Some companies are already established. Others are just starting to grow. And still others are in their infancy. But what allows them all to thrive? Above all, business innovation, the true seed of entrepreneurship. 11Onze’s agent Xevi Esteve gives us the keys to entrepreneurship.

What distinguishes entrepreneurs? Why do entrepreneurs always look for what they are passionate about, while most people prefer a permanent, civil service job? “An entrepreneur is always looking for a business idea,” Esteve begins to explain. Business innovation is precisely the basis of this business idea.

To succeed, this business idea will have to increase productivity, create a new product and satisfy a need. However, no matter how good the idea, it will always have to be accompanied by an economic project, a set of well-thought-out strategies to achieve not only economic but also social benefits. If these four factors are properly intertwined, we have all the points to be a good entrepreneur.

“In fact, these social benefits are becoming increasingly important, the idea that the entrepreneur always develops in a social organisation, a community,” the agent says.  In the end, Esteve explains, an entrepreneurial idea always seeks the well-being of people. 

Entrepreneur vs. businessman

But beyond the four business purposes we have set ourselves, it is very important to know how to find the right people to fulfil these purposes. This is when we talk about good leadership, which, according to Xevi Esteve, is what differentiates an entrepreneur from an ordinary businessman. “An entrepreneur is always in the initial phase of a project. His or her objective is to launch the business idea. This entrepreneur is in charge of organising, deploying and bringing this idea to reality,” he explains. 

Esteve also recalls that, for this reason, the entrepreneur has a much more creative profile than a normal businessman. “He or she is very focused on solving problems and taking on more than one task at a time,” the agent says. In contrast, an entrepreneur is at a much more advanced stage, and is primarily concerned with increasing the company’s profits. In short, an entrepreneur has to manage the company, grow the business, establish strategies and delegate management tasks.

The qualities of entrepreneurship

An entrepreneur can emerge from anywhere in an organisation: spontaneously or as a result of planning to create a new product or add value to the company’s objectives. But above all, according to Esteve, innovation requires two factors. The first is tradition, because creativity is always a cumulative process. “We have to forget the idea that innovation can only come from technological or highly advanced sectors,” he says. The second is the worker condition. “70% of entrepreneurs come from the working classes,” he says.

However, it is true that today there are workplaces that are a good breeding ground for entrepreneurs, such as communication and information industries, science and technology parks or innovation, design and advertising departments. It is from these innovation-friendly spaces that startups or emerging companies.

And what qualities should an entrepreneur have? According to Esteve, at least six: ability to take risks without being reckless; perseverance, patience and self-confidence; practicality or getting down to business; and a lot of organisation and order. In addition, he adds three that are increasingly relevant: ethics, sustainability and good human relations. An entrepreneur is never alone; success is always shared. Do you have any of these characteristics? And, most importantly, do you have any good ideas?

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