2sExy1: sorry to say.... you lack common sense. I know your idea of an entrepreneur is in the class of Bill Gates, Dangote et al but you fail to realise that these guys also started from scratch and therefore, it means that anyone who does not start big isn't an entrepreneur.

What is your definition of Entrepreneurship?

Entrepreneurship is the process of starting a business or other organization. The entrepreneur develops a business model, acquires the human and other required resources, and is fully responsible for its success or failure--Wikipedia

I don't waste time on folks like you... so where there are no jobs, people should still fold their hands and wait for manner to fall from heaven or you will feed them?

Rubbish!

Well said.

Abeg jhor, most naija enterpreneur, are typical 419....always wanting to make it big real quick even with business with cheap standard.

INDESTRUCTABLEX: @mylncopr the basics therefore becomes who is an entrepreneur and what what are the qualities that make an individual an entrepreneur?

Going by your definition, ability to commercialize an idea and get profits in return, does this make a blogger or a market woman an entrepreneur?

Yes, I totally agree with your definition, but I think what is missing in the Nigerian system is over-use of the word, fear to invest or take risks, and outright lack/blindness to innovation by a majority of "entrepreneurs".

I think the fuss should be: is a business owner an enterpreneur?

MyIncorp:

I think the fuss should be: is a business owner an enterpreneur?

Exactly.

angelinvestor: Well said.

we know their type. They come up with big words and well written epistle but make little to no sense. I call the call them the "PATRICK OBAHIAGBON" of the written words.

2sExy1: sorry to say.... you lack common sense. I know your idea of an entrepreneur is in the class of Bill Gates, Dangote et al but you fail to realise that these guys also started from scratch and therefore, it means that anyone who does not start big isn't an entrepreneur.
What is your definition of Entrepreneurship?
Entrepreneurship is the process of starting a business or other organization. The entrepreneur develops a business model, acquires the human and other required resources, and is fully responsible for its success or failure--Wikipedia
I don't waste time on folks like you... so where there are no jobs, people should still fold their hands and wait for manner to fall from heaven or you will feed them?
Rubbish!

You summed up my feelings after wasting time to read the nonsense post. I blame the person that brought this to front page. Absolute waste of time, made no sense whatsoever and didn't even bother to make a case of what he means by overhype.

And to those calling me dumb, you are entitled to your opinion.

I never said being Bill Gates makes you an entrepreneur. But you will agree that these men are risk takers and innovative.

Go to universities, you will lose count of the number of "be your own boss seminars". While these may motivate you to act, the truth is that not everybody will act. The number of those that act and quit afterwards because things don't come easy is relatively high. Does this make you an entrepreneur?

IMO sitting down and doing nothing doesn't make you an entrepreneur, neither does being skeptical and sitting on defence make you one.

And like one of the comments, the definition is subject to personal interpretation.

An enterprenuer in naija must also b a politician cos I luk @ dangote n I say if pdp shild loose d centre men dat guy is going down n yes enterprenuer is bin ova hyped.

If you need more info about the word Entrepreneur, log on to http://m.businessdictionary.com/definition/entrepreneur.html and download the BusinessDictionary app.

I shared same sentiments in an article I wrote last year, titled: Excuse me, Mr Self Employment Advocate. http://www.jarushub.com/excuse-me-mr-self-employment-advocate/

Some people make it seem as if being in salaried job is a crime. I don't believe that trash. We are called names such as "slaves", only that some of these "entrepreneurs" will come back to beg you doing "slavery jobs" for money at the end of the month.

I don't have any problem with self-employment, entrepreneurship or whatever it is called, but the advocates overdo it. Not everyone is cut out for self-employment. There will always be people doing salaried jobs.

Nigeria is a tough place for individual business, so many fraudstars out there.
Deciet is the order of the day and its a case of who you know and not what you can offer.

Again, many of us thinks owning a business is as easy as what we see in movies....palacious offices and flashy cars.

it takes lost of hardwork to be a successful business owner in Nigeria.

True, As a result of the numerous charlatans using the title I stopped referring to myself as "entrepreneur" long ago. I'm just plain businessman. The term "entrepreneur" nowadays evokes an image of a below 30 unshaven young man with a laptop bag(and an archaic laptop) and worn-out shoes dragging for change with a conductor and most likely getting a job 2 years later. It's being misused.

bigx: True, As a result of the numerous charlatans using the title I stopped referring to myself as "entrepreneur" long ago. I'm just plain businessman. The term "entrepreneur" nowadays evokes an image of a below 30 unshaven young man with a laptop bag(and an archaic laptop) and worn-out shoes dragging for change with a conductor and most likely getting a job 2 years later. It's being misused.

LOL @ your description.

Well, that's your opinion. I chose to become a businessperson when it became apparent to me that even the highest paying employer in Nigeria could not pay me wages commensurate to my abilities. Plus, I have a burning passion for what I do, and I must add that I'm an extremely dogged person who has a history of beating the odds. But truth be said, entrepreneurship is really not for the faint of heart, or the average Joe.

Why you guys bothering yourselves entrepreneur ko entrepreneur ni? Just find a way and put food on table and survive. Simple.

@op Well i think you are a bit fuzzy in telling us your claim.

Let me start with this, you said:"My tussle is with thousands of self-acclaimed CEOs who want quick money." Now, if you define an entrepreneur as "a risk taker, an initiator, someone who will give everything to succeed" and you have someone who has genuine business idea that can get him quick money, and he's willing to take whatever risk involve and give everything to succeed. What will you describe such a person?

You also frown on business person trying to advertise in threads instead of using the standard means. I wish you could state clearly what you mean by "standard means". You're obviously not a business man so i can spare to tell you one of the basic aim of every business(Reduced cost while increase profit). You don't expect a business owner who is still growing his business and yet to reach a particular threshold of achievement, to spend headlong on ads and neglect every other opportunity present to show case his/her business, which apparently will enhance his profit. No smart business owner will do that(They exploit every single opportunity available).

Yet another resentment on business owner's having a "poorly designed sites and no logo at times". Maybe i should let you find out from Billgate himself how his first site was poorly design and launch before improvement with time. No logo you said, well i think if business was to be about logo, maybe all the Tom and Joe out there would have own a corporation by now. Logo is never a case, it come's up seemingly as it grows.

Entrepreneur is a gradual process and it takes years before every aspect of the business become standardize and still improved upon.

If one expect to get everything right before becoming a business owner, pay cheque obviously is what such should seek for, because he would never get started.

You've got to jump out of the plane and hope to open your parachute before you hit the ground.

Ontarget: Why you guys bothering yourselves entrepreneur ko entrepreneur ni? Just find a way and put food on table and survive. Simple.

Lol...funny. To whom much is given, much is expected. If you're blessed with numerous talents, why would you want to just survive? That's selfish to me. Lot's of people could benefit from the success you achieve by maximizing your potentials. Well, different strokes.....

Don't think it's the first term to be misused by nigerians. Even person wey dey sell e.gbo for kwale for warri na entrepreneur in case u don't know. As long as d misguided nigerians don't have to depend on govt for anything then they are CEO's of their unregistered and unrecognised companies. Shame.

What is overhype? Is it hyperbole? The op did not say anything or maybe i didn't understand.

Becoming a business person is a matter of choice, I became one because I wanted the challenge, I wanted freedom, I wanted to do things my way and I wanted to help as many as I can through employment and the rest.
What I see nowadays is people reading Forbes and going ahead to create lousy, me-too products and expecting to break even with that.
You see people frustrated by job hunt and all of a sudden they say they are entrepreneurs.
You see people unwilling to solve simple challenges in their jobs and they rather resign and jump into entrepreneurship which to me is a series of daily challenges which must all be solved for you to meet payroll and still have something left.
You see people annoyed with small salaries and they all of a sudden are entrepreneurs, if money is your motivation I'm sorry for you, you won't last.

Entrepreneurship is something you go into deliberately with a plan band not jump into or get pushed into.

INDESTRUCTABLEX: This is obviously my opinion and I am writing as ideas come to my head.

In recent years the word entrepreneur has gained popular usage. Everybody doing a business wants to be called an entrepreneur. This is also applicable in engineering and medical fields, a phone repairer is an engineer and a chemist that dispenses drug is a doctor.
This is quite explanatory, I mean who doesn't want to appear up there? Nigerians have this knack for big names.

Now over to entrepreneurs. The recent trend in help your self and don't wait on the government, unemployment, and an endless resource of people telling you entrepreneurship is the way are not helping matters.

Trust me, I will be an entrepreneur if I sold fishes. I would be an entrepreneur if I sold recharge cards. My tussle is not with these guys.

My tussle is with thousands of self-acclaimed CEOs who want quick money.

To buttress this point, go through the web. The web is actually an hyperbole, go through nairaland. What do you find, several businesses (more appropriately, business persons) trying to advertise in threads. They don't want to advertise using the standard means.

A shift from adverts, you will find several "1st in Africa" and "1st in Nigeria" CEOs with poorly designed sites and in some cases no logo.

In conclusion, while I may be seen as a hater, or someone who doesn't understand the economic conditions in Nigeria, I perfectly understand that an entrepreneur is a risk taker, an initiator, someone who will give everything to succeed.

@2sExy1, @xtervaganza

This is what happens when someone who has never talen any risk decides to talk about how people who take risks in starting their own businesses say they don't know what they are doing.

First of all @op, its obvious you don't live in Nigeria, so its only fair to say you DON'T know what you're talking about. Have you ever been employed in a Nigerian company, worked from 8am-10pm(in Nigeria its NOT 9-5) and gotten paid N10,000 per month? Still you have to transport yourself to work, cloth and feed yourself.

The first in African and first in Nigeria CEOs started with NOTHING. Do you know how much it costs to get a logo and build a website? In more advanced countries, one can easily have access to loans but in Nigeria, without a meaningful collateral and connections/bribe with the bank manager you might NEVER get one.

Before you make suggestions, you should come here and see what's going on. Even so called graduates are roaming the streets with no jobs and even when they do get jobs, they are under paid and over worked. Don't let me even go to people who have no educational background or drop outs.

My own opinion: @op, you have no idea of what it means to start with nothing and grow it into something. Especially in the Nigerian terrain.

The OP is just a hater, have you eaten?

@INDESTRUCTABLEX you sound like a hater, have you eaten?

Once I saw this topic, I got really interested in it. But I was disappointed to find it didn't carry the type of weight I thought it would

passion is everything!

Billionaire at 40,nothing would get you there except entrepreneuring,and that solely means taking risks.

francleanflexy: some Nigerians are so dumb right ?
There are millions n millions of jobs opportunities in nigeria which are just waiting to be filled n yet someppl want to stress themselves by being Entrepreneurs.
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#sarcasm

You have a dull mindset... Been an entrepreneur gives u control of your time and life.

@ Op please what is your definition of standard advertisement, kindly enlighten us. Thanks.

2cato: the op is right doing business in a country like nigeria is realy killing.

That's your opinion...

INDESTRUCTABLEX: And to those calling me dumb, you are entitled to your opinion.
I never said being Bill Gates makes you an entrepreneur. But you will agree that these men are risk takers and innovative.
Go to universities, you will lose count of the number of "be your own boss seminars". While these may motivate you to act, the truth is that not everybody will act. The number of those that act and quit afterwards because things don't come easy is relatively high. Does this make you an entrepreneur?
IMO sitting down and doing nothing doesn't make you an entrepreneur, neither does being skeptical and sitting on defence make you one.
And like one of the comments, the definition is subject to personal interpretation.

When you say Risk taker and Innovative. The fact that the person is into the business is risk taking enough. You might start up business on a small scale, Take for example the Engineer of a phone that you have used. You walk by his shop on a daily base and see him out there fixing phones and a times He ask you to help with some small change so he can feed. You might look at him like this dude is just wasting his time and all. His taking Risk right there trying to fix phones and all, But fortunately for him, He fix a problem say other people have tried to fix and he got it right and right from there gets a deal with some company to come and be there engineer on some aspect and all. And later when you see him, His so grown up and big with a different life style, His sure an entrepreneur Who is now a survival. It doesn't matter where you start up and all, The truth is that you Being Rich at Heart is more important. Keeping your dreams a lives and not letting them die away.

Am sure if you had known Steve Jobs right from the onset when he started in his Garage, you might have called him an acclaimed CEO too right. But Guess what, He made it right to the top to be the CEO he has dreamed of and changed the Technology world. One might be into business and not able to get somethings right for now, but doesn't mean he should get tired of trying.

I understand your point of Plenty people with the CEO thing, but You are what you Dream to be. If they have that at the back of there mind and work towards it, Of course they would achieve it.

Its just a Matter of Mindset, time and the GRACE OF GOD my Brother!!!

INDESTRUCTABLEX:
Not everybody is meant to be an entrepreneur. And a lot of people that call themselves entrepreneurs are sellers and hustlers. The title is so being misused, that's my point.

The more entrepreneurs in a country the lower the rate of un-employment.

There are
low-income entrepreneurs
Medium-income entrepreneurs
High-income entrepreneurs

The term is not been misused... Its your level of understanding that's affecting your reasoning.