Samantha MacMillan

Taking the Business and Society Management Course is certainly not a regret of mine. I have learned a lot of valuable material that I will be able to use in my life and future career as well as had the opportunity to realize what sparks my interest. Such topics include characteristics of what an entrepreneur should have, the five key components to having a successful business, and I have become interested in the aspect of becoming a manager of some sort.

Entrepreneurs are certainly one of a kind. They can come from all different kinds of backgrounds and can make a business out of all different types of ideas or needs. The things they each have in common though, if they are considered good entrepreneurs, are their characteristics. These include being self-directed, self-nurturing, action-oriented, highly energetic, and be tolerant of uncertainty. As stated in the book, they “should be self-disciplined and thoroughly comfortable being [their] own boss” (pg. 148). To be the “head honcho”, one needs to be able to have confidence in making their own decisions as the primary leader and to have the quality of being organized and good mannered. I feel as though I would be a good boss who could deal with problems in a relaxed fashion and also have the quality of staying on the ball with things. The second quality an entrepreneur should have is to be self-nurturing. “You must believe in your idea even when no one else does, and be able to replenish your own enthusiasm” (pg. 148). Being your own boss also includes sticking to what you believe in and being able to confidently promote your idea. I feel as though I would definitely be able to replenish my enthusiasm for my passion but I also believe that I would need at least one other person’s support. Having another who believes in the same thing as I do would make less of a vulnerable of giving up my idea. With the third characteristic being action-oriented, one has to build their dream into a reality. I would have no problem with taking this extra step to making what is a thought into a reality. I consider myself very much a “doer” instead of a “watcher”. The fourth quality of being highly energetic about your business is very important. If customers see that you love what you are doing, they are more likely to give your business a shot due to your love for it. “You must be emotionally, mentally, and physically, able to work long and hard” (pg. 148). I know I could work long and hard for my business but I don’t know if that is how I want to live. I do not want to always have work on my mind and I love being able to enjoy my life. This aspect turns me off to owning my own business, especially with how I got to interview grandfather about his small business and heard all the hours and family time that he had to sacrifice. Lastly, one has to be tolerant of uncertainty. I hate not knowing things and I think I would struggle with the thought of not knowing if my risk to start a business would fail or not. An entrepreneur has to have the ability to tolerate such unknowns.

The second piece of knowledge that I will walk away with is how an entrepreneur can never really stop learning or attaining new knowledge if they want to be top dog. In order to be successful in this fast paced world, one has to be able to keep up with the changes in society, and especially the technological ones. Nowadays, lots of companies do business online or use technological advances in order to communicate better. Being open and willing to learn new things will definitely set your business apart from those who choose to be lazy and not take on the world’s newest ideas and creations.

What interested me about aspects of my future career was being a manager. I believe that I have the ability to deal with all sorts of people and also have the ability to use different forms of motivation to get people to complete tasks. Being a mentor, “a corporate manager who supervises, coaches, and guides selected lower-level employees by introducing them to the right people and generally acting as their organizational sponsor” (pg. 300) would be a great thing for me to do. I love helping people understand how something works or answering any questions. Problem solving is my hobby. I also know that I could take the affirmative action that is necessary from the experiences that I have had in my previous jobs.

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