Entrepreneur's Best Friend

  Self-Employed vs. Entrepreneur: Understanding the Difference and Choosing Your Path By Michel Battles   There is a lot of talk these days about being self-employed versus being an entrepreneur. The two terms are often used interchangeably, and honestly, that creates a lot of confusion for people who are just getting started in business. On the surface, they may look the same. After all, both involve working for yourself, making your own decisions, and taking on risk. But when you slow things down and really look at it, there are some meaningful differences that matter more than most people realize.   Let’s start with the self-employed individual.   A self-employed person usually owns a job rather than a business. That is not meant as an insult. In fact, self-employment can be a great thing. Many self-employed individuals are highly skilled professionals. Think about contractors, independent truck drivers, cleaners, barbers, consultants, and freelanc...

For more than 30 years, I have lived the life of an entrepreneur. I’ve started, operated, advised, and exited multiple businesses across different industries. Along the way, I’ve learned that some entrepreneurs are built differently. We are often referred to as serial entrepreneurs. So, what exactly is a serial entrepreneur? A serial entrepreneur is someone who has opened, owned, or managed multiple businesses over time. Unlike a single-venture business owner, a serial entrepreneur is constantly identifying new opportunities, testing ideas, and pivoting when necessary. They know when to get in, when to scale, and when to get out. Serial entrepreneurs move fast. They adapt quickly. When market conditions change, they don’t panic — they pivot. This ability often comes from experience earned on the front lines, not from textbooks. In many ways, a serial entrepreneur resembles a street hustler — not in a negative sense, but in the sense of understanding many different “hustles” or re...