Sarah's Archives

my online archive

  • Home
  • Blog
    • Starting up in translation
    • Business of translation
    • Marketing for language professionals
    • Professional development
    • Real-life translators (5 Qs)
    • Translation profession and industry
  • Contact

Powered by Genesis

Is Entrepreneurship All it's Cracked Up To Be?

by Sarah Dillon

I love this article on BusinessPundit.com on Why Entrepreneurship Isn’t All It Cracked Up To Be. It makes for interesting reading, and I agree with a lot of it. It’s so fashionable to be “an entrepreneur” these days and there seems to be this blanket assumption that it will always be better than having a 9 to 5 job.

I am so tired of this common thread on blogs that says everyone must be an entrepreneur and in order to be an entrepreneur you have to be a programmer, web designer, consultant, or freelance writer.

Funny though, I wouldn’t automatically think of a freelancer as an entrepreneur… to me, entrepreneur has the connoctation of inventing something new, or doing something different – not just working on a self-employed basis for a series of clients. And why is it that a self-employed translator would automatically be described as freelance, whereas a self-employed accountant or consultant would be running a practice or consultancy of some kind?!

Filed Under: Business of translation

About Sarah Dillon

Sarah Dillon is an Irish cailín in Brisbane, Australia. She arrived Down Under via Germany, France, Spain, Ireland, and the UK, having originally trained as a professional translator. Sarah has been involved in the start-up phases of several international small businesses as a founder, advisor and director, and has worked for companies such as Apple Computers, Audi AG and Bain and Company. She is currently pursuing a PhD in international entrepreneurship. Read more about Sarah here.

Comments

  1. Sarah Dillon says

    12 July, 2007 at 1:57 pm


    Good point, bootstrap. I agree that there has to be an element of “something new” for someone to become an entrepreneur in my eyes at least. But don’t you think someone can be *both* a freelancer and an entrepreneur? Say, if I’m a freelance translator, but my idea of how I want my business to run is perhaps a little different from the “typical” freelance translation model (whatever that is…)? Of course, I’m going to pursue it with great passion, and I certainly hope that this will have a positive impact on my life, the lives of others in my community and, because it is different, maybe even my profession too? Lofty ideals, this entrepreneurial lark, eh?!

  2. Bootstrap says

    11 July, 2007 at 10:37 am

    Freelancers are very different from entrepreneurs. Freelancers are self-employed people, working for different clients, hence they follow orders and get paid for it.

    The entrepreneur, on the other hand, is someone who has a “idea” or a goal, something that can have an impact or cause change. And the entrepreneur pursue this “idea” with much passion.