Seth Godin, the marketing expert, offers us his opinion on the differences between small businesses and entrepreneurs:
"The distinction I've always made is that an entrepreneur is trying to make money while she sleeps, and does it with someone else's money! That she builds a business bigger than herself, that scales for a long time, that is about processes and markets. A small businessperson, on the other hand, is largely a freelancer with support, someone who understands the natural size of her business and wants to enjoy the craft of doing it every day."
When I think of entrepreneurs in the fashion industry, names like Ralph Lauren, Vera Wang, and Sean Jean come to mind. These are the people who work very hard, take huge risks, and have a deep conviction to succeed and make loads of cash. A small business person in the fashion world would probably be somebody like me who is simply happy just doing what she loves - and if she makes money, great! But if not, that's ok too. However, money making is lovely! (On a side note, I have an entrepreneuristic side to me in other areas...)
For inspiration, check out an interview with Marie Routhier and how she got started in the fashion industry... You may also want to read Pamela Slim's post, "Is a soloist or small business owner really an entrepreneur?"
So what are you - an entrepreneur or a small business person?
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