Can Entrepreneurship be taught?!

[curly87]

Hey all, im new here! But thought I would sign up as this seems like a good forum!

Currently im in my final year of university studying Entrepreneurship! The full title is in fact Entrepreneurship in IT, Technology and Business

Whenever I say what course im doing it normally results in a strange confused look, followed by “you will be the next Richard Branson then?!”

So what do you think? Can you teach Entrepreneurship or is it just in the blood?!

[Faith28]

It is only taught through experience. I don't think you can ever teach someone what sales and marketing is like until they have experienced it for several years first hand.

I'm a strong believer of the street smarts mentality. Although my background is very academic, I have grown a huge amount of respect for people who have learned through experience.

[curly87]

This is very true, i think you need a good mix of both! Hence why I took a year placement in India and worked in a marketing sector for a IT company.

Think I learnt more there than I have done in most of my uni course!

[SillyJokes]

Yes.

There are skills which could be taught.

I think you could be taught to assess and take risks when you may have been brought up to be 'safe'.

I expect it comes down to your preferred definition of Entreprenuer (see various threads on the forum)

[sirearl]

No because it does not exist.There are only people in business unless you watch Big Brother.

Earl

[toastking]

I think skills surrounding it can be taught, and you can be taught about entrepreneurs, but you cannot directly be taught it. Basically I think you can be taught to be better prepared to do the tasks you need to do, but not the whole thing, you need something more.

[Searcher]

Entrepreneurship can be coached, if the recipient has the right personailty for it. But entrepreneurship cannot exist without the fundamental building blocks being in place eg management skills, knowledge and expereince.

What exactly do you learn on a course like this ? Why ask this question in your final year - have you got doubts about it now ?

[Emma_B]

I think having a creative mind is the most important factor.

[toastking]

Emma is partially right, you have to be ambitious enough to go for it and follow your dreams, but you have to be creative enough in the first place to come up with an idea and solve problems.

[curly87]

Entrepreneurship can be coached, if the recipient has the right personailty for it. But entrepreneurship cannot exist without the fundamental building blocks being in place eg management skills, knowledge and expereince.

What exactly do you learn on a course like this ? Why ask this question in your final year - have you got doubts about it now ?

I believe like a lot of you say that some of the the building blocks can be taught but not so much the experience. For example some of the modules I am doing at the moment are:

E-Business
Corporate Sustainability
Business Modeling

I just wanted to get other peoples views on it really, find it quite interesting seeing as ive invested 5 years of my life on it so far!

Was going to be an engineer until I realised it was all just maths and no room for creative thinking!

[Dominic Taylor]

No. My business module on this subject at uni was rubbish.

[curly87]

No. My business module on this subject at uni was rubbish.

What degree did you do?

[Dominic Taylor]

What degree did you do?
Admittedly it was a computing degree with a side module in business, so probably aimed at steering geeks toward business gently!

My friends who did business did seem to have good course content. But on good topics, not modules that 'directly' teach Entrepreneurship, which is good because neither I nor they (well most of them) think it can be taught.

My university is now obsessed with calling itself the 'enterprise university' (http://www.plymouth.ac.uk/enterprise).

I'm still not sure what that page means. It's probably to do with inspiring students which is all good, but in management speak.

But then I'm just a cynic! ;)

[curly87]

Admittedly it was a computing degree with a side module in business, so probably aimed at steering geeks toward business gently!

My friends who did business did seem to have good course content. But on good topics, not modules that 'directly' teach Entrepreneurship, which is good because neither I nor they (well most of them) think it can be taught.

My university is now obsessed with calling itself the

I'm still not sure what that page means. It's probably to do with inspiring students which is all good, but in management speak.

But then I'm just a cynic! ;)

Its ok you might be right to be a cynic, our course is being canceled once ive finished we are the last year to do it! Which is a bit worrying, so maybe it cant be taught!

[alexcarlson]

Hi,
I'm a strong supporter of the street intelligence state of mind. I have grown an enormous amount of respect for people who have educated through experience.
Thanks

[David Morson]

Absolutely, Entrepreneurship is taught in institutions as a subject of Business administration and its a complete subject which requires an expertise in its field.

[BusinessIdeas]

Of course you would have to define entrepreneurship first :)

[oldeagleeye]

Quote
"Absolutely, Entrepreneurship is taught in institutions as a subject of Business administration and its a complete subject which requires an expertise in its field."

Sorry David but that is nonsense and most of the graduates that I have come across with a degree in 'business studies' haven't got a clue about running a business. In fact it seems that they spend 3 years at uni learning how to use an Excel spreadsheet - and that's about it.

As for teaching anyone how to be come an entrepreneur. My old signiture tagline said it all. You can teach a plumber how to fly a plane but you can't teach an entrepreneur how to become an entrepreneur. It is in the blood but and it is a big but. While they may be extremely innovative entrepreneurs in terms of spotting nich markets and turning a seed of an idea into a successful business very few make the grade as good business managers.

One of the reasons is that unlike the popular belief money is hardly ever the driving force. The challenge and personal achievement is and having establshed the business - proved our worth we get bored and want to move on.

Indeed if I am entirely honest - and I believe this applies to others of my breed after having launched a series of sucessful businesses over the years we get to the point that we are actually hoping to fail with the next venture so as to go back to the beginning when we had nothing. Only then do we really feel truly alive again.

That is the difference bewtween the true entrpreneur and the sucessful businessman and I think nothing illustrates that more than the difference between Alan Sugar and Richard Branson.

Alan who I have met several times is a shrewd and extrmely successful businessman. I do not believe however he is a true entrepreneur. The first Amstrad products for example wrev not state of the art hi-fi systems but crap and it was only Woolies that save his company by stocking them. True he made a fortune by bringing out the old green moctser. The 1st word processor but his company never developed it. All that happened was that AS used the money to buy back the company. A shrewd business move and that one company has now turned into a multi million pound empire. You will not see Alan taking any chances however.

Compare that to Richard Branson. Now he came from a very well off family and didn't really need the money but among the trendy folk of Chelsea however he wanted to prove himself and did in the most fashionable of industries. What did he do at the height of Virgin records profitability however - he sold it on. Bored no doubt he couldn't wait to follow on from Sir Fredie Laker with an truly huge gamble.

Now I won't go on expanding on RB's entrepreneurs skills but I would emphaise that while he is obviously a very rich man and won't be going bank to having no money in the bank he does takes risks of a different nature in order to get that truly alive feeling - literally. The ballon stunts for one thing. As for perhaps going in that suicide mission business wise.

I think his rocket plane is doomed to fail as a business but then again - RB the entrepreneur that he is will get fantastic PR out of it.

[toastking]

I feel that people can be inspired more than taught, but I agree with a lot of what Ole' EagleEye says. A lot of my fellow students from Business and Management are awful and I would never employ them. The ones that show potential, do so for other reasons.

[BusinessIdeas]

Indeed if I am entirely honest - and I believe this applies to others of my breed after having launched a series of sucessful businesses over the years we get to the point that we are actually hoping to fail with the next venture so as to go back to the beginning when we had nothing. Only then do we really feel truly alive again.

That is the difference bewtween the true entrpreneur and the sucessful businessman

I think that the above is true, I am always better in adversity than I am at enjoying success. :)

[Emma_B]

Imagine this - you are at home, with not a single penny as such apart from food and electricity.. you have no job and you are not given anything and you need money.. bad credit record and no chance of a loan.. can you go from this to being comfortable in a matter of 1-2 years, if you have a creative mind you can - I see that as Entrepreneurship. If you can't think outside of the box, then work for a big blue chip company and continue to be a number! Because if it could be taught, there would be no lecturers in this field.. just lost of rich bods!

my opinion

[inspired38]

This is a good question, as a business coach, I often ask people to read the E-Myth which is a book written for Business Owners. The E Myth stands for the Entrepreneurial Myth in that many business owners who start a business are not entrepreneurs but rather Technicians in their business who had what the author describes as an entrepreneurial seizure - a momentary falsh of entrepreneurial spirit which they then turned into a business.

In summary - It probably needs to exist within you but can be developed.

Regards

[sirearl]

This is a good question, as a business coach, I often ask people to read the E-Myth which is a book written for Business Owners. The E Myth stands for the Entrepreneurial Myth in that many business owners who start a business are not entrepreneurs but rather Technicians in their business who had what the author describes as an entrepreneurial seizure - a momentary falsh of entrepreneurial spirit which they then turned into a business.

In summary - It probably needs to exist within you but can be developed.

Regards

Excellent definition.

entrepreneur's don't exist just people in various shapes and sizes.

Earl

[Lorro2]

The answer is yes but often entrepreneurship runs in families and often there is a culture of wheeling and dealing such as their was during second world war. If you do a car boot sale it will more or less teach you everything you need to know about what it takes to become a successful entrepreneur.

[oldeagleeye]

The answer is yes but often entrepreneurship runs in families and often there is a culture of wheeling and dealing such as their was during second world war. If you do a car boot sale it will more or less teach you everything you need to know about what it takes to become a successful entrepreneur.

I wondor how old you are Lorro or what businesses you have been involed in but first this running in the family thing. Such a claim is a lot of nonsense. My father for instance who incidentaly got married at the end of WW2 was to sort of guy that was only too pleased to hand over his wage packet to my mother & leave her to do the budgeting and that is typical of many of that generation. As for the siblings in the family. All have sought secure employment all their lives.

Is my expereince then typical. Yes it is. While there have obviously been entrepreneurs throught history - it wasn't until the 1960's that the concept of the entrepreneur became popoular when a guy called John Bloom hit the headlines being declared the first 'self-made' millionaire in Britain in modern history. BTW - his business - refurbishing 2nd hand twin tub washing machines and selling them on credit making them affordable by everyone.

As for the culture of wheeling and dealing during the war. Again nonsense. There were a few 'Spiff's' around who were in effect petty criminals but most people were honest and tried to eek out the rationing as best they could.

As for a boot fair teaching anyone about how to become an entrepreneur. Yea right. That is why you see hundreds of stallholders standing in the freezing cold or rain at a local boot fair selling off their family bits and pieces while the REAL entrepreneur has collected his pitch money and having a nice lunch in the pub planning his holiday in the Canary Islands.:D

Robert.

Footnote. Most of John Blooms success was due to a guy called Eddie Solomons who was his sales director and later became one of my mentors after giving me the job of area manager selling unit trusts. I have a lot to thnk him for may he RIP.

[BusinessIdeas]

I think you need many skills to become a successful entrepreneur: Imagination, sales skills, perseverance, knowing when to cut your losses, basic accountancy, common sense, curiosity, courage in the face of adversity. Just to name a few :)

[Emcar Vending]

I don't think you can teach people to be entrepreneurs. They either have the mentatilty for it or they don't.

I don't think it's family related either as my father was happy to work for somebody else all his life and my daughters have no interest in business at all.

I'm the oddball who from pre teen years could see how to make money from things and was prepared to take the risk and put the effort in. I've never made a fortune but I've not done too badly over the years.

[Gillie]

Do you associate an entrepreneur as someone who ensures a firm survives? Or someone who grows the firm? Or merely somone who ensure the firms profitability?

And the characteristics of one would be ...

A risk taker?
A desire for autonomy?
Need for achievement?
Locus on control?
Over optimism?

[oldeagleeye]

Do you associate an entrepreneur as someone who ensures a firm survives? Or someone who grows the firm? Or merely somone who ensure the firms profitability?

My definition of an etrpreneur is someone who spots an opportunity in the general marketplace and then developes a seed of an idea into a viable business plan in order to exploit the market.

So yes it is someone that grows the business and in my case I would want to see it into profit by the end of year 1 too.

After that there are usually options. In the main to grow the business further or sell it on or consolidate your market position. Option one of course means bringing in managers and if you are smart you give them responsibility and control. The problem then of course as I have stated is that you get bored. I know I do. Option 3 poses the same problem if you can call it that. Given that and having burned my fingers after the housing crash in theb 90's I am now in favour of option 2. To "get in and get out of the market while you the goings good"

And the characteristics of one would be ...

A risk taker?

Anyone that goes into business is a risk taker. For the shrewd entrepreneur and indeed any businesman it should be a calculated risk and part of this should be giving considerable thought to an exit strategy. A feature often overlooked in many a business plan.

A desire for autonomy?

More than a desire. I think that you will find that most entrepreneurs have strong personal moral & political views.

Need for achievement?

More a desire for personal fullfilment and the pleasere that comes with it. As such we need or seek compliments from others which is generally what need implies.

Locus on control?

Yes by creating options.

Over optimism?

Never. I have seen far too many quite sensible business folk fall by that wayside and usually because they get carried away in putting together a business plan designed to impress the bank manager. Thus losing sight of the realities and eventually ending up with cash-flow problems.



Robert

[simonh@]

Hi

Easy to teach if you have understanding wealthy parents?.
Little bit longer if you have to duck and dive 1st?.
I think

[Ralph Myerz]

I strongly believe entrepreneurship is a continue learning process.... there are so many skills and tactics involved.

Btw, a great event coming tomorrow -

YES Mastermind on May. 18th at 5:30pm in Orange County with special guest speaker Arvee Robinson on how to be marked out as an expert, create instant credibility in your business by being a persuasive speaker- Arvee Robinson, is a Persuasive Speaking Coach, Master Speaker Trainer, International Speaker, andAuthor. She teaches business owners, service professionals, and entrepreneurs how to use public speaking as a marketing strategy so they can attract more clients, generate unlimited leads and grow
their businesses, effortlessly. She teaches a proven system for delivering persuasive presentations,and easy to use formulas for creating a killer elevator pitch and a magnetic self-introduction....

[Spiritas]

....an entrepreneur is simply somebody that sees the bigger picture and envisions an outcome and proceeds along the road towards that goal. It's not even related to business specifically

Some have lots of visions and some have a single vision, some are good at navigating the road and some are all over the place. Some become rich famous and are lauded by many, some just pay their mortgage every year. Some fail, learn and start again with another vision or a clearer view of the same. Some fail, don't learn and don't start again.

Age, sex, wealth: none of these things are relevant except in passing and generally in hindsight to post rationalise or explain the success. I blame the "The Hobbit" and "The Borrowers" books myself but that's another story.

If there's no vision there's no entrepreneur. Having the vision tends to become habit forming hence we end up with serial entrepreuners, after all if you have the vision to start a "widgets and whatnot" business a "widgets and whatsits" one is easier to see.

Can it be taught? Well you can't teach people to have a vision but you can teach people to look in the right places....by looking beyond the obvious or even the less obvious anyone may see the next big thing or even the next small thing.

Now back to my visions and work....

[MrSalesmanship]

As with anything eles in this world it's the wanting to do so which must come first.

[topsexsellerdotcom]

I think it CAN be taught.

[fundingportal]

Was going to be an engineer until I realised it was all just maths and no room for creative thinking!

What a truly depressing thought - fortunately not shared by Andrew Ritchie. http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/entrepreneur/article4364276.ece

[Officebird]

....an entrepreneur is simply somebody that sees the bigger picture and envisions an outcome and proceeds along the road towards that goal. It's not even related to business specifically

Some have lots of visions and some have a single vision, some are good at navigating the road and some are all over the place. Some become rich famous and are lauded by many, some just pay their mortgage every year. Some fail, learn and start again with another vision or a clearer view of the same. Some fail, don't learn and don't start again.

Age, sex, wealth: none of these things are relevant except in passing and generally in hindsight to post rationalise or explain the success. I blame the "The Hobbit" and "The Borrowers" books myself but that's another story.

If there's no vision there's no entrepreneur. Having the vision tends to become habit forming hence we end up with serial entrepreuners, after all if you have the vision to start a "widgets and whatnot" business a "widgets and whatsits" one is easier to see.

Can it be taught? Well you can't teach people to have a vision but you can teach people to look in the right places....by looking beyond the obvious or even the less obvious anyone may see the next big thing or even the next small thing.

Now back to my visions and work....

Can't say it better so won't!!

[LloydBurrell]

As with anything eles in this world it's the wanting to do so which must come first.

True. However, just like in any other segment, there are things with entrepreneurship that come easier if they're taught. I think it's a process that must be first learned through experience. But then again, teaching it may prove essential.

Lloyd Burrell
Publisher

[ares]

As for teaching anyone how to be come an entrepreneur. My old signiture tagline said it all. You can teach a plumber how to fly a plane but you can't teach an entrepreneur how to become an entrepreneur. It is in the blood but and it is a big but. While they may be extremely innovative entrepreneurs in terms of spotting nich markets and turning a seed of an idea into a successful business very few make the grade as good business managers

[Salonsantamonica]

Entrepreneurs are indeed a unique breed. Sometimes it can be a long lonely journey to the top. Yes, entrepreneurship runs in the blood. Though one can learn certain techniques, true entrepreneurship is a matter of character. The best businessmen are born that way and present appropriate skills already at a very young age. There are many hidden blessings of being an entrepreneur that you may just pass over.
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[filtuh.com]

Once you've answered this question, can you please tell me exactly how long a piece of string is?

It's been nagging me for years*




*que wife jokes

[Kernowman]

My thoughts (In no particular order, unless you understand the message) about being an Entrepreneur.


Having brilliant ideas does not make you into an Entrepreneur.

Having brilliant business skills does not make you into an Entrepreneur.

Having brilliant sales skills does not make you into an Entrepreneur.

Having brilliant leadership skills does not make you into an Entrepreneur.

Having brilliant organisational skills escapes the average Entrepreneur.

Having brilliant Marketing skills is essential for being an Entrepreneur.

Having vision is essential for being an Entrepreneur.

Having the ability to put all that lot together towards your dreams does turn you into an Entrepreneur.

[sirearl]

My thoughts (In no particular order, unless you understand the message) about being an Entrepreneur.


Having brilliant ideas does not make you into an Entrepreneur.

Having brilliant business skills does not make you into an Entrepreneur.

Having brilliant sales skills does not make you into an Entrepreneur.

Having brilliant leadership skills does not make you into an Entrepreneur.

Having brilliant organisational skills escapes the average Entrepreneur.

Having brilliant Marketing skills is essential for being an Entrepreneur.

Having vision is essential for being an Entrepreneur.

Having the ability to put all that lot together towards your dreams does turn you into an Entrepreneur.

Oh no it don't it turns you into your average business person nothing more.;)

Earl

[Kernowman]

Oh no it don't it turns you into your average business person nothing more.;)

Earl

I wish I could agree with you Earl but I can't.

If ANY of what I wrote above were true, then I wouldn't have spent the last 20-odd years in consultancy doing what I do best ;) :D

[jonsay]

french entrepreneur/entrepreneuse english boss

That about sums it up. Its the guy at the top whether that is a shop owner or an oligarch. Get your own business and hijack the word entrepreneur. Everyone else does.

[jonsay]

french:entrepreneur/entrepreneuse english:boss

That sums up an entrepreneur. They come in all shapes and sizes and can be a shop keeper or multi-national wealthy git. Get your own company and hijack the word entrepreneur like everyone else. I will be doing in about 6 months...

[Daniel Jones]

I think you can definitely be a successful entrepreneur without a formal education and equally successful with an education. I think you need a natural talent for business regardless of whether you're educated or not. Learning from some form of mentor would be just as effective as any formal education as well.

Daniel

[Drachsi]

Hey all, im new here! But thought I would sign up as this seems like a good forum!

Currently im in my final year of university studying Entrepreneurship! The full title is in fact Entrepreneurship in IT, Technology and Business

Whenever I say what course im doing it normally results in a strange confused look, followed by “you will be the next Richard Branson then?!”

So what do you think? Can you teach Entrepreneurship or is it just in the blood?!

I've been in international sales and marketing for many years, built my first website in 1996 and at 69 love using and creating internet support for small companies. So I would say if you have an open mind to new ideas, ask "why" lots of times and believe in yourself, have tenacity, then you probably are an entrepreneur.

Regards
Drachsi
www.drachsi.com (http://www.drachsi.com)

[john.rock9]

Experience is a huge private thing. No one will tell you how it really works, because it is a secret. You can learn general situations or deals. Every good business looks like a unique formula. Even competitors deal the same way, using different points of you and relations.

[2030ceo]

Your entrepreneur course may provide you some knowledge about certain kind industries, however, there are many of the stuff that cannot be taught on textbook. This kind of knowledge might potentially beneficial for you but not maintaing it. Personally, I believe being an entrepreneur require several natural instincts in their blood. If I have to list them in priority, I will list them in the following order :

1. Networking
2. Sales
3. Hardwork
4. Risk-taker
5. People management skills
6. Good EQ.

Your entrepreneur course may provide you some knowledge about certain kind industries; however, there are many of the stuff that cannot be taught on textbook. This kind of knowledge might potentially beneficial for you. A good example of that would be maintained your stress level and try to avoid any disclosure of your personal information (especially Financial Status) to your competitor. We have to be aware of the people that surround you. We have to be aware of the people surround you in the business world as there are no indignity in the real business world. People surround you is approaching you because of the lucrative profit.

[benwiggy]

There's a panel on this exact topic at the conference we're holding next week - see sparkslse.com/details.php

[Summitsolutions]

100% yes entrepreneurship can be taught, because I teach it. It is all about that certain mindset, that some people are fortunate to be raised with, but also some people are struck by people and events later on in life that changes mindset.

[Naweed Riaz]

I have to agree, if you have the mindset and develop an innovative flair in terms of product design then the practicalities of your design - engineering it really...is anyone born an entrepreneur. I went to a talk by Richard Branson once and it was focus and determination was the key message.

[CalibreRR]

yup.. for me entrepreneurship can be thought. The matter is about how deep or serious u want to learn it..agreed with u Naweed. after all it is about determination. If u really want it , they should be 1000 ways to do it. :)

[Doctor David]

Of course it can - it is learned so it can be taught - if done well:D

[m4ttch4tt]

I don't think entrepreneurship is something that has to be learnt/taught, neither is it something that your born with...
Entrepreneurship in it's basic form, is "effort".
Take me for instance, I'm trying to establish a major company at the moment to compete with the likes of eBay, Amazon and Play.com, I don't have a business background, nor have any of my family before me ever even attempted to founder any sort of company, they are all just employees. So, it ain't in my blood!
Another bit of information about me.

I fail... A lot!

But, I keep on pushing, I will make it.
And that's what it's all about, I've never been taught to be the way I am, I just hate losing, so the only way to carry on, is WIN.

Like I said, I don't gave a business background, but I do have the guts and the will power to infuse my brain with knowledge of how to beat the competition, after all I am only playing this game called life against other humans, so why can't I outsmart them!!
Thanks.

[E-CAT]

A good way to test whether you are learning anything from the coaching of Enterprise is to go onto enterprise catalyst website. Its a free to use self assessment specific to measure your enterprise fuel. You get a free personal coaching report at the end, and you can come back to the assessment after a while and compare your results. Its great for students to take the beginning of a term, and again at the end to see the differences in their enterprising mindset. Try it for yourself, and measure your enterprise fuel!

[elizahuston]

To me sometimes entreprenuership can be inherit from their parents especially for those who have a rich family. And because of entreprenuerships is depended on the experince, sometimes learning only takes a small proportion to become a good businessman or businesswomen

[jumpingspidermedia]

It can be taught,of course! You can learn from school,people you've encounter. If it runs in your blood then I would say it's an added advantage! But,generally it is in the person itself! If you are really dedicated and willing to learn then you can do it!

[PhotonSmith]

Personally I think it is a little bit of both. Some people are born naturally with entrepreneurship skills such as risk taking, persuasion skills, people skills etc whereas for others these skills are hard to come by. I have been fascinated with this issue myself.

Public figures that have been known to support the view that entrepreneurship is a skill or behavior that can be learned are Peter Drucker, Richard Koch (Author of The 80/20 principle) among many others. Whereas people like Tony Hsieh (Zappos) believes that it is inborn and there's nothing much you can do about it.

I believe some of the skills can be learned. But we have to be realistic in that we have to recognize the limitations. That is to say, I can learn from the best business people out there and at the same time recognizing the fact & reality that I will never be a Richard Branson or Mark Zuckerberg because those people are just born entrepreneurs.

[Richard BF]

Personally i dont think it can be taught you even have it or you dont....

These business studies and the like is imho a waste of space aswell they dont teach you how to "run" a business or the like .


You either have it or you dont.

[Drachsi]

It can be taught,of course! You can learn from school,people you've encounter. If it runs in your blood then I would say it's an added advantage! But,generally it is in the person itself! If you are really dedicated and willing to learn then you can do it!

But that's the point. What you wrote, is what makes them different. Schools could easily find those with the necessary business flair, even a good survey would give a clue. Then you devote time to build on their enthusiasm.

Drachsi
My name is my website

[Uwe (Invoiceberry)]

I studied Entrepreneurship myself at a London University. I think you can get a good and broad overview. My studies included marketing, business, law, accounting, etc. This enables you to get a general idea. However, running a business is totally different. I started my first business back in Germany when I was 15 and had a couple of businesses before I came to the UK.

I personally think that 25% is in the blood. 25% can be learned by studying, reading books, watching talks, etc. and 50% is experience.

Best Regards,
Uwe

[bulkybo]

It can be learned, but it's up to the learners to select, understand and use wisely the information they get.

[ChrisMono]

I think it's a case of "can you teach yourself". If you can, then you are entrepreneur material. If not, then should go and work for one instead :P

[umbrella-technologies]

I believe Entrepreneur is a person who has guts to take calculative risk and at the same time he is ready to learn from his experience and surrounding.

So basically its a mix of both. you need to have it in yourself and also you need to learn.

[TailorMade]

I believe Entrepreneur is a person who has guts to take calculative risk and at the same time he is ready to learn from his experience and surrounding.

So basically its a mix of both. you need to have it in yourself and also you need to learn.

Well summed up - I think people need to be equipped with the right basic skills and knowledge (whatever they may be - am not about to try and define a syllabus ) but there is an element of someone having a talent/drive/certain attitude toward risk etc..

[mobyme]

I am often called an entrepreneur but I'm not really, I'm just a guy with a low boredom threshold.
Once a company is up and running and paying it's way I like to get in other people to run it; I would even call them better qualified people because they are better than me at doing the nitty gritty tiresome stuff on a day to day basis for a wage.
The thought of just doing the same thing day in and day out fills me with dread no matter how profitable it may be.
So if somebody asked me what an entrepreneur is I would say it's somebody who is always looking to do something different.
Can it be taught, I don't think so because for me it relies on being dissatisfied with what you are already doing.

[Melo Brasil]

We must be certain and that means, solve every problem that appears ahead.
So the entrepreneur should keep in mind that he should present solutions, and if no such solutions should find it with a collaborator or research.
Everyone is able to be entrepreneurs, willing and able.

[Big Pete]

I am often called an entrepreneur but I'm not really, I'm just a guy with a low boredom threshold.
Once a company is up and running and paying it's way I like to get in other people to run it; I would even call them better qualified people because they are better than me at doing the nitty gritty tiresome stuff on a day to day basis for a wage.
The thought of just doing the same thing day in and day out fills me with dread no matter how profitable it may be.
So if somebody asked me what an entrepreneur is I would say it's somebody who is always looking to do something different.
Can it be taught, I don't think so because for me it relies on being dissatisfied with what you are already doing.

Good post , sounded just like me :)

[Drachsi]

I contacted 89 companies last week with a business idea. Only 2 of the emails were to American companies, both replied, only 1 from the British batch bothered to reply.

Now this could be because nobody reads the emails, or they are read by junior staff, or they just don't see an opportunity, but this is what an entrepreneur is, an opportunist.

Do many British "Smell" an opportunity?

Drachsi

[vanessalane]

Entrepreneurship can be taught. Everyone and anyone can develop the neccesary skills and knowledge to be successful in business.It is all about having the right attitude. You can learn any other skills that you may need or alternatively you can build a team of people with the neccesary skills.The main skills that you require to be succesful in any business are the emotional intelligence skills such as self awareness, confidence, intiative, determination, empathy, leadership, relationship and communication skills.

[brianwhitskey24]

hmmm You can only learn a business tactics or skill from your teacher but it is completely different when you implement it, yes it could help you if you have that smartness and cunning nature to offer somthing that you gain from your offer its a big thing...