Entrepreneur vs. Businessman

Many people use these two words interchangeably. After all, both are engaged in business - an entrepreneur is one who is in the start-up stage of the business and a businessman is one whose business has already gone the tests of time.

I beg to disagree. Entrepreneurship is neither determined by the length of time you have invested in business nor the size of your company by cash flow. 

While it can be argued that an entrepreneur is a kind of businessman – or a man engaged in the trade of goods, services or both, an entrepreneur is one who always has innovation on top of his mind. It is his continuing search for something to offer that will ultimately delight his desired customer. This is the characteristic that separates an entrepreneur among the rest. 

Entrepreneur Magazine have featured the rags-to-riches stories of the wealthiest tycoons in the country - John Gokongwei, Henry Sy and Lucio Tan who started their entrepreneurial careers started in the outbreak of the world war. 

But what I love to see and read are not the story of “already big” people but rather the story of “small” people with BIG ideas. Those despite of being a busy mother of her children can manage to fufill her entrepreneurial drives, those despite a financially trying working-student life is committed to finish his studies and go full blast with his business concept – they aren’t only entrepreneurs but heroes too in their own rights.

Will look for some stories and post them here.

Death of a Salesman

I am not going to talk about death. I just do not exactly remember what this novel was all about aside from it being a subject of a book review when I was in high school. The fact is, I did not finish reading it. I don't even recall how I was able to produce the report that we have to submit.


We even watched a play based on the novel at UP Theater starring Pen Medina. I thought it’s going to be exciting because the main role is to be played by at least a known character actor (he was active on soap operas at that time playing as a rapist, abusive father or a leftist farmer) but I fell asleep during almost the entire play.

It bored me.

Perhaps, I didn’t see it interesting to know what it is like to be salesman. Well, I didn’t want to be a salesman after all. 

Remember the popular jingle from Electrolux? “I’m gonna knock on your door, ring on your bell, knock on your window too.”

It stuck in my mind. A salesman is one who sells vacuum cleaners to housewives. Oh, and they walk miles and miles just to sell lotion and perfume on “special offers” to anyone he sees along the way. Just for me to wake up one day and realize, I am the salesman I never wanted to be.  

I don’t sell vacuum cleaners or lotion or perfume but still, the fact that I’m selling makes me a salesman, regardless of what products or services I offer. Five years ago, I was a Copylandia salesman walking along the busy highways of Quezon Avenue and the dirty streets of Manresa, with both feet often dipped into floodwater in rainy afternoons under a broken umbrella. It used to make me teary-eyed every time I get stuck in a flooded road during a client call. That wasn’t the work I dreamt of but I landed on it in a bizarre twist of fate. I was browsing the net a month after graduation when I saw on jobstreet.com – Management Trainee for Sales and Business Development. I said, “Wow! I want that job, sounds very executive!”   

Then I thought, sales people are somehow treated with little importance. I mean, there is lack of care when it is the sales people who bring money to the company. Look, all other employees enjoy their stay at the airconditioned office and wait for 5 o’clock and leave. But for sales people, we leave the office early after the morning huddle, look for clients to sell our products to, get wet because of rain and sweat because of heat and then the morning after, you’ll be asked by the sales manager how much of your quota is achieved.

Then I thought, I should have taken Mass Communication rather than Management. I love to talk anyway (that’s my concept of mass communication is). Could I become a good reporter or news anchor? Maybe and maybe not.

But this is where God has put me. He has reasons and I wholeheartedly embrace it. The salesman is alive and he has evolved into an entrepreneur. Yeah, a selling entrepreneur. Why not? Tell me of an entrepreneur who is not into selling one way or the other?  

(I am surprised though to know that there is a movie version starring John Malkovich and Dustin Hoffman - two great actors of Hollywood. I plan to search for a copy and watch it, might really be a good material)

  

It’s Not About the Money

It’s not about the price tag.

No, this is not a “lyrics” blog post (if there is such) in memory of Solidgold Songhits of the 90’s. It just hit me when I chanced upon Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps on Star Movies starring Michael Douglas and Shie LaBeouf.

It’s not about the money.

If you are into business and you keep on taking risks to expand your empire, is it not really about the money? When John D. Rockefeller, the first US billionaire, was asked, when is he going to stop increasing his riches? His quick response was “Just a little bit more.” 

The Bible is clear “this world is fading away along with everything it craves but if you do the will of God, you will live forever.” (1 John 2:17) But does that mean we stop working; anyway it’s going to fade away? Not exactly. It is in the attitude towards why we do what we do. We have certain necessities in life. A pretty decent job can give us nice clothing, enough food to eat and shelter to sleep. But oftentimes, we indulge ourselves with just the things we want but not necessarily need.

If only we strive only for things we need, this world could have been simple and not as complicated as today. Well maybe yes. It is not really about the money after all; but the thrill, just the thrill, of earning more than others do.

I’ve always wanted to ask Warren Buffet and the rest of the Forbes 100, maybe Oprah or Mark Zuckerberg for that matter, “If it is not about the money, what is it all about?” 

The Entrepreneur

Then, I dream of having my own business after realizing that I am not being true to my yahoo username - milantrepreneur (word that popped-out of my head in 2006). I didn't actually want to sound like Imeldific but the term amused me a lot.

Perhaps, high school education in Ateneo de Manila encouraged me to be an entrepreneur someday. But I embraced it in the the wrong context at first.

I just wanted to sit on a manager's chair, sign checks and tell my secretary to prepare my itinerary, follow-up sales reports and lead the company to financial stability without even knowing what business I am running!

Eventually I get to comprehend that just like how Jesus Christ modeled servanthood when He is the Master, I must learn to adapt the servant attitude first. I, myself, have to know how to sell my products/services effectively first before I can get to lead a group of people who will do the same. And even if I am already "the master" or "the boss", I must continue to sell and serve, not only my clients but also my fellow sales people.

That dream is still alive. And yes, today, I am striving to be the entrepeneur God wants me to be.

The Cold Call

"Move out of your comfort zone. You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new." - Brian Tracy


How would you know if they are interested or not? Go and ask. 


At the time I was selling copiers and printing machines, I'm usually reluctant to enter an office where I don't have any appointment at all - the cold call. Literally, the feeling is cold. Try entering a stranger's house and you will experience the "coldest" accommodation. 

The Risograph RZ model

My favorite product - Minolta Dialta 1610.

Many times, they won't even allow you to come inside, you just peep at the door and ask the guard if there is someone you can talk to regarding the products you sell. The usual response is: 


"Ah, they're busy." 
"Do you have appointment?" (Will I ask him who I can talk to if I have appointment?)
"Just leave your brochures."


Well, I really have to do it. We are required atleast two cold calls per day. The rationale is to maximize our opportunity in the area and cover as many accounts as possible. 


I spent almost two years in that company, my first BTW. And I must say, the cold calls helped me a lot today. 


Conquer your fears. Discover the unknown. 


Ooops! Did I say that half of my sales back then were from cold calls?