreneur?
The answer may shift how you see yourself
Hi Friend,
A few weeks ago, I found myself in my counsellor’s office, recounting a conversation I'd recently had with a friend. We’d been chatting about side projects, and I’d suggested he consider offering beginner tech courses. It seemed like a no-brainer—a chance to bring in extra income while sharing skills people genuinely need. But he just shook his head and laughed. “That’s why you’re a business owner and I’m just an employee. You think like a businessperson.”
When I shared this with my counsellor, she paused thoughtfully, then said, “No, you think like an entrepreneur. Not a businessperson. You’re an entrepreneur.”
That word—entrepreneur—caught me off guard. In all my years as a writer, editor, and content strategist, I’d always seen myself as a business owner, but never an entrepreneur. To me, entrepreneurs were the Silicon Valley types, tech innovators or high-risk investors.
Entrepreneurs and businesspeople
When I questioned her about the difference—is there really a difference?—she said “A businessperson picks a product or service—or a business to own—and they stick with it. That’s their focus throughout their career, and their business doesn’t substantially shift. Think of the mechanic who runs a repair shop down the street or the person who owns the local bakery. They’re dedicated to perfecting what they do, day in and day out.”
“An entrepreneur, though,” she continued, “is different. They’re constantly searching for ways to shift and pivot. They aren’t just developing their skills—they’re evolving their business, always looking for new ideas, new directions, and new ways to make an impact.”
My counsellor’s words had hit on something I hadn’t realized about myself: I wasn’t only running a business. I was constantly seeking new ways to grow, innovate, and solve problems. And maybe that was the mark of an entrepreneur.
It made me wonder about the practical differences between being a businessperson and being an entrepreneur and why those two paths sometimes look so different—yet are equally valuable. We need entrepreneurs, and we need business people.
While it might seem like we’re arguing semantics, how you define yourself can affect your decisions and your reactions to your results. This isn’t about placing limits on yourself. Instead, it’s about recognizing which mindset drives you and how you’re inclined to build your business. Knowing your natural approach can help you play to your strengths.
Here are some areas where entrepreneurs and business people differ:
1. Mindset and Motivation
Business People: Viewing yourself as a businessperson often means you’re motivated by stability and efficiency. You likely value long-term client relationships, predictable revenue, and a well-established service model. This approach can create a strong foundation and build client trust over time, making your business a reliable source of income.
Entrepreneurs: Seeing yourself as an entrepreneur, on the other hand, brings a mindset of exploration and adaptability. If you’re naturally entrepreneurial, you might find that success comes from taking calculated risks, experimenting with new services, or pivoting when opportunities arise. This agility can be invaluable for growth in competitive or changing markets.
2. Goal Setting and Planning
Business People: Your goals might focus on refining your offerings, building efficiency, and optimizing client experience. This steady approach can help in establishing a reputation, often leading to repeat business and referrals that sustain growth.
Entrepreneurs: An entrepreneurial mindset might lead you to set ambitious, even unconventional goals—testing new niches, expanding into multiple revenue streams, or launching new ventures alongside your core business. This strategy can attract a diverse client base and open doors to growth opportunities.
3. Response to Challenges and Change
Business People: A business-focused approach often excels in maintaining stability during challenging times by sticking to what works, relying on established relationships, and minimizing risk. When things are uncertain, clients may turn to you for consistency.
Entrepreneurs: If you see yourself as an entrepreneur, you might view challenges as signals for new directions or innovative solutions. This can keep your business agile, allowing you to respond quickly to market shifts or emerging trends, which can set you apart from more traditional competitors. If you try things that don’t work out, you revise, adapt, and move forward.
In freelancing, a businessperson might focus on providing blog writing services to financial firms. That’s their lane, and they stick to it. Over time, they might expand to include different types of clients, but their focus remains on creating high-quality blog content. By honing this niche, they become the go-to expert in blog writing, building a reputation—and a great income—around a single, specialized service.
An entrepreneur, on the other hand, is always exploring. They might start with blog writing but soon branch out, adding services like social media content or SEO consulting as side offerings. When they spot an emerging trend, they pivot, adapting their services to stay ahead of the curve. Their business evolves as they do, and so do the opportunities they chase.
So what are the pros and cons of each approach?
Business Person in Writing/Editing
A businessperson often focuses on stability, structure, and steady revenue. They aim for consistency and efficient operations, typically choosing methods they know work well and deliver reliable results.
Pros:
Stability and Predictability: Reliable income and established processes.
Deep Client Relationships: Business people often have loyal clients who value their consistency.
Efficient Workflows: Less time spent on experimenting, with more focus on refining proven processes.
High levels of expertise: By focusing on one or two core services, they can easily become the expert in that area, making it easier to find clients and charge higher rates.
Cons:
Limited Growth: Focusing on consistency can mean fewer opportunities to explore new ideas or innovate.
Risk of Stagnation: Reliance on certain clients or methods might limit adaptation to changing market trends.
Entrepreneur in Writing/Editing
Entrepreneurs in writing/editing are usually driven by innovation, adaptability, and the pursuit of new challenges. They may be more willing to take risks, pivot their approach, and adapt to market shifts.
Pros:
Flexibility and Adaptability: An entrepreneurial approach allows rapid responses to market changes, which can bring in diverse opportunities.
Potential for High Growth: Entrepreneurs who successfully meet a new need can scale quickly and attract premium clients.
Creative Freedom: They can be more experimental, exploring various niches, services, and revenue streams.
Cons:
Inconsistent Revenue: More risk-taking can lead to a fluctuating income stream.
Higher Initial Investment: Expanding into new services or products often requires time and resources.
Stress from Constant Change: Constantly pivoting can be mentally draining, and some projects may not pay off as expected.
Why does this matter?
At first, it might not seem important. But for me, embracing the idea of being an entrepreneur has shed light on patterns in my decision-making I hadn’t fully understood. I used to think I was just easily bored or too restless to stay focused on one area of my business. Now, I can see that what I thought was a “lack of focus” was actually adaptability—a willingness to evolve as the industries I work in have shifted.
Where I once worried I was giving up too soon on certain ideas, I now see those moments as calculated moves. I wasn’t quitting (hear me out on this); I was using what I’d learned to shift my focus and create something new.
Redefining myself as an entrepreneur has also transformed how I look at projects that didn’t pan out. They weren’t failures—they were experiments. Each was a step in testing, learning, and refining. I tried things, gathered insights, and decided whether to keep going or pivot to something better. It’s been freeing to see that adaptability as a strength instead of a flaw.
Around two years ago, I came up with an idea for a newsletter (raise your hand if you remember Wordsmithed. No? Just me?), wrote a couple of issues (none were ever published), and stopped because it didn’t feel right. At the time, I felt like I had failed because I wasn’t persistent enough. Now I can see that I needed to write a few issues of that newsletter to figure out it wouldn’t work—and that ultimately led me to create Happy Freelancing, which I’ve loved doing for the past year-and-a-half. But I might not have wound up here if I hadn’t tried that first newsletter and recognized that it wasn’t working out.
Recognizing that journey makes it easier for me to try new ideas in the future—because I can recognize that each step isn’t about success or failure, it’s about another step on the path leading me to what I’m meant to be doing.
You can thrive in freelancing whether you’re a business owner or an entrepreneur—neither path is inherently better. The key is recognizing your mindset and making choices that align with it. Embrace what drives you and let that guide how you build your business.
Here’s to your ongoing freelance success,
Heidi