Group One or Group Two

It seems there are some miss perceptions on what a business owner is and what is considered a successful business. My observations after many years in business are that you can break down what constitutes a small business owner into two categories.

Group one is people who are good at making things or providing services of some type. For this group, the act of making products or providing services is the heart of the business. Making things and or providing the service is the primary reason for the business with making money coming in second. This group does not necessarily consider themselves business people per se.

Group two is what I would consider “business people” as in people who enter into business with the sole intent of making money. For this group making a profit is the motivating purpose for the business. The product or service the business provides is secondary to the potential of the business to make a profit. This group does take pride in being known as business people or as entrepreneurs.

It is a rare case that you have a person who has both of the attributes.